Handhelds and the Cockpit From the HP 67 to the HP42S
THE CULPRITS
Showing up at flight planning! Rudimentary checks Great circle HP 41 Estimated time enroute; EET HP 41 Fuel Burn HP 01 TMI HP 01 Pre plotting on track points HP71B
The flight plan form is printed in the flight operations centre. This one is relatively short, only 33 pages. A thorough analysis of the plan involves the routing, mechanical faults, weather, notices affecting flight, fuel There are a few sections were a calculator comes in handy, especially programmable versions made by HP. Referring to the red highlighted section of page 1 lets start the journey from flight ops to EGLL/LHR
Great Circle navigation check using the HP 41 CX (CL)
This HP 41CX has a data base consisting of airport ICAO three letter codes and their associated latitude and longitude. Comparing the HP 41CX GC distance to the flight plan G/C distance ensures the correct distance is used for the flight plan. Including the COMP (average wind component), the TAS built in to the program code and Great circle distance you can get a pretty good estimate of the EET.
Great circle check and EET estimate: HP41CX Inputs: Airport codes. component. TAS 465 knots built into code. Outputs: GC distance. Initial True Track. EET G/C from plan: 4092 G/C HP 41CX: 4088 EET from plan: 08:45 EET HP 41CX: 08:52
Fuel burn and counter set HP 01 The dynamic time functions are used to determine time remaining and amount of fuel burn remaining. Flight and Cabin crew like to know the amount of time remaining as well as the ETA. On board clocks do not countdown!
Average fuel flow for the B777-300 (9 hours) is 8000kg/hr. By storing the EET in the stopwatch for countdown display and multiplying the EET by 8000kg/hr you get a resulting burn display. An added bonus is pre-setting the countdown timer and starting it during the takeoff roll. By multiplying the time in the counter by the average fuel flow you have set up a dynamic display which continuously updates the amount of fuel remaining dedicated to the burn!
Time remaining and fuel burn: HP 01 Inputs: Estimated time enroute. Average hourly fuel flow. Outputs: Time remaining. Remaining amount of fuel allocated to burn.
Track message identifier (TMI): HP 01 TMI (track message identifier) confirmation using the HP 01. Requires GMT date to be correct.
Highlighted blue box on flight plan refers to the blue lines on the map. At NOAA in the globe theatre ask for the aircraft tracking demo, look at the mid Atlantic flights, they will be flying the blue tracks.
The TMI is the track message identifier. The blue tracks from the previous page change daily due to the changing jets stream. They are organized as they funnel all flights along those tracks originating from the eastern seaboard of North America to the western seaboard of Europe. A correct TMI ensures that you are using the current organized tracks and not an expired track from a previous day which would result in catastrophic consequences.
Pre-plotting the navigational checks: HP71B
What are the associated longitudes for latitudes: W058, W048, W038?
Intermediate latitude: HP71b Inputs: Number of waypoints to be used. Desired offset in degrees. The waypoints. Outputs: The corresponding intermediate latitude for the desired offset longitudes. This program checks the direction of the sequential waypoints and automatically selects the correct offset longitudes!
The purpose of the 2 degree offset is to confirm that the aircraft is following the programmed waypoints and tracks.
Using the FMC in conjunction with the HP71b. The FMC display is referenced (yellow arrow) for the current position of the aircraft. Observe the display until one of the desired longitude (W048). Note the latitude and compare it to the HP71B calculated latitude of N67d51.3m as seen on the plotting chart.
On the flight deck! But not airborne yet!
Yes, the flight deck but, alas, still on the ground (at the gate actually). Cockpit checks: Fuel on Board check HP42S & printer
The fuel slip: HP42S 1. Before fuelling total: 11,200 kgs. 2. Fuel required based on flight plan: 78,300 kgs. 3. Total fuel added in liters; 84,800. 4. Specific gravity, also known as the fuel weight correction factor (FWCF) for converting liters into kgs; 0.794.
Referring to the flight plan and the fuel boarded form, compare the total fuel boarded and flight planned fuel required.
Fuel weight versus fuel volume, what s the problem? With a fixed volume of fuel the actual amount of fuel by weight decreases with an increase in temperature. In other words, less bang per liter. It is imperative that the correct amount of fuel be boarded. On very large fuel loads; 110,000 kgs the difference can be significant. Using the fuel required from the flight plan and the fuel delivered to the aircraft by the vender along with the specific gravity of the vendor fuel, the actual fuel weight on the aircraft can be calculated. From the fueler s form: Before fuelling total: 11,200 kgs. Fuel required based on flight plan: 78,300 kgs. Total fuel added in liters: 84,800 kgs. Specific gravity: 0.794
Fuel in tank check: HP42s Input: Before total. After total. Tender uplift. SG or default LTR or GAL Output: Over/under Pass/fail % out Total over/under
And the printer
The program subtracts arrival fuel from the departure fuel. Multiplies the tendered fuel in liters by the specific gravity. Subtracts the two and calculates the weight difference. Using tests the program labels the output as over or under, calculates the % error from the required fuel and if >5% prints FAIL.
The aircraft does the same but uses a default of 0.800 for the specific gravity. Using the default of 0.800 the program calculates that the aircraft is over filled by 740 kgs. One tonne represents 7 minutes of flight! Overfilling can be detrimental as there are a number of maximum weights which should not be exceeded: MTOW, MZFW, MRMW
Pictured is the onboard computer GUI. 1. Arrival fuel. 2. Fuel on board FOB. 3. Tendered uplift. 4. SG/FWCF default of 0.800 I have seen a -2575 kg discrepancy from the default SG of 0.800 and an actual S.G. of 0.780 in Hong Kong, due to the high 28 C temperature of the fuel boarded. The fuel tender required was 103,000 kgs. Using a default SG of 0.800 this was indicated. Using a correct SG, 0.780, the total boarded was 100,425; a difference of 2575kg under! It was then boarded!
Finally, on the way to London!
Airborne and on the way, what can we do with calcs now? Rolling down the runway: Start the countdown: HP 01 Airborne top of climb: Calculate the break schedule: Calculate the times for optimum altitude: ATC changes routing: HP42S HP 41CX HP 42S HP 29C Prior to descent: Temperature corrections: HP 67 QNH greater then 31.00 inches (1049.8 hpa): HP42S X-wind calculation: HP 15C What time and date is it in London: HP 41CX
Break schedules at top of climb The count down timer is started and the HP 01 will display the fuel remaining portion of the burn. The 8:45 minute flight with three pilots has started. A break schedule is created at top of climb. The 42S and 41C are excellent choices as they have the printer option. The 67 has the program also and is used for effect! Break schedules can be created for three and four man crews. Three man crews are used from 8 to 11 hours and four man crews augment from 11 to 17 hours in Canada. Break schedules can be equal periods broken into 3, 4 or 6 segments. They can be equal in length or weighted front or back. One schedule involves two short breaks followed by 3 long breaks and 1 short. This allows a sleep schedule to occur outside of the noisy service period.
Break schedule: HP42s Select: TIME BRK Follow the prompts. Outputs: Equal time. Select type: DEF Follow prompts. Prints schedule.
flight 33 to Sydney, Australia has a total of 14:25 for breaks. The actual breaks start :20 minutes after takeoff and end 30 minutes prior to landing. The calculator automatically corrects for the later start and earlier finish. By selecting defined and periods 3.4 the program is directed to place the long break of 4:20 at breaks 3 and 4.
Next, what is optimum altitude? Optimum Altitude: The best aircraft cruise altitude for a given weight and corresponding air temperature. In technical terms, optimum altitude is defined as the altitude at which the equivalent airspeed for a thrust setting will equal the square root of the coefficient of lift over the coefficient of drag. ATC will request times at which the aircraft will be able a higher altitude. This will accommodate other flights trailing or below to climb to their optimum altitude.
Time to optimum altitude. Programmable calculators are perfect tools for regressing data into formulae which can be used to create code to solve problems. Using multiple regression techniques built into statistical modules or the calculator itself the following chart can be used to create the appropriate code to predict the correct time for a climb to take advantage of fuel flow, altitude, aircraft weight.
Optimum altitude: HP 41CX Inputs: Current weight. Fuel flow. Altitude. Aircraft type. Uses current GMT time. Outputs: Predicted time. Advantage over HP 42S is the built in clock which can be sampled by the program.
Optimum altitude: HP 42S Inputs: Current weight. Current GMT time. Fuel flow. Aircraft type. Altitude. Outputs: Predicted time.
Course correction: HP 29C ATC requires a reroute for conflicting traffic and instructs you to fly to a new waypoint not on the flight plan. Insert the new point in the FMC and execute. The new true track and GC distance are 127d and 362nm
Temperature corrections: HP 67 The altimeter will display higher than true altitude when there is lower than standard temperature. The following formula will correct for this error.
An example using Toronto Conditions in Toronto for the approach are: Overcast 200, ½ mile visibility, temperature -25 On this approach there are a number of altitudes that are critical and will affect the stability and safety of the flight. They are: Initial fix crossing altitude: 3000 Final approach fix crossing altitude: 2120 Minimum descent altitude: 747 Missed approach altitudes: 1100 and 4000 The 747 altitude minus 565 airport altitude is only 182 feet above ground on a standard day.
Toronto approach plate runway 24L
Temperature corrections to altimeter: HP 67 Load the program card and data card. Input: Airport altitude. Airport temperature. Fix altitude. Minimum descent altitude. The program rounds the Fix altitude to the 100 s and the MDA altitude to the 10 s.
The new corrected altitudes, in red, based on the formula at the beginning of the section and using the HP42S. Conversely, if the correction had not been applied the aircraft would have flown the red arrowed descent and obstacle clearance would not have been assured.
Altimeter setting greater then 31.00 in: HP42S This is what the FAA has to say! g. When the barometric pressure is greater than 31.00 inches Hg, issue the altimeter setting and: 1. En route/arrivals - Advise pilots to remain set on altimeter 31.00 until reaching final approach segment. 2. Departures - Advise pilots to set altimeter 31.00 prior to reaching any mandatory/crossing altitude or 1,500 feet AGL, whichever is lower. PHRASEOLOGY - ALTIMETER, THREE ONE TWO FIVE, SET THREE ONE ZERO ZERO UNTIL REACHING THE FINAL APPROACH FIX. or ALTIMETER, THREE ONE ONE ZERO, SET THREE ONE ZERO ZERO PRIOR TO REACHING ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED. NOTE - 1 - Aircraft with Mode C altitude reporting will be displayed on the controller's radar scope with a uniform altitude offset above the assigned altitude. With an actual altimeter of 31.28 inches Hg, the Mode C equipped aircraft will show 3,300 feet when assigned 3,000 feet. This will occur unless local directives authorize entering the altimeter setting 31.00 into the computer system regardless of the actual barometric pressure. 2 - Flight Standards will implement high barometric pressure procedures by NOTAM defining the geographic area affected. 3 - Airports unable to accurately measure barometric pressures above 31.00 inches Hg will report the barometric pressure as "missing" or "in excess of 31.00 inches of Hg." Flight operations to or from those airports are restricted to VFR weather conditions. REFERENCE - AIM, Procedures, paragraph 7-2-2. FAAO 7110.65, Landing Information, paragraph 3-10-1. From the Fight operations manual: Increase the ceiling requirements by 100 ft. and visibility requirements by 1/4 SM for each 1/10 inch of mercury, or any portion thereof, over 31.00 inches of mercury. Input approach minima: Altimeter setting. Allowed approach ceiling. Allowed approach visibility. Outputs new approach minima: New ceiling. New visibilty.
Altimeter setting greater then 31.00 in: HP42S Input approach minima: Alt setting: 31.25 Ceiling: 350 feet Visibility: 1 ½ miles Outputs new approach minima: New ceiling: New visibilty: 600 feet 2 ¼ miles
L or R Cross, head and tail wind: HP 15C Autopilot approaches have maximum allowable cross and tail wind limits CAT II and III approaches cannot exceed 10kts tail and 15 knots cross wind Input: Wind 220/20kt Runway 29 Output: 7kt head wind 19 knot left cross wind Tail wind and L cross wind display as ve.
What time is it in London? HP 41CX Execute WT and follow the prompts. Use the three letter ICAO code. The data base contains the three letter code and its associated DST and STD deviation from GMT. The calculator time must be set to GMT.
Other programs: Metric altitude conversion. Multitude of unit conversion routines. Wind chill. Phone numbers, PDA. Door codes.
HP 15C Each calculator has its own key pattern, subroutines, input and output differences so to keep track, guides are required.
HP 29C
HP71B, HP 41CX, HP 67 OVERLAYS AND CARD HOLDER COVERS
GLOSSARY FMC: flight management computer, on board navigational tool. FWCF: fuel weight correction factor (AKA specific gravity). Specific gravity: the ratio of the weight of a given volume of a fuel to the weight of an equal volume of distilled water. Boeing refers to it as the FWCF TMI: track message identifier. QNH: barometric pressure adjusted to sea level. Setting in inches of mercury. Standard pressure is 29.92 inhg or 1013.2 hpa MTOW: MLW: MZFW: MTAW: MAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT MAX LANDING WEIGHT MAX ZERO FUEL WEIGHT MAX TAXI WEIGHT (STRUCTURAL)
PROGRAM LISTINGS HP 15C
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PROGRAM LISTINGS Listing created by RPN-67 Pro ipad APP Found at cuveesoft.ch/rpn67 HP 67
Program loaded on virtual card and sent to virtual printer, aka, my email address! Nice!
PROGRAM LISTINGS HP 29C
PROGRAM LISTINGS printed on HP8222B thinkjet HP 41CX
Optimum altitude: OP Metric altitude conversion: MR World Coordinate Great Circle: WA
What time is it in WT and WTA data base.
PROGRAM LISTINGS printed on HP8222B thinkjet HP71B
Intermediate latitude
Great circle distance/track
Break Schedule
Break Schedule, continued
Break Schedule, continued
PROGRAM LISTINGS HP42S