My argument is correct because foot has a prior legal definition and so doesn't need to be defined in the FARS. Statutes and regulations don't need to define every term they use. They only define new terms or change the meaning of previously defined terms.It does matter where the term flight level is defined if it is to be used to define an illegal action. Merely defining it in a text-book, for example, would be ineffective - what's written in a text-book isn't law. I never said flight level was legal or illegal - I said it is legally defined, and therefore have a legal meaning. The term flight level is meaningless by itself and needs a definition.The regulations require pilots to fly at the assigned flight level so, unless flight level is defined legall, it can't be illegal to fly at the wrong flight level.

By the altitude window, it says "450". Is that the climb rate? Where does it say the climb rate in the PFD?Also, I was planning on flying the U-2 from KBAB-KLAX at FL260. Is that a realistic altitude for the U-2, or do they usually cruise higher?BTW, what would be a realistic flight plan for a U-2? Some ideas listed below:KBAB-KLAXKBAB-KRNOKBAB-KLSVKSFO-KRNOKBAB-KEDWKBAB-KSFOIn the sim, is it possible to tweak the rate of descent so that the ft/min won't break the airframe? B/c the default Lear autopilot's climb rate is set to 1800. I set it to 7,000. If you descended that fast it would probably kill you, but you can get away with hell in FS9 Also, is there a formula I could use to calculate TOD? I remember seeing a vid using DME calculations and Flight Levels...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LErvMVGs_Rw&feature=relatedIt's using DME readings, right? And what would be a reasonable TOD DME reading for a U-2 at FL700?

I like this snapshot,check out the indicated airspeed,and the stall margin.

By the altitude window, it says "450". Is that the climb rate? Where does it say the climb rate in the PFD?

Yes, that's the climb rate, and that window is the PFD.

In the sim, is it possible to tweak the rate of descent so that the ft/min won't break the airframe?...

Descent rate never brakes the airframe: IAS - Indicated Air Speed or Mmo - Mach Maximum Operating do. Of course increasing descent rate increases IAS.

Also, is there a formula I could use to calculate TOD?

If you're set on DME, then you can:

1. set weather to zero winds
2. fly up to FL700
3. at DME 0 NM (i.e. right above the VOR)
4. on a coastal VOR, and
5. cut engine thrust to idle
6. fly out a radial that takes you over the ocean
7. set descent rate so you are always below Vne or Mmo (whichever is lower)
8. At 1,000 ft (or higher, if you lose VOR reception) restore thrust
9. Note the DME reading
10. That's how many nautical miles your descent took!

It is of course easier to measure distances with GPS:

1. Set a DirecTo course with at least 200 NM to go,
2. Note the exact DTG - Distance To Go,
3. Start the descent,
4. At 1,000 ft note the new DTG
5. Subtract the end DTG from the start DTG
6. That's your descent distance.

Alternatively, you can use the AdaCalc free descent calcualtor so you can plan your descent with winds, etc..Cheers,- jahman.

By the way, does anybody know exactly WHICH U-2 was in that video? Apparently Capt. Cabigas was the pilot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJoMDq4AyLc&feature=relatedAt 0:10 the landing gear wheel well reads "078", so I have a hunch it's 80-1078. However, they never show the TU-2S's tail code (security reasons, perhaps?), so I have no idea.As the TU-2 taxies out, you hear Cabi say "Copy 3-0-2-2-, Pinyon 93 taxiing to rwy 33 via...delta". 3022 is the squawk code, right? and why do they cut out the rest of the ATC instructions?Does anybody else notice that the ATC communications make no sense? At one point, they say "American 179, Contact Oakland tower 1-2-5-point...". Oakland's tower freqs are 118.3, 291.65, 172.2, and 256.9. Also, they say "Pinyon 93 [u-2 Callsign] contact approach...3-5-3-Foxtrot". Shouldn't ATC give the freq of the ATC Approach during the handover?Could the reason for this jumbled dialogue be because they want to give the audience (e.g. the general public) a sense of "being in the cockpit", and yet they do not want the audience to be overwhelmed and bombarded by ATC chatter? They only use short snippets of ATC comms, and every once in a while at that.

That's a 2-seater their flying, therefore a trainer with much more drag and less range than the regular version. The SR-71B trainer also had a similar 2 pilot seat configuration (no RSO) and the penalty was 2.5 Mach instead of 3.4 for the regular version. So I wouldn't read too much into the secrecy aspect of a mere trainer aircraft. Especially not today when spy aircraft have been so devalued by satellites they have been phased out and decommissioned.Regarding the ATC chatter, sounds like the daily flight out of Las Vegas for Area 51 that changes call-sign mid-flight and vanishes...Cheers,- jahman.

Well that explains the trainer issue, but what about the ATC comms? Is it edited for security reasons? I doubt it, because United Airlines lets you listen on in ATC (Channel 9 on the armchair radio).If the KIAS of the U-2 at 70,000 ft is around 106 kts, what is the real speed and/or ground speed?

That's a 2-seater their flying, therefore a trainer with much more drag and less range than the regular version. The SR-71B trainer also had a similar 2 pilot seat configuration (no RSO) and the penalty was 2.5 Mach instead of 3.4 for the regular version. So I wouldn't read too much into the secrecy aspect of a mere trainer aircraft. Especially not today when spy aircraft have been so devalued by satellites they have been phased out and decommissioned.Regarding the ATC chatter, sounds like the daily flight out of Las Vegas for Area 51 that changes call-sign mid-flight and vanishes...Cheers,- jahman.

Well that explains the trainer issue, but what about the ATC comms? Is it edited for security reasons? I doubt it, because United Airlines lets you listen on in ATC (Channel 9 on the armchair radio).If the KIAS of the U-2 at 70,000 ft is around 106 kts, what is the real speed and/or ground speed?

About 440kts true airspeed.Most of the ATC bits played in that piece seemed like random recordings. The AAL flight would be contacting Oakland's south tower. 118.3 is Oakland's north tower where GA is.

I'm using Skyvector.com to try to calculate my FS trips. If you're flying at 440 KTAS at 70,000 ft, what would your ground speed be?Is there a formula to calculate ground speed?Interesting. Oakland has two towers? I would expect SFO to have two! Doesn't SFO get more traffic than OAK?

About 440kts true airspeed.Most of the ATC bits played in that piece seemed like random recordings. The AAL flight would be contacting Oakland's south tower. 118.3 is Oakland's north tower where GA is.

I'm using Skyvector.com to try to calculate my FS trips. If you're flying at 440 KTAS at 70,000 ft, what would your ground speed be?

Ground speed would be 44o KTAS plus or minus the wind at your altitude :-)

Is there a formula to calculate ground speed?

Yes, here, but it's complicated.You can also use the free utilty Aero Calculator to get from IAS to TAS (but it will only work up to FL650).Cheers,- jahman.

The Alphasim U-2 flight manual says this about takeoff and climb; It is easy to overspeed and bang the tailwheel on the runway during rotation. To avoid this, use a little nose-down trim and rotate very gently. Takeoff at a normal aircraft weight will be rapid, with excellent acceleration. At light weights, the U-2S will be airborne in just a few hundred feet and the acceleration will be dramatic. Climb is normally accomplished with full throttle at an indicated airspeed of 100 knots. This will yield an initial rate of climb approaching 10,000 feet per minute and an inital aircraft attitude of nearly 45 degrees nose-up. This climb rate will drop off rapidly with altitude. It is a real challenge to maintain the proper climb speed all the way to 70,000 feet. How much should I rotate? Should I rotate just enough to get the tailwheel off the ground, and THEN yank the yoke back? Should I get the wheels up and just let go of the yoke? Or should I keep steady back pressure and let the aerodynamics pull the plane up?Here's some nice footage I've found of a U-2 takeoff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVfkjpYFqNoThe pilot barely rotates! From what is visible on the video, how much back pressure does it look like he's using?BTW, because the U-2's climb rate is somewhat bipolar (it literally shoots off the ground after takeoff and inches up at 100-200 ft/min at the higher flight levels), what would be a good default climb rate to dial into the autopilot? Mind you, it's the default Lear 45 autopilot.

1. set weather to zero winds
2. fly up to FL700
3. at DME 0 NM (i.e. right above the VOR)
4. on a coastal VOR, and
5. cut engine thrust to idle
6. fly out a radial that takes you over the ocean
7. set descent rate so you are always below Vne or Mmo (whichever is lower)
8. At 1,000 ft (or higher, if you lose VOR reception) restore thrust
9. Note the DME reading
10. That's how many nautical miles your descent took!

You will never be 0 DME unless you are less then 600 feet away from it. At FL700 Your DME would read ~11.5 NM when you are directly above the VOR.

You will never be 0 DME unless you are less then 600 feet away from it. At FL700 Your DME would read ~11.5 NM when you are directly above the VOR.

Yes, of course, you're quite right! (70,000 ft / 6,080 ft/NM) = 11.5 NM. Still, the error is a small one in the TOD calculation, especially given the errors in assumed vs. actual wind speeds down the descent path.But that's in essence how I figured TOD for the SR-71, albeit with GPS Direct-To: Fly straight and level at 3.4M (1920 KTAS, 343 KEAS, if I remember correctly), cut the engines to idle, descend initially at 10,000 FPM, maintaining 400 KEAS - Knots Equivalent Airspeed, and see how far you go until you reach sea level. Then I changed the method to ETE - Estimated Time En-Route: Cut the engines at 3 minutes to go (about 175 NM out) and begin the descent again at 10,000 FPM initially and maintaining 400 KEAS. Funny thing is, as you get closer to your destination you keep slowing down, so the ETE remains fixed at 3 minutes for most of the descent.Cheers,- jahman.

Help?

The Alphasim U-2 flight manual says this about takeoff and climb; It is easy to overspeed and bang the tailwheel on the runway during rotation. To avoid this, use a little nose-down trim and rotate very gently. Takeoff at a normal aircraft weight will be rapid, with excellent acceleration. At light weights, the U-2S will be airborne in just a few hundred feet and the acceleration will be dramatic. Climb is normally accomplished with full throttle at an indicated airspeed of 100 knots. This will yield an initial rate of climb approaching 10,000 feet per minute and an inital aircraft attitude of nearly 45 degrees nose-up. This climb rate will drop off rapidly with altitude. It is a real challenge to maintain the proper climb speed all the way to 70,000 feet. How much should I rotate? Should I rotate just enough to get the tailwheel off the ground, and THEN yank the yoke back? Should I get the wheels up and just let go of the yoke? Or should I keep steady back pressure and let the aerodynamics pull the plane up?Here's some nice footage I've found of a U-2 takeoff:

The pilot barely rotates! From what is visible on the video, how much back pressure does it look like he's using?BTW, because the U-2's climb rate is somewhat bipolar (it literally shoots off the ground after takeoff and inches up at 100-200 ft/min at the higher flight levels), what would be a good default climb rate to dial into the autopilot? Mind you, it's the default Lear 45 autopilot.

The Alphasim U-2 flight manual says this about takeoff and climb; It is easy to overspeed and bang the tailwheel on the runway during rotation. To avoid this, use a little nose-down trim and rotate very gently. Takeoff at a normal aircraft weight will be rapid, with excellent acceleration. At light weights, the U-2S will be airborne in just a few hundred feet and the acceleration will be dramatic. Climb is normally accomplished with full throttle at an indicated airspeed of 100 knots. This will yield an initial rate of climb approaching 10,000 feet per minute and an inital aircraft attitude of nearly 45 degrees nose-up. This climb rate will drop off rapidly with altitude. It is a real challenge to maintain the proper climb speed all the way to 70,000 feet. How much should I rotate? Should I rotate just enough to get the tailwheel off the ground, and THEN yank the yoke back? Should I get the wheels up and just let go of the yoke? Or should I keep steady back pressure and let the aerodynamics pull the plane up?BTW, because the U-2's climb rate is somewhat bipolar (it literally shoots off the ground after takeoff and inches up at 100-200 ft/min at the higher flight levels), what would be a good default climb rate to dial into the autopilot? Mind you, it's the default Lear 45 autopilot.

The focus is not the climb rate. The focus is to hold the proper airspeed. The way to hold the proper airspeed is by adjusting your pitch attitude. Lower the nose to increase your airspeed and raise the nose to decrease your airspeed. If you fly the proper airspeed, you will climb at the proper rate. The climb rate is just a resultant. The paragraph you quoted from the manual gives you all the information required to fly her up to 70,000 feet. It tells you that the initial pitch attitude you should pitch for is 45 degrees nose up. When you takeoff, pitch the nose up to 45 degrees. Your airspeed should stabilize intitially at 100kts if you do that. Then adjust your pitch attitude to hold that airspeed as you climb to 70,000 feet. You will find yourself gradually lowering the nose and reducing the climb rate in order to hold 100 kts. If you want that autopilot to takeover, then use it to adjust the vertical speed to hold 100kts. There is no default climb rate to dial into the autopilot. There is only whatever climb rate that allows you to maintain 100kts.

How much should I rotate? Should I rotate just enough to get the tailwheel off the ground, and THEN yank the yoke back? Should I get the wheels up and just let go of the yoke? Or should I keep steady back pressure and let the aerodynamics pull the plane up?

You need to read your instruments (steam gauge-style round ones or the PFD screen as in the video): Read the manual as to your appropriate take-off speed (or try 75 KIAS - Knots Indicated Airspeed). Set full throttle, accelerate to the proper take-off speed, and then gently rotate nose-up until 10º up is shown on your artificial horizon and wait for the VSI - Vertical Speed Indicator to show you are climbing.Once you're off the ground, retract the gear. Notice your speed will be increasing fairly dramatically, so continue firmly increasing your nose-up until 45º, monitoring you don't overspeed (reduce thrust somewhat in an emergency but promptly get back to full thrust.) Notice the trend in your airspeed (is it increasing or decreasing? How fast is it increasing or decreasing?) and adjust your climb angle (nose-up above the horizon on your artificial horizon or PFD screen.) If you are accelerating, increase your climb angle to make your climb steeper, and if you are slowing down, decrease your climb angle to make your climb shallower, all the while aiming to keep ypur airspeed constant at 100 KIAS.Note that as you climb your engine will lose thrust as the atmosphere thins and you will have to progressively lower the nose down to maintain speed. When you you can only climb at 100 FPM you will have reached your maximum altitude. Monitor your Mach speed as you climb and make sure you do not exceed your MMMO - Mach Maximum Operating Number (probably around .75M, this was a slow aircraft and the wings had little back-sweep) to avoid a high-speed stall. Not the difference between TAS -True Air Speed (or GS -Ground Speed if no wind) on your GPS vs. IAS on your PFD.On your way down, do the same thing: Cut your thrust to idle, lower your nose below the horizon and maintain 100 KIAS all the way down. Level out at 3000 ft AGL and reduce your speed further until you see 10º up on your artificial horizon, then fly exactly that speed down the approach until touch down. At 30 ft AGL cut your thrust to idle and rotate your nose up so you again are at 10º nose-up for landing.To be proficient you will have to develop a good "feel" for what your aircraft is doing so you have a smooth take-off, rotation to climb, climb and level-out at altitude. How you nail that 100 KIAS on your way up will be a good indication of your U-2 piloting skills!Cheers,- jahman.