Watching King Schools PPL DVDs is quite enjoyable but definitely NOT easy when it comes to applying the learned stuff in practice! Here is the deal:I'm supposed to fly VFR on Bellanca Scout 8GCBC (RealAir) from 7S3 (Stark's Twin Oaks, OR) to 2S1 (Vashon Muni, WA). Here is the necessary info (partial) I've entered into my VFR Flight Log as part of my ground flight preparations:- VFR sectionals- Route distance (123.7 nm)- Approx. time enroute (1 hour)- True courses & magnetic variations, etc.- Visual check points along the route (KSPB, Silver Lake, WN74, KTCM)- Altitude (5,500')- Winds aloft- NavaidsNow, my problem is SPEEDS!!! I'm sort of confused with TAS, GS, and IAS. Here is why... Since I want to be a responsible pilot (in a simulated FS world) kinda following FAA regulations, :( I want to calculate my speeds in order to determine and enter into VFR Flight Log the following:- WCAs (wind correction angles)- THs (true headings), and- ETEs (estimated times enroute)But I don't know which speed to take as basis for computations. E.g., if I divide my distance (123.7 nm) by approx. time required to cover this distance (60 min), I will get GS = c.124 KT. But this is a sort of "absolute" ground speed in i) no wind, and ii) stable RPM conditions. And this will not allow me to calculate actual time from one point to another as these two values change along the route. This also means that according to established wind calculation procedures I will NOT be able to derive TAS from my actual GS which, in turn, means that it will make it impossible to calculate WCA, TH, and ETE. I could take IAS as basis for computations but thinking logically I cannot know my IAS sitting on the ground preparing for takeoff, can I? :smile:Or, am I a stupid student?!? :Confused:I will be grateful to anyone who can help me with speeds problem and, in particular, VFR flight planning sequencing!Cheers and all the best from UBBB!!!

Hi BinaI have to plan a VFR flight for tomorrow, will only get to it tonight but I'll post the process later as I go along, might be interesting for some and covers everything you need.

Greetings,VFR flight planning is one of the most confusing things for a new pilot to learn. In my ground school class (I am an FAA Advanced Ground Instructor) it generally takes students about a month of practice to get it right. So, here we go.1. Using your sectionals, plan your route using navaids, or pilotage, or a combination. Just make sure you pick waypoints that are no more than 20-30 nm apart so that if you get lost you can return to your previous waypoint easily. Also, if you are using pilotage, pick things that are "unique" and highly visible from the air. (e.g. airports, major intersections, etc.)2. Once you have drawn your course on the sectional, use a plotter to determine True Course.3. Calculate your TAS for your planned altitude using an E6B, any of the tools available on the internet, this wonderful little calculator, or a rule of thumb.4. Next it is time to calculate your WCA (wind correction angle). Again, use your E6B (there are many web based ones available). Add or subtract (East is Least - subtract/West is Best -add) your WCA to/from your TC to get your True Heading.5. Now look at your sectional and find the Magnetic Variation for the leg and add/subtract that from your TH to get your Magnetic Heading now add/subtract your Compass Deviation to get your Compass Heading.6. Next, calculate your fill in your distance for the leg and calculate your Ground Speed. 7. From that you can estimate your Estimated Time Enroute and your Estimated Time of Arrival.8. With your times in place. You can estimate your fuel needs. Don't forget to add 2-3 gallons for start up, taxi, and take off. This is just a quick primer. There are many other nuances but I hope I made it simple enough to understand. By the way, there are many navigation logs available on the net. Just search.

Hi.In simplest mathematical terms:convert IAS to TAScombine TAS with wind speed (I mean combine, not add: trigonometry comes into it here) to give a resultant track and ground speed.There's more to it in terms of the maths, but not much.It's like swimming across a river where your speed relative to the water is IAS or TAS, the speed at which the river is flowing is Wind Speed, and GS and track is your path across the river bed. If you want to go staright across, you'll point upstream and expect to take longer.I put a spreadsheet in the library on (sshhhh) Flightsim called something like VFR Course Correction Calculator that uses formulae from the Aviation Formulary website. I dumped it in there and promptly forgot about it. I did intend a short while ago to upload an improved version here but like so many things, never got around to it. It takes planned heading & distance, IAS, OAT, altitude, wind speed & direction and gives GS, heading to set and leg time.If you can decipher the Excel formulae they might help, or the Aviation Formulary might, or the spreadsheet itself may...Regards,Dave

Guys, thank you very much indeed - expected one or nil replies but got 3 on the same day! :( I wish this thread be my (secondary?) source of aviation info but the main gateways to chat and learn smth new from people like Joe and Dave, thanks a lot, Gentlemen!!!Just a few comments and questions for clarification:1- Since all of you refer to "IAS to TAS" conversion without explaining WHERE to get the IAS value, I guess my best bet will be to take it from either the airplane's POH (for cruise) or ASI while en-route (the latter being less favorable considering the time factor during the flight). After all, thinking logically, I understand that IAS will help only to approximate ETE calculations between two waypoints while actual time flown (ATE) will depend on my performance in the air; hence the values I'll enter into the flight-log. So, I will take it for granted for now! Pls correct me if I'm wrong.2- What else can I get from WX info (METAR, TAF, SIGMETS, winds aloft, etc.) other than determining VFR, MVFR or non-VFR conditions, in other words - to what extent can I benefit from them in full?!? The thing is WX-reports seem so rich in terms of the information provided but, in fact, as a VFR pilot I find only some portions of it relevant to my flight. Any recommendations on wx-related books, articles, etc. mainly biased towards VFR cross-country flying?3- Going back to books, I will appreciate if you can recommend me your favorite books on navigation, aviation weather, real-life pilot experiences... other than those supplied by FAA. Since all flights in my country are still made by airlines only and strictly governed by state authorities (no PPL, CPL, etc.), I will have fun reading them in the evenings hoping for some bright days to come :smile:Regards,Rustam Alhas