An you thought you Lincoln, Caddy, Benz, or Beamer was high tech. HA!!!This is the video game I get to play in my other life as a pilot. This is actually the top half of the PFD of the PL-21 EFIS. For those that may be acronym challenged, that would be the Primary Flight Display of the Collins ProLine 21 Electronic Flight Instrumentation System. It basically provides the pilot with information on roll, pitch, altitude, and airspeed. The bottom half of the PFD is all about heading and navigation.
If you think the speed seams a little low (267 on the left), it really isn't. At an altitude of 35,000 feet (on the right) the air temperature and pressure translate that 267 indicated airspeed into 0.79 Mach. Ok so what is so cool about 0.79 Mach. Well that is 70% or the speed of sound for the given ambient conditions (the speed of sound changes with temperature).
Back to the speed... All things considered, we were doing roughly 520-530 mph through the air. But wait! The fat lady hasn't sung... Check out the green 86 with the little arrow to the lower left and that is the current winds at our altitude and position.
Withe the knot to mph conversion of 1.1507 that comes out to 99 mph. Knock of a bit for the cross-wind and we end up with a tail wind of roughly 90 mph. Add that number to our true airspeed (defined above) and we are slithering across the ground and a cool 610-620 mph.
That's fun in anybodies book.
Doug
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1 comment:
People don't realize the talent it takes to do so many things while driving down the road or flying through the air. The radio, the computer screen, the map, traffic, our jobs are a lot a like actually. Only 35000 feet different. Cool pic!
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