Optimum Flight Path in Air Transport Operation

Abstract

W ITH the introduction of the modern high performance airplane into the air transportation systems of the country, it has become increasingly necessary to make some study of the factors which influence the proper selection of flight paths for the efficient operation of the aircraft. In the past it has been the practice of the operators to make merely a rough estimate of the effect of the winds to determine the best altitude at which to fly on the course. There has been, in general, a complete neglect of the variations in the performance of the aircraft. I t is the purpose of this paper to present, in so far as possible, a means which is practical from the standpoint of the operator for determining the most efficient flight path. The problem, in general, is the following: To provide a means of quickly determining before the start of a flight the path which the pilot should follow in order to fly between any two points in the minimum possible time. Thus, for a given set of cruising specifications for the airplane, this path becomes the optimum not only with regard to elapsed time but also for economy of operation. First, it will be assumed that the flight will be restricted to the vertical plane, which includes the starting point and the destination. The flight path will then have two dimensions in which to vary, with an infinite number of possibilities from which to choose.