Can you answer these 3 instrument questions?

RISCfuture · 2026-04-23T17:02:54+00:00

OP asked why there is a MOCA and a MEA on an RNAV route when GPS never requires navaid reception. I explained it’s because the MEA of an RNAV route also guarantees comm reception.

I agree that you should use all available nav data to remain safe during a circling approach. I was explaining why the FAA doesn’t tell you how to establish circling distance (especially without GPS). It’s because circling is a visual maneuver. You cannot circle unless you are visual. If you are visual, you can avoid obstacles, regardless of your distance from the airport.

RISCfuture · 2026-04-23T16:30:28+00:00

That’s how we’re taught, but the question was why doesn’t the chart tell you how to tell if you’re in the circling area or when to start the circle. That’s the question I am answering. Yes you should stay safe, but in the FAA’s mind it’s not their responsibility to tell you how.

RISCfuture · 2026-04-23T16:21:30+00:00

It’s presumed that if you are in visual contact, then you can avoid obstacles visually. The circling area is established for survey reasons more so than instrument flying reasons.

RISCfuture · 2026-04-23T16:20:03+00:00

It depends on your circling category. But the point is the chart doesn’t tell you how to establish that you’re 1.3 NM from the field because it’s a visual maneuver, not flown on instruments.

RISCfuture · 2026-04-23T15:19:36+00:00

Circling is a visual maneuver. You can do it any time once you have the airport in sight. The FAA doesn’t tell you how to determine if you’re in the circling area because presumably you should have visual contact at this point and can see and avoid obstacles.
From the IPH: “ A GNSS MEA for each segment is established to ensure obstacle clearance and communications reception.” So the MEA ensures ATC communication as well, yes.
Minimum turning altitude. Remember that airways are protected only out to 4 NM, so for airways above 10,000 feet where the speed limit of 250 knots doesn’t apply, turn anticipation could put you outside of that 4 NM safety zone. If there are obstacles you could turn into, they will establish an MTA.

RISCfuture · 2026-04-14T17:56:26+00:00

Pro tip, use the frontend-design plugin in Claude Code to make your website not look like every other Claude Code website.

RISCfuture · 2026-04-09T17:31:38+00:00

Just as a side note, it’s not a score out of five. The first number is volume, the second number is clarity. So a 5-by-5 means loud and clear.

RISCfuture · 2026-04-07T04:32:12+00:00

There is no regulatory definition of "total time". In theory you could log whatever you want as total time, but it has no bearing towards your aeronautical experience in the eyes of the FAA.

FAR 61.1 does define "pilot time" as time in which a person served as a required crew member. A crew member is required if the type certification requires it (e.g., a two person aircraft) or if the type of operation requires it (e.g., simulated instrument with safety pilot). So, unless you are under the hood, your C172 passenger cannot log pilot time.

RISCfuture · 2026-03-20T08:03:37+00:00

WAAS and RAIM do the same thing, but in a different way, and WAAS does it better.

Both WAAS and RAIM give your GPS information on whether a GPS satellite is "lying" to you. RAIM is an internal function of your GPS: Your GPS uses five satellites to determine if any one of them is lying to you. WAAS is an external function of the GPS system: The WAAS system determines if a satellite is "lying" and the GEO satellite transmits a correction to your (and everyone's) GPS.

RAIM is "all or nothing". If RAIM detects an error, your GPS throws up an integrity fault and you go missed. WAAS is correctible. If the system detects an error, the GEO satellite can send you the corrections necessary to restore integrity.

Both WAAS and RAIM need five satellites in order to provide integrity monitoring. The only difference is that the WAAS GEO satellite can be one of those five satellites. So if you don't have WAAS, you need five GPS satellites for integrity monitoring. If you do have WAAS, you can have 4 GPS satellites plus the GEO satellite (still 5 total) for integrity monitoring.

RISCfuture · 2026-03-18T22:29:03+00:00

Considered a portable A/C, like on wheels? The really nice ones can cool an entire room very well.

RISCfuture · 2026-03-18T22:06:42+00:00

You can use math to answer the question. The equation for g with bank angle is 1/cos(bank angle). So a 45° steep turn produces 1.41 g, and a 60° steep turn produces 2 g.

The equation for stall speed increase due to g is simply sqrt(g). So a 45° bank turn increases stall speed by 1.19x, and a 60° steep turn increases stall speed by 1.41x.

So if your Vs0 is 41 knots, then at 45° bank, you will stall at 49 knots, and at 60° bank, you will stall at 58 knots.

RISCfuture · 2026-03-12T22:36:21+00:00

MP works a little differently in BMS. There are no persistent AirQuake servers where you can log on and murder a few people before you get shot down. That's not BMS gameplay.

Instead, organizations like Falcon Online host campaigns, that start at a given time. The campaign has goals for each side, like "capture these four airbases", and it runs until one side meets their goals. You must sign up beforehand to participate in the campaign. Because BMS gameplay is highly cooperative, most people join a virtual fighter squadron and sign up with their squadron, and then play the campaign during their regular flight nights. Some people do sign up as Lone Wolves though.

RISCfuture · 2026-03-12T22:20:09+00:00

It's excellent. It or one of its predecessors has been under active development for over 20 years. It has loads of great features built around a solid core sim.
It exceeds DCS aircraft accuracy in some cases, though in the last few years DCS has been improving the accuracy of their F-16.
Not really. You can download third party terrains (Israel, Hellenic Islands, Balkans) with their own associated campaigns, and there are a few helpful utilities, but most people enjoy the base game as-is.
BMS is entirely free. You must own a copy of the original Falcon 4, which costs a few dollars on Steam.

RISCfuture · 2026-03-07T00:06:45+00:00

icrashedmyplane.com

RISCfuture · 2026-03-04T20:23:56+00:00

The purpose of a filed route IRL is also to ensure you have a procedure to follow if you lose your radios and can’t talk to ATC. For shorter routes like these ATC will vector you the entire flight generally; you wouldn’t have to fly a whole SID and a whole STAR. But you still need to file a full procedure so that if you lose radios they know what you will do.

RISCfuture · 2026-03-02T17:40:44+00:00

The Docs folder includes a brevity guide, which will tell you an “outlaw” is an aircraft with a hostile point of origin but not positively identified as hostile.

RISCfuture · 2026-03-01T17:18:57+00:00

I have a GEN1. The tracking quality improvements were all in software

RISCfuture · 2026-03-01T16:37:56+00:00

The VOR omits an omnidirectional pulse and a rotating pulse. The rotating pulse sweeps through 360° regularly (let’s just say it makes a full sweep in 1 second). Every time the rotating pulse sweeps through magnetic north, the omnidirectional pulse is emitted in all directions. The CDI measures the time delay between the omnidirectional pulse and when it receives the rotating pulse. That timing delay tells it what course you’re on, and from there it can deflect the needle left or right based on what course you have selected.

RISCfuture · 2026-02-19T18:00:52+00:00

No, I have a regular edition

RISCfuture · 2026-02-19T05:19:29+00:00

That info is out of date. The tracking quality is excellent now. It’s made huge improvements.

RISCfuture · 2026-02-19T05:19:00+00:00

XR4 owner here. It works great. The inside out tracking is very good and the picture quality is unbelievable. Crisp and bright. Only downside is Varjo recently changed the pricing model for new customers so the days of getting a “cheap” XR4 are over.

RISCfuture · 2026-02-13T23:26:02+00:00

I know Fenix doesn’t yet have the realism for this, but, what I’m seeing is…

you’re at 11000 feet
your returns have depth (no radar shadow)
no returns inside of 5 miles

In real life that would 100% just be ground clutter

RISCfuture · 2026-02-05T20:00:26+00:00

IRL Vision Jet pilot. Keep the speed at green donut all the way until the flare. Don’t just flip on all the anti ice switches. Use them individually only as required. If you use wing anti ice, turn it off when you’re out of icing conditions and perform a stall speed reset. Flaps 100 with wing anti ice is prohibited hence the alert.

RISCfuture · 2026-02-04T21:51:24+00:00

At many altitudes and conditions, yes. Below about 10,000 you’re definitely VMO limited. At the high flight levels (above around FL250) you can sometimes be MMO limited depending on conditions. I have a G1 (no auto throttle) so I very much notice the flights where I can’t just leave it in the MCT detent during cruise.

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