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6 Answers

Best glide speed and rate-of-descent

Asked by: 6401 views Aviation Headsets, Commercial Pilot

hi i just wanted to ask that while practicing a flameout landing.. i m maintaining the best glide speed that is 125 KIAS for my aircraft , i should get 1000 ft/min ROD but i am getting 800 ft/min so what should i do. should i maintain the same speed or should i increase my airspeed by increasing dive angle to get 1000 ft .min ROD

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6 Answers



  1. Brian on Aug 24, 2012

    Fly best glide speed. Preferably corrected for weight as follows:

    Best glide corrected for weight = Sqrt (actual weight / gross weight) * published best glide speed.

    ROD is a useless parameter to monitor as meteorological conditions can alter the readings.

    Out of curiosity, 125 knots? What type aircraft?

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  2. rizwan on Aug 25, 2012

    thanks . i fly t-37

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  3. Bob Watson on Aug 25, 2012

    Typically, the best glide speed gives you the best range (all other things being equal). Minimum sink could result in a shorter distance if required a slower speed than best glide, I’m not sure why you’d want to increase your rate of descent unless you were over a landing spot. If you’re flying the published speed and sinking less than you expect, I would guess that’s because you’re lighter than the weight the speed was published for.

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  4. Brian on Aug 25, 2012

    “If you’re flying the published speed and sinking less than you expect, I would guess that’s because you’re lighter than the weight the speed was published for.”

    This is counter intuitive. If you fly book value of best glide, but are at a lighter than gross weight, you would experience higher sink rates. In other words, you’d be flying faster than best glid in your scenario, not slower. And the result would be more drag and higher sink rates.

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  5. Alex Clark on Aug 26, 2012

    His engine is idling and not truely flamed out…. thus a touch of thrust.
    Nothing to get in a tizzy about…

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  6. Alex Clark on Aug 26, 2012

    Hm I guess I cannot edit prior commments.
    I thought the old dash-one for the T-37 said that the best glide speed for maximum distance is 125 knots indicated with flaps up, speed brakes retracted and of course gear up. With both engines windmilling.
    I seem to remember somethng about being able to supposedly glide for 10 to 11 NM for every 5000 ft of altitude… As long as you did not turn and as long as you were clean. In theory anyway….

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