Lesson Plan

Performance and Limitations

Objectives

  • The student will be introduced to the factors that affect aircraft performance.
  • The student will become familiar with the operating limitations of his or her particular training aircraft.
  • The student will learn to perform all necessary performance calculations including takeoff and landing distance, cruise performance, and weight and balance.

Elements

Equipment

  • Pilot's Operating Handbook
  • E6B
  • Calculator

Instructor Actions

  • Discuss atmospheric factors that affect aircraft performance
  • Demonstrate how to calculate pressure altitude and density altitude
  • Discuss how changes in density altitude affect the relationship between indicated and true airspeed
  • Demonstrate how to perform a weight-and-balance calculation for the training aircraft
  • Demonstrate how to perform a takeoff distance calculation for the training aircraft

Student Actions

  • Identify applicable V-speeds and their values on the airspeed indicator of the training aircraft
  • Using recent METARs, calculate and compare density altitudes for Miami, FL (KMIA) and Barrow, AK (PABR)
  • Determine required landing distance for the training aircraft at the local airport using current conditions
  • Calculate weight and balance of a given scenario for the training aircraft