Nautical Air Miles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3 Nautical Air Miles
42
3 Nautical Air Miles
3
43
Nautical Air Miles 3
Nautical Air Miles
Nautical Air Miles
Many of the graphs for the Single-engine Piston (SEP), Multi-engine Piston (MEP)
and, later,
the Medium Range Jet Transport (MRJT) aircraft, refer to nautical air miles (NAM
). They are a
measure of the air distance flown by an aircraft, i.e. the distance flown at the
True Airspeed
(TAS). In still air (or when there is no wind component along the aircraft s headi
ng vector)
the NAM flown are equal to the Nautical Ground Distance (NGM) flown. NGM is the
distance
flown by the aircraft over the ground, as may be measured on a chart.
Usually the air is moving and an aircraft flying through this moving air will fl
y a different distance
over the ground. If the air is moving in the opposite direction to the aircraft
(a headwind, or
minus wind component) then the aircraft will fly more NAM than NGM. (See Figure
3.1.)
Figure 3.1 NAM greater than NGM
Similarly, if the wind is blowing in the direction that the aircraft is flying,
(a tailwind or plus
wind component ) the NAM will be less than NGM. (See Figure 3.2.)
Figure 3.2 NAM less than NGM
The relationship between NAM, NGM, TAS, GS (ground speed ) and wind component (W
C) is:
NAM
NGM
TAS
GS
=
3 Nautical Air Miles
44
3 Nautical Air Miles
Example
An aircraft flies at TAS 142 kt for 63 NAM. If the WC is -20 kt, how many NGM do
es it fly?
NAM
NGM
TAS
GS
=
63
x
142
122
=
x = 122/142 63 = 54
OR on your Navigation Computer
Red cursor: 142 on the inner scale is set against 122 on the outer. Blue cursor:
63 is read on the
inner scale against 54 on the outer.
Figure 3.3 NAM to NGM using navigation computer
If the TAS (or GS) are not known, for example in a climb or descent, the convers
ion can still be
carried out.
Consider an aircraft with a TAS of 100 kt:
In one hour it would fly 100 NAM. But in that hour the air has been moved by the
wind
component. If the WC is -25 (25 head), then the air has moved 25 NM in the direc
tion from
which the aircraft came. So the ground distance flown is:
100 - 25 = 75 NGM
Similarly, if the WC is +25 (25 tail) the ground distance is:
100 + 25 = 125 NGM
3
45
Nautical Air Miles 3
Nautical Air Miles
We can see that the difference between air and ground distance is the +/- WC per
minutes
flown, or:
+/- WC
60
minutes flown
This gives the formula:
NGM = NAM +/- WC
60
( sector time )
Example
An aircraft climbs to cruising level in 11.5 minutes, covering 23.5 NAM. If the
wind component
is -30 kt, how many NGM are flown in the climb?
NGM = 23.5 - 30
60
( 11.5 )
= 23.5 5.75
= 17.75 ( or 18 ) NGM
3 Questions
46
3 Questions
Questions
Take time to become very proficient doing these problems by completing the follo
wing
exercises.
TAS W/C GS NAM NGM
1 120 +20 250
2 120 -20 250
3 150 +30 330
4 150 -30 330
5 215 +15 755
6 +25 230 610 684
7 -20 95 185
8 550 -50 1235
9 135 +18 322
10 95 -10 310 277
11 550 520 215
12 140 160 425
13 125 250 310
14 90 155 140
15 615 -65 2050
16 485 +55 215
17 375 +12 1500
18 280 -20 715
19 155 +35 785
20 405 -38 218
TIME W/C NAM NGM
21 20 +30 105
22 20 -30 105
23 12 -25 88
24 30 +35 210
25 8 -12 18
26 15 +28 100
27 9 -35 50
28 15 +50 85
29 25 -40 125
30 18 +30 65
3
47
Questions 3
Questions
3 Answers
48
3 Answers
Answers
TAS W/C GS NAM NGM
1 120 +20 140 214 250
2 120 -20 100 300 250
3 150 +30 180 330 395
4 150 -30 120 330 264
5 215 +15 230 706 755
6 205 +25 230 610 684
7 115 -20 95 224 185
8 550 -50 500 1358 1235
9 135 +18 153 284 322
10 95 -10 85 310 277
11 550 -30 520 227 215
12 140 +20 160 425 486
13 101 +24 125 250 310
14 90 -9 81 155 140
15 615 -65 550 2292 2050
16 485 +55 540 193 215
17 375 +12 387 1500 1548
18 280 -20 260 715 664
19 155 +35 190 640 785
20 405 -38 367 218 198
TIME W/C NAM NGM
21 20 +30 105 115
22 20 -30 105 95
23 12 -25 93 88
24 30 +35 210 227
25 8 -12 18 16
26 15 +28 93 100
27 9 -35 50 45
28 15 +50 85 98
29 25 -40 142 125
30 18 +30 65 74
49
4
Chapter
Single-engine Piston Aeroplane (SEP)
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Single-engine Piston Aeroplane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
SEP - Time, Fuel and Distance to Climb Data . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Cruise Power Settings Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 53
Range Profile Figure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Endurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 56
SEP Exercise 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
SEP Exercise 1 -Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
4 Single-engine Piston Aeroplane (SEP)
50
4 Single-engine Piston Aeroplane (SEP)
4
51
Single-engine Piston Aeroplane (SEP) 4
Single-engine Piston Aeroplane (SEP)
Introduction
The tables for SEP refer to a more complex aircraft than the Warrior. The SEP is
a monoplane
with a reciprocating engine. It has a constant speed propeller, propeller rpm be
ing controlled