Distance estimation during VFR flight

frtrkap

frtrkap

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frtrkap
Hi,

Are there any tricks to estimating a distance to a city/airport/landmark visually, other than looking at a map? I remember my old CFI telling me that the airport was at about 3NM, at my wingtip (PA-28), at 3000', so it gives me some idea, but any other tips?

Thanks
 
When approaching a non-towered airport for landing, I use the runway as a distance estimate. The average runway is about 1 mile in length, so visualize that and use that length to estimate your distance from the airport.
 
For things laterally, measure the distance on a chart.

for keeping track of reduced visibility, pick something as far as you can see in front of you, time how long is takes to get over that point, and get out your whiz wheel.
 
All good tricks! Thank you
 
And by the way, you want to get your present position on the sectional accurate enough so that you have to roll inverted to identify it. ;)
 
Early on you’re gonna need to correlate what you see with a known point on your map / GPS rings. Over time you’ll get better and better and not even need supporting information.

It’s funny, when I get a new medcrew in the back their distance estimation is horrible. As time goes on they get pretty good...never as good as me though. :)
 
Look at the ground over the nose of your plane. For every thousand feet above ground, the point u r looking at is roughly that many miles. Of course every site picture is different but practice a few times with a gps reference and you’ll eventually get it close. So if you’re 3000’AGL and you look over the nose at the ground, that spot is roughly 3 miles away. Try it out and lemme know what u think.

653928a024fe9d69cd205b556f0e1fd6.jpg
 
I will definitely try it out! Awesome drawing btw


Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk
 
eman1200 said:
Look at the ground over the nose of your plane. For every thousand feet above ground, the point u r looking at is roughly that many miles. Of course every site picture is different but practice a few times with a gps reference and you’ll eventually get it close. So if you’re 3000’AGL and you look over the nose at the ground, that spot is roughly 3 miles away. Try it out and lemme know what u think.

653928a024fe9d69cd205b556f0e1fd6.jpg
Click to expand...

That drawing is the equivalent of your airplane in your avatar:p

Good info regardless of your artistic abilities. BTW, Welcome back.

Cheers
 
X3 Skier said:
That drawing is the equivalent of your airplane in your avatar:p

Good info regardless of your artistic abilities. BTW, Welcome back.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Lol. Rick, u flying to RR this year?
 
eman1200 said:
Lol. Rick, u flying to RR this year?
Click to expand...

If the weather permits, I’ll fly down. If not, drive, wagon train, hike, bicycle or Star Trek Transporter. No way I’ll miss Cumbaya around EdFred’s magnificent campfire not to mention refreshments in the pilot’s lounge.

Cheers
 
frtrkap said:
Hi,

Are there any tricks to estimating a distance to a city/airport/landmark visually, other than looking at a map? I remember my old CFI telling me that the airport was at about 3NM, at my wingtip (PA-28), at 3000', so it gives me some idea, but any other tips?

Thanks
Click to expand...
For close distances (say, 3 miles or less), picture your home airport's runway on the ground. If your runway's somewhere around 3,000 ft, call it half a mile; if it's somewhere around 6,000 ft, call it a mile (it doesn't have to be exact).

For example, if the runway you're picturing is 3,000 ft, and it looks like it would take about 4 of them end-to-end to reach from the ground under your plane to the quarry off your right wingtip, then you're about 2 miles away from the quarry.
 
Easy in Iowa, each section line is one mile. There are gravel roads on nearly every line in an almost perfect grid.
 
Since one of the tasks in the old Private Pilot PTS was inflight distance estimation, I always flew up next to a cloud and asked the student how far away it was.

They pretty much all thought 3/4 mile was three miles.
 
I look at the distance measurements on the pfd and mfd good stuff.
 
frtrkap said:
Hi,

Are there any tricks to estimating a distance to a city/airport/landmark visually, other than looking at a map? I remember my old CFI telling me that the airport was at about 3NM, at my wingtip (PA-28), at 3000', so it gives me some idea, but any other tips?

Thanks
Click to expand...

If you chart a course with landmarks every 10 miles, you should see you next check point at the 1/2 way point (5 miles, and use that as a learning reference.
 
IK04 said:
Since one of the tasks in the old Private Pilot PTS was inflight distance estimation, I always flew up next to a cloud and asked the student how far away it was.

They pretty much all thought 3/4 mile was three miles.
Click to expand...
Only way to tell for sure is to fly through it and start timing when you get out the other side. ;)
 
IK04 said:
Since one of the tasks in the old Private Pilot PTS was inflight distance estimation, I always flew up next to a cloud and asked the student how far away it was.
They pretty much all thought 3/4 mile was three miles.
Click to expand...

I thought the correct answer to that question was always "2000 feet, yeah, that's definitely at least 2000 feet..." :)
 
kath said:
I thought the correct answer to that question was always "2000 feet, yeah, that's definitely at least 2000 feet..." :)
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2000 horizontal is easy to claim. 500 below is a little tougher when you suddenly climb into the clouds.:eek:

At least the Fed in the glider that, um, my friend was towing was cool about it.:D
 
eman1200 said:
Look at the ground over the nose of your plane. For every thousand feet above ground, the point u r looking at is roughly that many miles. Of course every site picture is different but practice a few times with a gps reference and you’ll eventually get it close. So if you’re 3000’AGL and you look over the nose at the ground, that spot is roughly 3 miles away. Try it out and lemme know what u think.

653928a024fe9d69cd205b556f0e1fd6.jpg
Click to expand...

Certainly not in a PA-32 - That ground must be 20 miles away in front of the nose!
 
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