Flight Computer

[NeoCortex]

This is for the SNAs/NAs out there. When you're doing your flight planning, whet kind of flight computer do you use?

Ben

 

[Gatordev]

What's a "flight computer?" Does that make the aircraft fly and stuff?

Usually I use the look and swag method. In flight school, after API and RI ground school, I just used a plotter, and calculator when I needed a conversion. It's so much faster and much more accurate. When flying now, I just put a "Fly-To" on where I want, and it tells me how long. Someone whipped out a CR=2 the other day. It was like a lost Egyptian artifact. I'm sure I have mine somewhere in some box.

 

[kmac]

The TLAR method seems to work the easiest. It's a simple procedure with a variety of aviation uses. For flight planning, all you have to use is your hand and a chart.

 

[josejimmenez]

What is a CR3? Im a civilian CFI for the time being and we use something called an E6b.

 

[av8tor]

CR3 is an E6B, but it's round and used for highspeed flight. TLAR (That Looks About Right) is the preferred method, and a standard goverment issue pen for distance measuring. An FMS is a much better guesser though. But you'll soon learn the newest dance called the WAG to be as effective a the TLAR.

 

[Gatordev]

In all seriousness, I originally learned on an E6B on the civilian side. When I learned the CR-2/3, I thought it was much easier and quicker to use...well, behind the other methods listed by av8tor.

 

[josejimmenez]

Hey, I like that TLAR thing, but what is a WAG?

 

[moestud]

Think he is referring to the "Wild-Ass-Guess"
or in weather we use to call it a SWAG, Scientific-Wild-Ass-Guess

 

[phrogdriver]

The CR-2 is still the standard at Whiting. It's a circular slide rule on one side and a wind computer on the other. I find that all but the most exotic wind and fuel problems can be done more easily in one's head, once you learn some mental shortcuts. A student will spin the CR2 'till it melts and get witnin 5 sec of what I got in my head. Gouge techniques work great, and a good answer right now is usually more useful than a great answer in 5 minutes.