Navigation Methods and Calculations Guide
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ScribdTranslationsNavigation Methods and Calculations Guide
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ScribdTranslationsNavigation Methods
1- Visual or Contact - ground references.
2- Estimated - time and consumption calculations for each reference. (waypoint)
3- Electronics - calculated by electronic equipment.
4- Radio navigation - equipment that captures radio waves, IFR flight (ADF and VOR).
5- Celestial – uses celestial bodies through the SEXTANTE for navigation (maritime).
6- By satellite - receives signals from satellites to determine location (GPS).
The Earth and Air Navigation
1- Great Circle–divides the Earth into two equal parts (Equator and Greenwich).
2- Minor or Minimum Circle - divides into two unequal parts (Parallels and Tropics).
3- Rotation–24 hours, responsible for days and nights, counterclockwise, from west to east.
4- Translation - 365 days and 6 hours, responsible for the seasons of the year, counterclockwise.
5- Meridian/Longitude - an imaginary vertical line limited by the poles. There are 180º to the east and
180º to the west. The main one is the Greenwich Meridian, 000º.
6- Meridian 180º or International Date Line – the antimeridian of Greenwich, that is, opposite to
she.
7- Parallels/Latitude–imaginary lines on the horizontal, the main one is the Equator, 00º,
divide the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, 90° for each hemisphere up to the poles.
Calculations involving Latitudes and Longitudes (1° = 60' / 1' = 60'')
In the Same Hemisphere
1- Difference of Latitude (DLA) – SUBTRACT the greater latitude from the lesser.
2- Difference of Longitude (DLO) – SUBTRACT the greater longitude from the lesser.
3- Average Latitude (AL) - SUM the two latitudes and divide by 2.
4- Mean Longitude (LOM) – SUM of the two longitudes and divide by 2, if they are between two
large longitudes subtract the result from 180º.
In Different Hemispheres
1- Difference in Latitude (DLA) - SUM the latitudes.
2- Difference of Longitude (DLO) – ADD the longitudes, if the sum exceeds 180º, subtract the result.
of 360º.
3- Average Latitude (AL) - SUBTRACT the greater latitude from the lesser and divide by 2.
4- Mean Longitude (LOM) - SUBTRACT the greater longitude from the lesser and divide by 2.
Colatitude and Antimeridian
1- Co-latitude is the latitude given until it reaches 90º, that is, 90º minus the given latitude.
Ex. Colatitude of 20º20'N. Transform 90º into 89º60' and subtract 20º20'N = 69º40'N.
2- Antimeridian - it is the opposite longitude of a given one, that is, 180º minus the given longitude.
Ex. Antimeridian of 020º20'W. Transform 180º into 179º60' and subtract 20º20'W = 159º40'E.
Remembering that at the antimeridian the hemispheres switch, in this case from W to E.
Distance calculations (1º = 60nm / 1’ = 1nm / 30’’ = 0.5nm)
• Find the Distance – Just take the result of the DLA or DLO and multiply the degrees by 60, since 1°
= 60nm, then add the minutes, since 1' = 1nm and add the seconds, since 30'' = 0.5nm.
Ex1. After calculating the DLA or DLO we got the result of 10º30’, we just multiply 10º x 60nm =
600nm + the remaining minutes (30’) = 630nm.
Ex2. DLA of (15º20’30’’) 15º x 60 = 900nm + 20’ = 920nm + 30’’ = 920.5nm.
• Find the DLA or DLO - Just do the opposite, divide the given distance by 60 and the remainder of that
division will be the minutes and seconds.
For knowing what the DLA or DLO of 1230nm is. Divide the given value by 60, because 60nm = 1º.
So 1230 / 60 = 20º, there are 30 left which will be the minutes, thus 20º30’.
Orthodromic and Loxodromic Routes.
1- Orthodromic - shorter, change of direction, cuts meridians at different angles.
Note: The orthodromic is only used from 850nm onwards.
2- Loxodromic - longer, maintains the course and crosses meridians at equal angles. It is the one that
we use in our PP and PC routes.
Card Projections
Regarding Tangency
1- Polar - designed and developed in the Poles.
2- Equatorial - designed and developed in Ecuador.
3- Oblique - designed and developed at intermediate points between the Poles and the Equator.
As for the Origin
1- Gnomonics – the point of view of the projection is the center of the Earth.
2- Stereographic - the point of view of the projection is on the opposite side.
3- Orthographic - the point of view of the projection is at infinity.
Regarding the Type
1- Cylindrical projection involving the Earth in the shape of a cylinder, usually tangent to the
Ecuador.
2- Conical or polyconic – projection in the shape of a cone that is then flattened.
3- Planar or Azimuthal - projection onto a plane from a specific viewpoint,
normally used in regions of latitude above 80°.
Mercator and Lambert maps
1- Mercator - most used for maritime navigation, cylindrical and gnomonic projection (center of
Earth) is conformal, meaning that parallels and meridians form angles of 90º.
Advantages - meridians and parallels formed by straight lines, easy construction and easy plotting
the coordinates.
• Disadvantages – excessive deformation at high latitudes, impossibility of representation in the
poles and usage limitation up to 60° N or 60° S.
2- Lambert used in aerial navigation, conic projection, and gnomonic (center of the Earth) and is also
conformal, 90º between the meridians and parallels.
Advantages - constant latitude scale and ease of plotting radio position markers
(IFR).
• Disadvantages – difficult construction, difficult plotting of coordinates, grid formed by
meridians and parallels are not rectangular.
Route Lines on Lambert and Mercator Maps
Lambert – orthodromic route straight line / loxodromic route curved line.
• Mercator – rhumb line straight route / great circle curve route.
Scales of the Letters
1- Scale Calculations (KM HE DC M DC CM MM)
Scale 1:1,000,000, the number 1 means one centimeter on the map and 1,000,000 means one million.
million centimeters on the ground. To convert to kilometers, just remove 5 zeros from the actual measurement.
in this case it would be 10km, that is, 1 cm on the map means 10km on the actual surface. If you want
to know, for example, how many km in the actual surface corresponds to 15 cm on the map, just multiply the 10 km that
We have found that 15cm on the map means 150km, so on this map 15cm represents 150km.
real surface.
Ex2. To find the scale, just do the opposite process. The real measurement on the surface will be given and
how many cm it is worth on the map. For example, from one city to another it is 500km and on a certain map
this is equivalent to 10cm. The first step is to reduce the 10cm to 1cm, and then convert the km into
cm.
If 10cm = 500km, 1cm = 50km, I just removed one decimal place from each to reduce to 1cm.
letter. Now we just need to return 5 zeros on the real scale to obtain it in cm, that is, 1:5,000,000.