MENTAL CALCULATION BOOKLET

PITCH AND THRUST TABLE

SIERRA PATTERNS

October 2017
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A320 / A330 PITCH AND THRUST TABLE
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Table of Contents

Contents
Basic Mental Calculation ....................................................................................................................... 3
Basic Factor use ................................................................................................................................... 3
Wind effect........................................................................................................................................... 3
Flying phases ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Vertical Speed ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Turn ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
Climb/Descente .................................................................................................................................... 4
Altimetry .............................................................................................................................................. 4
True Altitude Calculation .................................................................................................................... 5
True Air Speed Calculation ................................................................................................................. 5
Radionavigation ................................................................................................................................... 5
Pitch and Thrust Table ........................................................................................................................... 6
Sierra Patterns ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Sierra Pattern 1..................................................................................................................................... 7
Sierra Pattern 2..................................................................................................................................... 8
Sierra Pattern 3..................................................................................................................................... 9

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Basic Mental Calculation

Basic Factor use
Basic Factor
BF = 60 / TAS = Time (in minutes) to fly 1NM.

TAS (Kt) 80 100 120 150 180 200 240 300 360 420

BF (min/Nm) 3/4 0.6 1/2 0.4 1/3 0.3 1/4 1/5 1/6 1/7

1/BF 1.3 1.7 2 2.5 3 3.3 4 5 6 7

(Nm/min)

Time calculation
T(minutes) = Distance x BF
Example: Flying 50NM at 200kts  50 x 60/200 ≈15 min of flight

Wind effect
Sin and Cos calculations
Mnemonic method (With angle and time):
Sin (15°): 15 min  ¼ hour  Sin (15°) ≈ ¼
Sin (30°): 30 min  ½ hour  Sin (30°) ≈ ½
Sin (45°)
Cosinus and sinus computations:

Maximum Wind effect

Xmax = BF x Wv
C
Crosswind component
U
Cw = Wv x sin (Wind angle)
Crosswind
Followed Track
Ground speed

component
Headwind/Tailwind component
Headwind
Hw(Tw) = Wv x cos (Wind angle) component
x
Drift
X = Cw x BF

Corrected Time
∆t = Hw(Tw) x BF

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A320 / A330 PITCH AND THRUST TABLE
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Flying phases
Top Of Descent (TOD)
TOD = ∆FL / Path°

TOD

Current altitude

• FL

Target altitude

Vertical Speed
V/S = GS (kt) x Plan% = GS (NM/Min) x Plan° = GS (kt) /2 5% ≈ 3°
Path
(For a 3° path) Example: GS = 140kt / Path = -3° (-5%)
 V/S ≈ 140 x 5 = 700ft/min
 V/S: 2.5 x 3 ≈ 7 → 700ft/min
 V/S: 140/2 = 70 → 700ft/min

Turn
Bank Angle = Φ = 15% TAS limited to 30°

Climb/Descente
Anticipate end of climb/descent 10% of VS before target altitude
Example: Climbing to 10 000 ft at 2 000 ft/min  Start end of climb at 9 800 ft.

Altimetry
Standard Temperature Calculation
15°C - 2°/1 000 ft
Example: FL80 Std Temperature = 15 – (2 x 8) ≈ -1°C

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A320 / A330 PITCH AND THRUST TABLE
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True Altitude Calculation

“From hot to cold, from high to low, look out below”
True Altitude = Indicated Altitude (+/- 4ft / 1 000 ft / ∆1°C / ISA)
Example: 3 000ft / External Temperature = -20°C
Std Temperature = 15 – (3 x 2) = +9°C  ∆ISA = 29°C
True Altitude = 3000 – (4 x 3 x 29) = 2658 ft

True Air Speed Calculation

1% correction / 600 ft and 1% correction /5°C difference with ∆ISA
Example: IAS = 120kt / FL60 / External Temperature = +13°C
Altitude correction = 10%
Std Temperature = 15 – (2 x 6) = +3°C  ISA + 10°C
Temperature correction = 2% (neglected)
 TAS = 120 + 10% = 132kt

Radionavigation
VOR Visual Range
Range (Nm) = 1.23 √Height (ft)
Example: FL360  Range ≈ 240 NM

Anticipation

Interception angle Under 45° Under 60° Under 90° Under 120° Under 180°
Anticipation ° A = 6/T A = 10/T A = 20/T A=30/T A = 40/T

DME ARC Length

D (NM) = a° x R(NM) /60 with R = Arc radius / a = Angle between the two points
Example: Follow a 14NM DME arc between 2 points separated with a 30° angle
 D = 30 x 14 / 60 = 7 NM

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A320 / A330 PITCH AND THRUST TABLE
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Pitch and Thrust Table

Refer to Pitch and Thrust of Unreliable Airspeed Procedure in the QRH

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A320 / A330 PITCH AND THRUST TABLE
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Sierra Patterns
Sierra Pattern 1

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A320 / A330 PITCH AND THRUST TABLE
MODULAR COURSE ISSUE October 2017
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Sierra Pattern 2

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A320 / A330 PITCH AND THRUST TABLE
MODULAR COURSE ISSUE October 2017
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Sierra Pattern 3

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