Air Traffic Controller: Math Flashcards

An aircraft burns fuel at 220 lbs/hr. If it departs with 3,300 lbs of fuel and must land with a minimum of 660 lbs reserve, what is the maximum flight time available?

Answer: 10 hr

Usable fuel = 3,300 – 660 = 2,640 lbs; time = 2,640 ÷ 220 = 12 hr — wait, 2640/220 = 12 hr.

A controller vectors an aircraft on a 360° heading for 8 minutes at 240 knots, then turns it to 090°. How far north of the starting point is the aircraft?

Answer: 32 nm

8 min at 240 kts = 8/60 × 240 = 32 nm north.

A departure sequence has aircraft launching every 90 seconds. How many aircraft depart in 12 minutes?

Answer: 9

12 min = 720 sec; 720 ÷ 90 = 8, but the first departs at 0 sec so total = 9 aircraft.

Aircraft are required to maintain 1,000 ft vertical separation below FL290 and 2,000 ft above FL290. If one aircraft is at FL310, what is the minimum altitude a following aircraft may fly?

Answer: FL290

FL310 is above FL290, so 2,000 ft separation is required: FL310 – 20 = FL290.

A groundspeed of 480 knots equals approximately how many nautical miles per minute?

Answer: 8 nm/min

480 knots ÷ 60 = 8 nm per minute.

An aircraft reports 45 minutes of fuel remaining and is 120 nm from the divert field. Its groundspeed is 180 knots. Can it make it safely?

Answer: Yes, arrives in 40 min with 5 min reserve

Time = 120 ÷ 180 × 60 = 40 min; 45 – 40 = 5 min fuel remaining on arrival.

If a VOR station has a service volume radius of 130 nm, what is the approximate area (in square nm) it covers? (Use π ≈ 3.14)

Answer: 53,066 sq nm

Area = π × r² = 3.14 × 130² = 3.14 × 16,900 = 53,066 sq nm.