F & S Activity 1.5 - Flight Planning (PLTW) - Part 2

​Activity 1.5:

Flight Planning

Part 2​

​Departure & Checkpoints

Checkpoints are landmarks that are easily visible from the air. When planning a flight, the pilot or dispatcher determines checkpoints along the route that help the pilot to stay on the correct route and estimate how much fuel has been used, called fuel consumption.  

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Now plan a flight path for a flight from Phoenix, AZ to El Paso, TX. Use a map to determine the distance between the departure and arrival airports, as well as plan a checkpoint for the flight.

• Departure Airport: Phoenix, AZ, Sky Harbor International Airport

• Checkpoint: San Carlos Reservoir

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Open Ended

Find the San Carlos Reservoir on your flight path. Remember that this is your checkpoint for the flight.

On your flight path, find the San Carlos Reservation, located at approximately the 100-mile mark. You may need to re-center your map or zoom out.

Locate the body of water on the reservation. This is the San Carlos Reservoir.

Do you think the San Carlos Reservoir is a good checkpoint for this flight?

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​Range, Cruise Speed, & Fuel

The next step to planning a flight is to find the range, cruising speed, and fuel capacity for your flight. You will use these specifications to calculate your travel time and whether or not you have enough fuel to make the trip. For the flight from Phoenix to El Paso, you will use a Cessna 182 Skylane.

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Multiple Choice

Will you have enough fuel to fly from Phoenix, Arizona to El Paso, Texas in a Cessna 182 Skylane?

• NO

• YES

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​Alternative Destinations

If all goes well with a flight, the plane will successfully make it from the departure airport to the destination airport without any problems.

However, what would happen if it was either impossible or unsafe to land at the intended destination?  Dispatchers and pilots have to be prepared for any situation. For this reason, they include alternate destination airports on flight plans. If anything prevents the aircraft from landing at the destination airport, there is a back-up plan for landing at a different airport that is close.​

Open Ended

Follow these directions:

1. Go to Google Maps

2. Type in El Paso Airports

3. Press the " - " icon on the lower right corner of the map. Do this until you can see a blue icon with an airplane in the center.

What is an alternate destination airport to land near El Paso, TX?