Quick nav question for a newbie

[stevoneil]

hiya. im soon to start my training and i am just curious how I can easily work out flying times from departure point to destination? ie airfield to mums house etc etc.

on the rainy days i would like to check out where i can go with my licence when i have it. i know i should spend the rainy days learning how to navigate properly but my time is spent learning other simple things at the moment.

[liam548]

To get a rough estimate draw the line on your CAA chart, measure the distance using your nautical mile ruler and use time/distance/speed formula to work it out.

On a similar note I have on my kneeboard various different distances against various different speeds to get a good "guess" in the air. Obviously these dont take wind into account but it should give you some idea.

[Whopity]

You could try using your thumb; from the end of your thumb to the knuckle is about 10 nautical miles on a 1:500,000 chart. That's about 6 minutes at 100 Knots.

[Fuji Abound]

I use to carry a 6 inch rule in my knee board marked up in time (100 knots down one side, 110 knots down the other or whatever). It still comes in useful for nav events when we turn off the GPS.

[robin]

... or take a chart and draw 50 and 100nm circles on it.

50 miles gives you roughly 2 x 30 minute out and return trips for the £100 burger

100nm (if shared with somone else) takes you further.

Or, do as I did in my gliding days. Work out a mini-triangle of total length of 100nm.

All of this will show you (and depress you) how far you can fly against your budget

[Gertrude the Wombat]

50 miles gives you roughly 2 x 30 minute out and return trips for the £100 burger
Yeah, well, it helps it you add the 15 minutes to each leg for taxy, power checks, take-off, circuit, approach, landing, taxy.

So a 50 mile burger run is more like 1hr30 ... and I don't know where you can rent an aeroplane for 1hr30 for £100.

[englishal]

Plug it into Jeppesen Internet Flight Planner, logon to get the winds, and hey presto, accuracy to the minute.

[Mariner9]

Judging by the fact that Steveoneil has yet to start his flying training and is asking such a basic question it seems to me the above answers are a bit complex.

Steve, assuming you're going to be flying a C150 or PA28 (typical UK training aircraft), work on a speed of 90 knots or 1.5 nautical miles per minute.

Therefore, divide the distance from the airport to your mums house (in nautical miles ideally but "normal" statute miles will be near enough if its not too far) by 1.5 to get the approximate flying time in minutes.

For example, if her house is 30 miles away, divide 30 by 1.5 = 20 minutes flying time.

[robin]

Be easier multiplying by 2/3.....

[Crash one]

By the time you get your licence & are allowed to fly round your mums house by yourself you will have learned how long it will take, course to set, fuel reqd & how much it will cost etc.
Or an accomodating instructor will demonstrate all that for you on your first air experience flight.
Overloading the brain at the early stages is a waste of time, it gets easier once you have learned how to fly & land the thing.
Once you start training you will be up to your arse in approach speeds, when to flare, downwind checks etc. The nav bit comes later.
However, as said, 90 knots (Cessna 152) 30 nm = 20 mins. If you are going & returning in the same wind conditions then the time will work out as about 90 knots total, ie: 60 knots going, 120 coming back, or near enough. Experts will correct that no doubt.

[Mariner9]

I'm not claiming to be an expert crash one, but would point out that simple mathematics dictates that wind in any direction will always increase total flight time in a return trip.

Adds undue complexity to the question originally asked on this thread though.

[BillieBob]

I agree with Whopity, my 6 minute thumb has not let me down yet and I can't remember the last time I used a ruler. On the other hand, englishal, I find getting an internet connection at 2000ft in an open cockpit a bit more of a challenge.