What will cause a plane to descend?

Involuntary descent might occur from a decrease in power, decreased lift (wing icing), an increase in drag, or flying in an air mass moving downward, such as a terrain induced downdraft, near a thunderstorm, in a downburst, or microburst.

How does a pilot know the route?

Pilots rely heavily on computerised controls and with the assistance of the autopilot and the flight management computer, steer the plane along their planned route. They are monitored by air traffic control stations they pass along the way.

Why do planes take so long to descend?

Question: Aircraft achieve altitude fairly quickly on takeoff, so why the long, slow descent for landing? Answer: In most cases, air-traffic control instructs the pilots to begin their descent. Often it is earlier than the optimum distance but necessary to get the aircraft in line with traffic ahead.

What does descend at pilot’s discretion mean?

The term “AT PILOT’S DISCRETION” included in the altitude information of an ATC clearance means that ATC has offered the pilot the option to start climb or descent when the pilot wishes, is authorized to conduct the climb or descent at any rate, and to temporarily level off at any intermediate altitude as desired.

What happens if you disobey ATC?

Consequences. Taking off without ATC clearance may lead to: Runway Incursion – The aircraft may have been cleared only to the runway holding point. Also, at relatively complex aerodromes, taking off may mean crossing other runways.

How long does it take to descend to the airport?

The GPS displays the distance and time to the airport. Planning on a 500 fpm descent rate allow me to quickly determine when to begi my descent. If I’m at 10,000 feet and the airport is at 1,000 feet (rounded for easy calculations), I know I have to descend 9,000 feet. At 500 fpm that’s 18 minutes (9000/500).

How do you know when to descend on a glider?

With a little practice you should be able to hear the slight drop in propeller noise which signals the begin of the descent, though. Gliders control their sink rate by flying in rising or sinking air, and additionally by flying slow (and near their minimum sink rate) or fast. To descend quickly, they can open speed brakes and/or sideslip.

How fast do Jets descend when landing?

A typical jet will descend with the engines at flight idle and the speed at the recommended descent speed, which is usually close to the maximum speed for the airplane. A good rule of thumb for most jets would be: 3 miles for each 1,000 ft. of altitude to lose + 1 mile for every 10 KIAS of airspeed that you need to lose before landing.

What is the descent point of a plane?

The descent point is dependant on your aircraft and how much drag there is at your descent speed. Anything that adds more drag allows you to come down faster, but also makes the flight less efficient since you would have burned less fuel had you just started down earlier without the drag.