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The performance data for landing an aircraft can be obtained from the aircraft's flight manual or pilot's operating handbook. It will state the distance required to bring the aircraft to a stop under ideal conditions, assuming the aircraft crosses the runway threshold at a height of 50 ft, at the correct speed.
The top of descent is usually calculated by an on-board flight management system, and is designed to provide the most economical descent to approach altitude, or to meet some other objective (fastest descent, greatest range, etc.). The top of descent may be calculated manually as long as distance, air speed, and
[1] [2] For example, a descent from flight level 350 would require approximately 35x3=105 nautical miles. This would have to be adjusted for headwind or tailwind, [1] and also to allow for deceleration time. Alternatively, David P. Davies gives the rule as 300 feet of descent required for each nautical mile of distance. [3]: 176
These distances are also influenced by the runway grade (slope) such that, for example, each 1 percent of runway down slope increases the landing distance by 10 percent. [39] An aircraft taking off at a higher altitude must do so at reduced weight due to decreased density of air at higher altitudes, which reduces engine power and wing lift.
A flight path parallel to and in the direction of the landing runway. It is offset from the runway and opposite the downwind leg. Crosswind leg. A short climbing flight path at right angles to the departure end of the runway. Downwind leg. A long level flight path parallel to but in the opposite direction of the landing runway.
Steeper approaches require a longer landing distance, which reduces runway throughput at busy airports, and requires longer taxi distances. Airports such as Heathrow and London Luton are trialling slightly steeper approaches (3.2°) to reduce noise, by keeping the aircraft higher for longer and reducing engine power required during descent. [6] [7]
In many flight dynamics applications, the Earth frame is assumed to be inertial with a flat x E,y E-plane, though the Earth frame can also be considered a spherical coordinate system with origin at the center of the Earth. The other two reference frames are body-fixed, with origins moving along with the aircraft, typically at the center of gravity.
It is also helpful to calculate the top of descent, or the point at which the pilot would plan to commence the descent for landing. The flight time will depend on both the desired cruising speed of the aircraft, and the wind – a tailwind will shorten flight times, a headwind will increase them.