View Full Version : Take-off / landing distance calculator in Excel
daxwax
22nd Jun 2014, 19:40
Evening all,
So Skydemon and other apps do a cracking job of W&B calculations but I have yet to find a way of digitising those take-off / landing distance charts.
And I lack the Excel skills to make one for myself - it looks quite complex.
Has anyone attempted this? And if so is it a template that could be adapted for different aircraft (I fly a Diamond DA40 TDI)? Or is there some amazing app I have yet to discover?
Thanks!
Genghis the Engineer
22nd Jun 2014, 21:11
The maths surely is spectacularly simple, and all you're doing in Excel is putting the formulae in that you did in your PPL ground exams.
Not that there's any substitute for using the table/chart out of the POH and your simplest solution might be just to photograph that and store the image on your ithingy?
G
Gertrude the Wombat
22nd Jun 2014, 21:22
For PPL stuff I find that the following works for me:
(1) Work out the distances for MAUW, zero wind, applying all the usual fudge factors. One for tarmac, one for grass.
(2) Use those for each flight.
(In other words, I've done the calculations once, ever.)
If a runway comes out looking too short I simply don't use it. I've never felt tempted to re-do the sums in order to try to shave a few percent off because there's a headwind, or I'm not fully loading the aircraft, or it's a cold day, or I know they've just cut the grass (honest guv). I personally would regard any such temptation as a danger sign!
Talkdownman
23rd Jun 2014, 02:37
ie. Worst Case Scenario...
Gertrude the Wombat
23rd Jun 2014, 13:59
ie. Worst Case Scenario...
Yes.
I've then rarely needed more than half the runway.
Bu I'm very aware that that's rarely, which isn't never.
The500man
23rd Jun 2014, 20:57
If you're trying to get into a short runway where this actually matters I think you'd be better off checking at your intended weight and balance on a long runway where you can work out the length of a particular section (to simulate the short strip) and then see if you can stay within that length. I wouldn't rely on the book figures.
Otherwise Gertrude's method is pretty much the norm.