Facebook

How Pilots Know Where to Go - Using a Rotating Plotter?

By Clara November 16th, 2022 117 views
The article shows how the pilot uses a rotational plotter to determine the distance and the direction to fly. This plotter can be used throughout aviation in flight training.

The article shows how the pilot uses a rotational plotter to determine the distance and the direction to fly. This plotter can be used throughout aviation in flight training.

Pilots can use plotters, not only rotating plotters to determine the magnetic direction in which to fly. But first, please learn about the sectional chart and sectional scale. 

Sectional chart 

A sectional chart often called a sectional for short, is designed for air navigation under visual flight rules. Shows topographical features that are important to aviators, such as terrain elevations, ground features identifiable from altitude, and ground features useful to pilots. 

And when pilots use the plotters and sectional chart to determine the magnetic direction in which to fly, then the sectional scale is required. 

Let us see the example of how pilots know how to go from point A(Byron) to point B(Modesto). I mean what heading is the pilot fly? 

  1. Take a look at this rotating plotter and sectional chart.
    Note: We are using the sectional scale here which is the chart we actually have bought up called an aeronautical sectional chart. We could also use a wax chart or a world or nautical chart and the scale would be different.
  2. Drag the plotter over Byron airport so the zero nautical mile scale is here. 
  3. Then drag the plotter down to Modesto. 
  4. Now you can see the nautical miles.
  5. You can also get the distance between A and B with a sectional plotter and the same method. 

Now let us look and see how to get the true course.

1. Rotate the wheel on the rotating plotter until 0 or north is straight up. 

And if you have a look at the chart places like this, we have lines of longitude running here and these are lines of latitude. So what we want to do is try to get these lines to line up as closely parallel to these lines of longitude as possible so that this wheel is facing exactly true north. 

2. Now we can move the plotter over a little bit to get the course. We can see if want to fly from Byron to Modesto, how far it will take, and the degrees it will be going to be on a true course. Also, you can see the data if we were going from Modesto to Byron.

The above operations usually appear in pilot training. So you can see the rotating plotter, sectional plotter, or circular flight computer are widely used in private pilot exams, commercial pilot courses, pilot training institutes, aviation training centers, pilot training programs, and more. 

How are the navigation plotters provided by Pro-Health Product Ltd.? If they worth considering?

  • Includes all common plotters, available for customization or wholesale.
  • Constructed of rugged, scratch-resistant material
  • Applicable with sectional chart, world area chart(WAC), and terminal area chart(TAC).
  • Help pilots or students solve a multitude of aviation computations.

If you need to make your personalized one, need a bulk discount, or prefer high-quality and professional air navigation plotters, Pro-Health Product Ltd will be your first choice. 

Venipuncture IV Training Course and Phlebotomy Practice Pad/Kit/Tool
Previous
Venipuncture IV Training Course and Phlebotomy Practice Pad/Kit/Tool
Read More
How to Suture a Wound?
Next
How to Suture a Wound?
Read More