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- The documentaion which follows was originally published in the November, 1982
- issue (v7,n11) pp. 272 of BYTE Magazine. It is reproduced here (with slight
- modification to account for figures not reproducible here) so that those of
- you who no longer can locate this issue may enjoy this excellent program...
- Russ McCallister, P.O.Box 79, River Forest, Illinois 60305 - September 1983
-
- 747 or JETSET as it was named by the author offers the adventure of
- piloting a jet aircraft minus the jet lag and the risk. The program name
- JETSET is an acronym for the Jet Simuator Electronic Trainer. You will
- maneuver an aircraft through the three stages of flight--takeoff, cruising,
- and landing--in less than ideal conditions.
-
- The program originally written for the TRS-80 Model II, uses the
- keyboard and screen to make a personal computer version of a commercial flight
- simulator. To make JETSET a realistic simulation, everything the pilot does
- in this program must be coordinated with an instrument panel displayed on the
- computer screen. In addition, the pilot must follow the actual procedures
- required when flying in near-zero visibility. A plane flown in such inclement
- weather must proceed according to Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) established by
- government, and the pilot must be specially trained and certified to fly
- ON INSTRUMENTS. This information is incorporated into the JETSET program.
-
- Computer Simulated Flight
- -------- --------- ------
- The JETSET (747) Program lets the pilot activate the control surfaces of
- the jet aircraft, adjust engine thrust, and tune navigational radio equipment
- by pressing a set of keys. (See Table 1.) The program responds to the keypress
- commands by adjusting aircraft attitude to match the control surfaces and
- updating the instrument panel display every four seconds as the trajectory of
- the jetliner is tracked through space by the computer.
-
- The jet instrument panel gives the pilot all the flight information he needs to
- take off, navigate, and land an aircraft using standard flight procedures and
- the radio facilities established for modern-day flying. The panel functions
- reveal what the aircraft is doing and where it is located, so that after a
- short period of training the pilot knows instinctively how to scan and
- interpret the panel data.
-
- Position tracking, a vital ingredient in the simulation, is performed in
- real time to keep the flight situation up to date. Although the pilot
- completely controls the motion of the jet, wind forces that vary with altitude
- can influence the flight. The program uses an analytical combination of jet
- and wind motion to solve the "wind triangle" that is formed whenever an
- aircraft is aloft and moving through layers of air. The wind-triangle solution
- yields the "true" motion of the jet relative to the earth's surface.
-
- When the simulation begins, the jetliner is poised for takeoff on the
- runway at Philadelphia Internation Airport. The geographic coordinates of
- Philadelphia mark the starting point of flight. The computer fixes this
- initial position in memory and cranks out a new longitude and latitude 15 times
- a minute. The pilot controls the path of the jet during the takeoff roll down
- the runway. If everything is done correctly in the cockpit, this path will
- lead to a takeoff with room to spare.
-
- Once airborne, the jet is tracked against a grid of meridians and parallels,
- an involved computation that requires the program to used spherical trigon-
- metry because of the earth's curved surfgace. Because the geographic
- coordinates of airports and radio beacons are stored in the computer's memory,
- a comparison of positions yields the information needed to update the
- insrument panel the pilot uses to navigate.
-
-
- An instrument landing, the trickiest part of any actual flight, is also the
- most complex operation for the computer to simulate. This type of landing
- requires a programmed geometry to simulate the Instrument Landing System (ILS)
- pattern formed by special radio beams. These beams, which converge at the
- landing end of a runway, deflect an indicator on the instrument panel of the
- landing jet and give the pilot an exact path to follow during the final
- approach to the airport.
-
- Because JETSET knows precisely where the pilot is telling the plane to go,
- the program will continue to run until the jet lands safely and rolls to a halt
- or until the flight ends in disaster. When the simulation has ended, for
- whatever reason, JETSET provides a complete report of the pilot's performance.
- The report includes the landing location of the plane-whether on or off the
- runway-to the nearest foot, and in case of pilot error a description of the
- error and the likey damage to the aircraft.
-
-
- Flying Lesson #1, Taking Off
- ----------------------------
-
- When you load JETSET into memory and type RUN, the screen will flash a
- message authorizing a takeoff from Philadelphia International on runway 9R.
- The screen will then display the upper section of the jet instrument panel and
- a perspective view of the runway as it would appear from the cockpit.
- At this point the jet is parked in the takeoff position with its engines
- idling, ready to go when its brakes are released.
-
- To prepare for takeoff, lower the flaps (L key) and check the panel FLAP
- indicator. A down position shows that the wing flaps are now extended.
- The flaps provide the vital extra lift needed during landing and takeoff, when
- the jet airspeed is marginal. Next, release the wheel brakes (W key).
- The jet will begin to move slowly because the engines are idling at only a
- fraction of their rated power or thrust. To apply full takeoff power, press
- the "F" key and watch the THRUST lever indicator move to its maximum forward
- position. The program will now apply acceleration to gradually bring the
- jet up to its rated takeoff speed, 150 knots (173 mph).
-
- As momentum builds, the AIRSPEED indicator begins to register. The jet
- begins its takeoff roll down the 10,500 foot runway. Soon afterward, the
- COMPASS indicator begins to deflect from its 075 degree reading as the jet is
- hammered by gusts of wind sweeping across the runway. This is a busy time in
- the cockpit because you must carefully steer the jet along the 200-foot-wide
- runway strip as you come up to take-off speed. A sliding arrow at the base of
- the runway graphic shows how far the jet is wandering from the runway
- centerline. Use the rudder keys (< and >) to steer the jet via its nosewheel
- whenever this arrow veers away from the center position. The arrow will shift
- left or right whenever the compass reading deviates from the 075 degree
- direction of the runway. Careful steering, then is an exercise in coordinating
- both keys with the compass reading and the runway graphic (each press of a
- rudder key alters the direction of travel by one degree).
-
- Assuming that the jet doesn't veer off the runway (which would end the flight),
- you must be ready to execute the lift-off maneuver when the airspeed indicator
- reaches 150 knots, at which point you press the "D" key once, and once only,
- to tilt the nose up 10 degrees. The jet will lift off just before the end of
- the runway moves to the bottom of the screen, and the horizon line will vanish.
-
-
- Immediately following the lift-off, you must execute a three-step sequence to
- gain altitude promptly:
-
- 1. raise the landng gear (W key) to reduce "drag" (air friction)
- 2. retract the wing flaps (L key)
- 3. reduce the thrust (S key) to attenuate engine noise-in accordance with
- federal antinoise regulations-as the jet passes over metropolitan
- Philadelphia.
-
- You must perform this sequence in the above order because the three keys are
- software-interlocked. In addition, you must complete the three steps before
- the ALTITUDE indicator reads 1200 feet. If you do everything correctly, the
- screen will erase to indicate a successful takeoff and a display of the
- complete instrument panel will appear.
-
- Takeoff Mishaps
-
- JETSET doesn't introduce random flight emergencies, but the simulation will
- abort with a grim message if you mishandle the jet. Using the built-in
- program specifications of a Boeing 747, the equations of motion dictate that
- it takes 63 seconds to reach takeoff velocity (150 knots) after full engine
- thrust is applied. During this interval, the accelerating jet uses up 80 per
- cent of the two mile runway.
-
- This equation of motion establishes the safe takeoff envelope for the
- simulation. You must use the "D" key promptly when the airspeed reaches 150
- knots. If you hesitate for another ten seconds, it will be too late-the jet
- will simply charge down the runway at 172 knots, plunge into the marchlands
- beyond, and...you get the picture.
-
- The anxious pilot who pulls the nose up too sharply at lift-off time (by
- pressing the "D" key more than once) also comes to grief. The abort message
- will point out that the tailend of the fuselage has struck the runway; the
- aft end of a 747 will clear the ground by only a few feet during normal
- takeoff. Most important, as pilot you must always remember to lower the
- wing flaps before you attempt to take off in a 400-ton jet, even in a
- simultation.
-
- Flying Lesson # 2 Maneuvering
- -----------------------------
-
- Following the takeoff, the jet slowly gains altitude as it passes over
- central New Jersey and heads toward the Atlantic coast. None of this
- geography is visible, of course, because of the blanket of clouds below.
- At this point, you must navigate the jetliner entirely on instruments until
- it's just a few hundred feet from the point of landing at the destination
- airport, wherever that may be.
-
- This lesson will give you a "feel" for the controls and show you how they
- relate to the instrument panel functions. (See table 2 for controls list.)
- The PITCH indicator shows that the nose is tilted upward (positive pitch)
- at an angle of 10 degrees. With the current position of the THRUST lever,
- the jet is gaining altitude at the rate of 6704 feet per minute (VERTICAL
- SPEED). Press the "U" key twice to level the nose to a zero-degree pitch.
- The AIRSPEED will now increase. VERTICAL SPEED will become zero, and the
- ALTITUDE will remain constant.
-
-
- The "U" and "D" keys, which correspond to motion of the pilot's control
- stick, are used to climb or descend to a new altitude. Each press of the
- "U" key pushes the nose down another 5 degrees, causing a rapid loss of
- altitude as both air speed and vertical speed build up. Regardless of the
- maneuver--climbing or diving--you should always use the "C" key to quickly
- level off the jet when the ALTITUDE readout reaches the desired value.
-
- You can steer the jet to a new COMPASS course by pressing the keys that
- control rudder angle. Press the "<" key once to begin a slow turn to the
- left and watch both the COMMPASS and the rudder-angle indicator (RUD). Each
- additional push of the rudder key will make the angle more acute, causing
- the COMPASS to swing faster as the rate of turn increases. Always use the
- rudder-cancel key (/) to stop further turning as soon as the COMPASS
- indicates the desired course.
-
- You can adjust AIRSPEED by moving the thrust level forward or backward (F
- and S keys) one step at a time. Each tap of the key shifts the position of
- the arrow displayed on the THRUST indicator and alters the AIRSPEED reading.
- The 747 normally cruises at 600 knots, and for a given thrust setting the
- AIRSPEED indicator will drop back during a climb and increase during descent.
-
- Because the instrument response time is 4 seconds, you must delay consecutive
- applications of the stick or rudder keys until the panel instrument readings
- catch up. The jet will automatically level off when it reaches an altitude
- of 45,000 feet; a dive to ground level while cruising however, will abort the
- flight with a simulated crash.
-
- In a plane, the VLF OMEGA indicator is part of an electronic subsystem that
- receives and correlates specially phased, very low-frequency radio waves.
- These waves, which propagate over great distances, are processed in the
- airborne receiver to give the pilot a continuous display of the changing
- position of the aircraft. The JETSET simulator tracks aircraft motion as
- the sum of two vectors: aircraft movement relative to the wind (compass
- heading and airspeed) and wind movement relative to the earth's surface.
- As a result of this tracking, the longitude and latitude displayed by the
- OMEGA readout can fix the exact geographic position of the jet as it is
- maneuvered through computer-simulated winds. This process results in an
- effective real-time simulation of the actual OMEGA system.
-
- Although the longitude and latitude displayed on the OMEGA indicator may
- be used along with any chart or road map to check the progress of the
- simulated flight, the actual OMEGA system is normally used for flying
- between continents. For short-range and cross-country flights, most air-
- craft-and the JETSET simulator-rely on a more convenient system popularly
- known as VOR (VHF Omni-directional Ranges).
-
-
- Flying Lesson #3 Navigating
- ---------------------------
-
- Most aircraft navigate from point to point using VOR radio facilities. A
- ground station transmits radio beams that radiate horizontally outward in
- all directions like the spokes of a wheel. Each spoke or radial (there
- are 360) is fixed in direction and can be used to provide an accurate and
- unvarying path to its source, the VOR station transmitter.
-
- In practice, the pilot first tunes the VOR receiver to a ground station
- located at or near the destination. Each station is assigned a unique
- frequency. Next the pilot adjust the receiver's radial selector dial to
- match the particular radial intended for use as a path (this dial is cali-
- brated in one-degree steps, from 000 to 359 degrees). The pilot then flies
- while watching the needle of a sensitive meter connected to the VOR receiver.
- When the needle moves to its center position, the aircraft has intercepted
- the selected radial. By altering the course to keep the VOR needle centered,
- the pilot will be able to guide the plane directly along the radial in a
- straight line toward the VOR transmitter.
-
- To navigate from Philadelphia to Buffalo, New York first tune the VOR
- receiver to 116.4 MHz (the frequency assigned to the Buffalo VOR station)
- and select the desired radial, 115 degrees in this example. Rotate the
- radial dial until it points to 295 degrees, the reciprocal value of 115
- (115 + 180 = 295). (The reciprocal value is always used when setting the
- selector dial to match the chosen radial. This process gives the VOR
- receiver proper internal orientation.)
-
- Once tuning is completed, you fly in an approximate northerly direction and
- watch the movement of you VOR panel indicator. Initially the needle will
- be "pegged" to the right side of its travel, but it will slowly begin to
- move toward the center as the plane nears the 115-degree radial. Once the
- needle is at center, alter your course to 295 degrees by compass and swing
- the nose of your jet toward Buffalo. Now you must make minor steering
- corrections, using the rudder to keep the VOR needle centered.
-
- This needle, rather than the compass reading, provides the guidance for the
- remainder of the trip. Upper air winds will generally deflect the heading
- (compass course) of the jet from its actual track over the earth's surface,
- but if the plane is flown with the needle centered, the path of travel will
- remain exactly on the 115-degree radial. The compass reading may differ by
- a dozen or more degrees when you are flying at upper altitudes in the
- presence of high-velocity jet streams.
-
- The process of adjusting the steering to keep the VOR needle on center is
- called "chasing the needle." If the needle (which represents the radial),
- begins moving to the left, you must apply some left rudder until the needle
- returns to center. For needle deflection to the right, steer to the right.
- After a minute or two you should be able to establish a compass heading that
- keeps the VOR needle centered until the jet arrives in Buffalo.
-
- The VOR system carried aboard a jetliner includes a very useful and
- important device know as the DME (Distance-Measuring Equipment). Once the
- VOR receiver is tuned to a station, the DME indicator continuously displays
- the distance in nautical miles (NM) to the station. In a flight to Buffalo,
- for example, the DME would read about 180 NM when the northward-flying jet
- first intercepts the 115-degree radial. From then on, as the pilot steered
- toward Buffalo the DME value would progressively decrease in step with the
- aircraft's position until the reading reached zero. A zero reading would
- indicate that the jet had flown over the VOR station. The DME readout
- would then slowly begin to increase as the pilot passed by Buffalo.
-
- The simulator VOR receiver is tuned and adjusted from the keyboard. To
- tune to a station, first press the V key. then type in the station
- frequency. The typed characters will echo on the screen; to correct them,
- use the Backspace key. Finally, press Enter to terminate the input. To
- tune in the Buffalo station, type the 6-key sequence "V116.4" followed by
- the Enter key.
-
-
- A similar procedure sets the VOR receiver to any selected radial except
- that you type "R" first rather than "V". To adjust the receiver for the
- flight to Buffalo, type "R295" followed by the Enter key.
-
- The RANGE window of the VOR receiver displays OUT whenever the receiver is
- not tuned to any station or whenever it is tuned to an incorrect frequency.
- An OUT also appears if the receiver is tuned to a VOR station whose distance
- exceeds 300 NM, the maximum range of the VOR signals.
-
-
- Flying Lesson #4 Practicing VOR
- -------------------------------
-
- Several practice flights to Buffalo on the JETSET simulator will acquaint
- you with the simple principle of VOR navigation. Although it isn't nec-
- essary, a chart or group of road maps that encompass the Buffalo-Phila-
- delphia area would help you visualize the progress of the jet.
-
- Begin by taking off from Philadelphia, climbing to about 10,000 feet, and
- leveling off. Then apply the left rudder until the compass reads 000, give
- or take a few degrees. While you're on this northerly course, adjust the
- thrust (F and S keys) for an airspeed of 600 knots.
-
- Tune to the Buffalo VOR station by typing "V116.4" and the Enter key. Set
- the receiver for the reciprocal of the 115-degree radial by typing "R295"
- followed by Enter. This completes the tuning procedure. The VOR needle,
- which is located directly above the RADIAL window on the display, will now
- remain pegged to the rightmost position for about seven minutes as the jet
- flies north. Once the VOR needle begins moving toward the center of the
- graphic slot, prepare to alter course. When the needle reaches center,
- apply the left rudder (< key) and bring the jet on a compass course of 295
- degrees. Remain on this course for about a minute and watch the motion of
- the VOR needle. Now you can begin chasing the needle by applying the
- rudder corrections needed to center the needle and keep it there. You may
- need to make an occasional steering adjustment if the needle begins to
- wander, but as long as it remains within one dot of center (each dot
- represents one degree), your course will be reasonably accurate.
-
- When the Buffalo radial is first intercepted, the DME indicator should
- read approximately 180 NM, and it should take about 18 minutes for the
- 600 knot jet to reach its destination. The exact flying time, of course,
- will depend on the strength and direction of the prevailing winds, but the
- DME readout will always show the exact remaining distance. If you use a
- map to keep tabs on the practice flight, remember that DME distances are
- nautical (not statute) miles. A DME reading of 100 NM corresponds to 115.2
- statute miles.
-
- As the jet moves along the radial the RANGE window of the VOR panel will
- display TO, indicating orientation toward the VOR station. As soon as the
- DME reaches zero, note the reading of the OMEGA display. Because the jet
- is passing directly over the ground station, the display should read 42
- degrees 55 minutes North, 78 degrees 38 minutes West, equal to the geo-
- graphic coordinates of the VOR station. This reading confirms that the
- navigation was accurately performed by the VOR system. If you have main-
- tained the course, a FROM will appear in the RANGE window as the jet
- proceeds in a westerly direction away from Buffalo, New York.
-
-
- Flying Along Airways
- --------------------
-
- Although I used the 115 degree radial for the practice flight to Buffalo, I
- could just as will have chosen other radials for guidance. For example, a
- map shows that the 140 degree radial passes directly through Philadelphia
- and would therefore reduce the flying time if it had been used as a path.
- I selected 115 degrees instead because it is designated as a jet route by
- the FAA (Federal Aviation Administraction). The FAA has established a net-
- work of special radials that high-altitude jets must use when flying on
- instruments. An aviation chart reveals that radial 115 from Buffalo corres-
- ponds to jet route J-95 when the radial direction is adjusted for the
- earth's magnetism (the JETSET program works with true, not magnetic
- directions).
-
- In order to comply with regulations, an actual high-altitude flight from
- Philadelphia to Buffalo might require the pilot to proceed as follows:
-
- fly toward Philipsburg, Pennsylvania along jet route J-60
- alter course at Philipsburg to pick up jet route J-61 which
- leads directly to Buffalo
-
- During the first leg of the trip, the pilot would tune the VOR receiver to
- 115.5 MMz, the frequency of the Philipsburg ground station, and fly along
- the J-60 radial (278 degrees). Just before the pilot reached Philipsburg
- (as shown by DME indicator), he would retune the receiver for Buffalo (116.4
- MHz) and adjust it to the radial that corresponded to jet route J-61 (346
- degrees). The pilot would then alter his course, chasing the needle to
- follow radial 345 until he arrived at Buffalo.
-
- Numerous VOR stations scattered throughout the country enable a pilot to
- fly extended distances simply by hopping from one station to the next,
- retuning the receiver to locate the designated jet routes. JETSET, however
- needs only a handful of VOR stations to establish a network for instrument
- flight simulation. Table 3 shows the frequencies and locations of the VOR
- stations for practice flights included in the program. You may use any of
- these VOR stations for practice flights to the given cities or as stepping
- stones for navigating from city to city. (Remember that a tuned-in VOR
- station must be within 300 miles to activate the airborne VOR receiver).
-
- The VOR receiver in the JETSET simulator is as versatile as its real-life
- counterpart. When a pilot is lost or disoriented the receiver can be tuned
- to a VOR station and the radial-selector dial rotated until the needle of
- the VOR meter centers. The reading shown on the radial dial then represents
- the direction from the VOR station. Combining this with the distance read
- on the DME indicator results in an exact position "fix".
-
- In the JETSET simulator a press of a "A" key results in an exact position
- fix. The program automatically rotates the invisible radial-selector dial
- for the pilot and quickly displays the direction from the tuned-in station
- in the RADIAL window.
-
- Instrument Landing
- ------------------
-
- Using the VOR receiver as a guide a pilot can navigate accurately from one
- city to another without any view of the earth below. VOR radials are
- suitable for point-to-point navigation, but when a pilot arrives at his
- destination he needs another system of guidance to get to the airport
- runway itself. In this case the pilot must revert to a radio aid, the
- Instrument Landing System (ILS), a facility designed to make blind landings
- possible. A trained pilot flying an aircraft equipped with an ILS receiver
- can locate an airport and safely land on a runway that may not be visible
- until a minute or so before the actual touchdown.
-
- An ILS installation consists of a group of radio transmitters arranged in
- the vicinity of the airport where ILS landings are to take place. These
- transmitters radiate highly directional radio beams that converge at the
- foot of the runway, forming a cone-shaped pattern like the rays of a
- searchlight. The pilot first maneuvers the plane into this invisible cone,
- then uses the ILS receiver to follow the radio waves down until the air-
- craft is just a few hundred feet above the ground. At this low altitude
- the runway should be visible, so the actual landing can be completed in
- the usual way.
-
- The airborne instruments used to locate and follow the cone of radio waves
- are a marker lamp, an ILS indicator, and a radar altimeter. On the JETSET
- simulator panel these three components are identified as the MARKER, ILS,
- and RADAR ALT respectively. The panel MARKER lamp flashes on when the
- aircraft flies over a point called the "outer marker" telling the pilot
- that the plane has just entered the ILS cone. The crosshairs (horizontal
- and vertical needles) of the panel ILS meter will now begin to deflect,
- and the pilot must maneuver the plane to keep the needles centered in order
- to follow the path of the ILS radio cone. As the aircraft descends along
- this narrow path, the radio altimeter (RADAR ALT) gives a continuous
- display of the exact elevation from the ground (in feet).The radio alti-
- meter is much more sensitive than the conventional altimeter, so it is
- always used for precision landings.
-
- During the time the aircraft has entered the ILS cone and is heading
- toward the runway, when the pilot is making the final approach, the plane
- flies in a direction known as the "localizer" direction of the ILS radio
- beams. The angle that the radio cone makes with the ground is called the
- "glidescope" angle, and the descending plane is said to be flying within
- the ILS "glidepath". The two moving needles of the ILS indicator correspond
- to the localizer and glideslope axes during the final approach. The pilot
- chases the vertical needle (which moves left and right) to remain aligned
- with the localizer direction. The horizontal needle (which deflects up
- and down) must be chased using the elevator controls to keep the plane
- within the glidepath.
-
- Once the descending aircraft reaches the ILS "middle marker", the panel
- MARKER lamp will flash again, alerting the pilot that the plane is just a
- fraction of a mile from the runway. This critical location is called the
- "decision height" of the final approach because the pilot must now decide
- whether he can safely complete the landing. If the runway appears in view
- directly ahead, the pilot can make a visual landing. If, however, the
- plane is not properly lined up with the runway (because the ILS needles
- were not kept centered), the pilot must abort the landing attempt at once
- by climbing out of the glidepath. This situation is known as a "missed
- approach". When a pilot misses the approach, he flies a safe distance
- away from airport traffic and then returns to the OM point for another try.
-
- Every ILS equipped airport uses an arrangement which places the VOR station
- away from the airport in such a way that the plane will cross the ILS cone
- near the outer marker. The exact ILS arrangement (localizer direction and
- glidescope angle) for any given airport is published in a manual of approach
- diagrams (one for each airport), which the pilot studies well in advance of
- his instrument landing.
-
- Obviously, an instrument landing is a tricky procedure that airline pilots
- must practice in large-scale simulators to perfect. The routines that sim-
- ulate landing are an important part of the JETSET program; they closely
- follow the sequences that develop when a plane flies into the ILS pattern.
- You may have to make several attempts at a simulated landing before you
- can consider yourself qualified to handle a jetliner under bad weather
- conditions.
-
- Flying Lesson #5 - Practicing ILS
- ---------------------------------
-
- Preparing for an instrument landing, even aboard the JETSET simulator,
- begins when the plane is still many miles away from the airport. Because
- all ILS landing procedures follow a standard pattern, the John F. Kennedy
- (JFK) International Airport, conveniently located with respect to Phila-
- delphia, can serve as a practice landing site. A simulated flight from
- Philadelphia to JFK lasts about 20 minutes from takeoff until the jet rolls
- to a stop on the runway.
-
- Every airline flight must be conducted in accordance with a flight plan, a
- document that specifies the routes the pilot will fly until he arrives at
- the destination. An actual flight takes place at standard altitude levels
- and under close supervision of air traffic controllers, but the flight plan
- prepared for the practice run to JFK International tells the JETSET pilot
- exactly how to proceed. See Table 4.
-
- Using the Philadelphia-JFK flight plan as a guide, execute the takeoff
- procedure and climb to 5000 feet while maintaining a compass course of 075
- degrees. During the climb, tune your VOR to the JFK ground station (115.9
- MHz) and input the radial value of 058 degrees.
-
- Level off at an altitude of approximately 6000 feet. Use the "<" key for
- the left rudder to alter the compass course to approximately 000 degrees.
- HOld this course until the VOR needle nears its center position. Now steer
- to 058 degrees and begin chasing the VOR needle.
-
- The jet will head directly for JFK as long as you keep the VOR needle
- centered-the 058 degree radial is used because it's the "initial approach"
- radial defined for JFK airport. It will lead to an intercept with the
- runway outer marker (OM), a prerequisite for the instrument landing.
-
- As soon as the DME indicator reads 38, you must prepare for landing. To
- begin a descent, adjust, adjust the elevators for a pitch of -10 degrees
- (press the key twice) and level off at an altitude of about 1900 feet.
-
- Start the "initial approach trim" procedure for the jetliner when the DME
- distance is 20 NM. First reduce your airspeed to 300 knots (S key), lower
- the landing gear (W key), and lower the wing flaps (L key). The airspeed
- will automatically drop back to 120 knots as soon as the flaps are lowered,
- as required for a proper landing. Complete the trim procedure by adjusting
- altitude until the ALTITUDE indicator reads between 1700 and 1900 feet.
-
- You must execute this procedure quickly so that the aircraft is in proper
- "profile" or flight configuration as it approaches the OM along the initial
- approach radial. You will reach the OM when the DME reads exactly 12 NM, so
- the jet should be in its trim profile and steered to keep the VOR needle
- centered (to within two graphic dots) as the OM point nears.
-
- If you've done these steps carefully, the panel MARKER lamp will flash when
- when the DME indicator reads 12 NM. This is a signal that the aircraft has
- just intercepted the ILS radio cone and must be promptly steered to align with
- the localizer direction (028 degrees) at JFK airport.
-
- Press the left rudder (< key) quickly when the MARKER lamp flashes. It's
- imperative that you swing the jet to a compass course of 028 degrees before
- it flies out of the narrow area of the radio cone (this would occur about
- 15 seconds after the MARKER lamp turns on). A compass reading of 028
- degrees (give or take one degree) before the MARKER lamp goes off will
- ensure that you completed the turn in time for the jetliner to enter the
- ILS radio cone. Both the ILS indicator and the RADAR ALT meter should be
- activated. If not, the turn took too long to complete and you need more
- practice in making a fast turn. For another attempt, you can stop the
- simulation program and begin again or raise the flaps and wheels and circle
- back to pick up the initial approach radial for another attempt.
-
- The rapid updating of the ILS indicator means the jet is now beginning its
- crucial final approach. You have very little margin for error. The program
- will automatically change the sensitivity of the elevator and rudder keys;
- each press of the elevator key varies the pitch by one degree and the course
- changes by one degree each time a rudder key is pressed. Quickly press the
- "D" key three times to pitch the nose down 3 degrees and turn your attention
- to the ILS display.
-
- You must use the rudder keys to chase the vertical needle of the ILS
- indicator as the jet loses altitude (as shown by the RADAR ALT reading).
- If ;the ILS horizontal needle moves from center, chase by using the
- elevator keys. Crosswinds blowing across the airport will tend to deflect
- the jet (and the vertical ILS needle), so you must make every effort to
- keep the two ILS needles where they belong-exactly on center.
-
- The RADAR ALT indicator, a meter that activates when the final approach
- begins, shows the elevation of the descending jet (feet above ground
- level). At an elevation of about 600 feet, JETSET will display the
- approaching runway on the lower-right portion of the screen to simulate
- that the ground is now visible. The arrow appearing at the foot of the
- graphic screen shows the exact alignment of the jet in relation to the
- approach end of the airport runway. You mut now use this visual reference
- instead of the ILS indicator to quickly correct any course errors. For
- example, if the arrow extends too far to the left, beyond the runway base,
- apply some right rudder to realign the jet's path.
-
- After a few more seconds the MARKER lamp shold flash again to announce
- that the plane has just reached the middle marker point along the approach
- path, the decision-height location. Now a quick decision is vital. If
- the arrow of the runway graphic extends too far left or right, beyond the
- runway base, the jet is not properly lined up for a safe landing and you
- must press the "M" key immediately to signal a missed approach to the
- computer. JETSET will comply by announcing that the pilot's decision was
- correct for the landing situation.
-
-
- If however, the runway arrow shows that the jetliner is safely aligned for
- a landing, you must bring it down as follows:
-
- 1. At an elevation of 100 feet (RADAR ALT reading), press the "S" key
- once. This command will "chop the throttle" (abruptly reduce the
- engine thrust to idle).
-
- 2. At 50 feet, press the "C" key once to "flare up" the nose of the
- jet. This maneuver automatically tilts the aircraft upward slightly
- to a positive pitch, causing a controlled stall. The jet will
- now sink gently down to ground level as it loses aerodynamic lift.
-
- 3. At 0 feet the jet has landed and is rolling along the runway.
- Quickly press the "Q" key to apply reverse thrust to the engines.
- Reverse thrust decelerates the ircraft gradually until the AIRSPEED
- readout reaches zero.
-
- Your JETSET flight concludes with a display of the landing information
- that tells you how well you handled the jet. This information specifies
- where ground contact occurred and where the jet finally rolled to a halt.
- If you made a mistake at the middle marker, the landing report will print
- out the consequences.
-
- This is only a small part of the capabilities of the JETSET simulator.
- There are about 15 to 20 additional airports built in. It is conceivable
- that you could fly all over the United States. Remember though, this
- simulator flies in real-time. If it takes 6 hours to fly from New York
- to San Fransico in a real aircraft, it will take the same 6 hours flying
- the simulator.
-
-
- Table 1. Listed below are the keyboard keys, functions, and definitions:
-
- KEY FUNCTION DEFINITION
- --- -------- ----------
- F THRUST INCREASE* INCREASES POWER TO JET ENGINES
- S THRUST DECREASE* DECREASES POWER TO JET ENGINES
- Q THRUST REVERSE REVERSES ENGINE THRUST DURING LANDING
- D PITCH DOWN* LOWERS NOSE OF AIRCRAFT BY 5 DEGREES
- U PITCH UP* LIFTS NOSE OF AIRCRAFT BY 5 DEGREES
- \ PITCH CANCEL SETS NOSE TO LEVEL FLIGHT
- < RUDDER LEFT* INCREASES RUDDER LEFT BY ONE INCREMENT
- > RUDDER RIGHT* INCREASES RUDDER RIGHT BY ONE INCREMENT
- / RUDDER CANCEL RETURNS RUDDER TO CENTER POSITION
- L FLAPS RAISES AND LOWERS WING FLAPS
- W WHEELS RAISES AND LOWERS LANDING GEAR
- B BREAKS RELEASES WHEEL BRAKES FOR TAKEOFF
- M MISSED APPROACH SIGNALS AN ABORTED LANDING ATTEMPT
- V VOR FREQUENCY TUNE INPUTS A FREQUENCY TO VOR RECEIVER
- R VOR RADIAL SELECT SELECTS A RADIAL VALUE FOR NAVIGATING
- A VOR AUTO SELECT AUTOMATICALLY ROTATES RADIAL SELECTOR DIAL
-
- NOTES: 1. The CAPS LOCK key must be engaged throughout the simulation.
- 2. An asterisk (*) identifies keys that may be typed additional
- times to increase their control function.
-
- Table 2. Instrument Panel Legend
- -------- ---------- ----- ------
-
- Instrument Units Function
- ---------- ----- --------
- FUEL pounds,% fuel aboard (in puounds and percentage full)
- VHF MHz communications channel
- THRUST position of engine thrust levers
- PITCH attitude of aircraft
- DEG degrees angle of pitch, measured from horizontal
- COMPASS degrees compass heading of aircraft (direction of nose)
- AIRSPEED knots aircraft velocity through the air
- VERT SPEED feet/minute rate of climb or descent
- ALTITUDE feet altitude above the ground
- CLOCK hr.min.sec time of day (local)
- VLF OMEGA degrees,min aircraft position (latitude and longitude)
- RUD rudder angle
- FLAPS flaps position
- WHEELS landing gear position
- BRAKE position of wheel brakes
- VOR MHz frequency to which VOR receiver is tuned
- RANGE status of VOR receiver
- RADIAL degrees value of selected radial (needle moves along
- window directly above radial)
- DME nautical miles distance to VOR ground station
- RADAR ALT feet aircraft elevation during final approach
- MARKER turns on when flying directly over the ILS outer
- and middle marker beacons
- ILS pair of needles that deflect according to aircraft
- position in ILS radio cone
- STALL flashes as aircraft is stalled during final approach
-
- Table 3. Locations and frequencies of simulated VOR ground stations
-
- LOCATION FREQUENCY LATITUDE LONGITUDE
- -------- --------- -------- ---------
- Philipsburg, PA ll5.5 MHz 40 deg 55 min N 77 deg 59 min W
- JFK, NY 115.9 40 38 73 46
- Boston, MA 112.7 42 22 70 59
- Buffalo, NY 116.4 42 56 78 39
- Flint, MI 116.9 42 58 83 44
- Green Bay, WI 117.0 44 33 88 12
- Joliet, IL 112.3 41 33 88 19
- Cleveland, OH 113.6 41 22 82 10
-
-
- TAKEOFF PROCEDURE
- ------- ---------
-
- A. Lower flaps (L key).
- B. Release breaks (B key).
- C. Apply full throttle (F key).
- D. Steer along the 075-degree runway using the left/right rudder keys
- (< and >). Coordinate steering with the COMPASS reading and the position
- of the arrow located at the base of the runway graphic.
- E. As soon as the AIRSPEED indicates 150 knots, press the U key once to
- gently lift the jet off the runway.
- F. After the horizon line drops below the screen, press the W key to
- raise the landing gear.
- G. Retract the flaps (L key).
- H. Throttle back the engines (S key).
- I. Sit back and relax for a minute or so as the jet gains altitude.
-
-
- PRACTICE FLIGHT TO BUFFALO
- -------- ------ -- -------
-
- A. Execute the takeoff form Philadelphia as described above.
- B. Level off at 10,000 feet.
- C. Steer approximately north.
- D. Adjust airspeed to 600 knots.
- E. Tune to the frequency of the Buffalo VOR station (115.5 MHz).
- F. Input the value of 278-degrees radial into the receiver.
- G. When the VOR needle moves to center, alter course to 295-degrees
- (COMPASS).
- H. Now steer to keep the VOR needle centered. This indicator, not the
- compass, will provide exact guidance for the remainder of the flight.
- I. Use the DME indicator to keep track of the distance remaining, in nautical
- miles, to Buffalo. To estimate the remaining flying time (in minutes),
- simply divide the DME reading by 10.
- J. When the DME readout reaches zero, the jet has arrived.
-
-
- INSTRUMENT LANDING
- ---------- -------
-
- A. Execute the takeoff procedures.
- B. Continue to climb to an altitude of 3000 feet on a course of 075
- degrees.
- C. At 3000 feet, alter course to 000 degrees and continue climbing.
- Adjust thrust for airspeed of 580 knots. Tune VOR to Philipsburg
- station (115.5 MHz), and set radial to 278 degrees.
- D. Steer along 278-degree radial when intercepted. Level off at 40,000
- feet and proceed to Philipsburg at 600 knots.
- E. At DME=20 NM, retune VOR to Buffalo (116.4 MHz) and set radial to 346
- degrees.
- F. Upon intercepting the 346-degree radial, alter course to follow the
- radial to Buffalo.
- G At DME=73 NM, begin decent to 1900 feet (descend at approximately
- 11,000 FPM).
- H. Level off at 1900 feet. Remain aligned with the radial.
-
- I. Begin initial approach trim when DME=20 NM as follows:
-
- 1. Reduce airspeed to 300 knots (S key).
- 2. Drop landing gear (W key).
- 3. Lower the flaps (L key).
- 4. Adjust altitude to between 1700 and 1900 feet (elevator keys).
- 5. Keep the VOR needle centered (rudder keys) to stay on the initial
- approach radial.
-
- J. Be alert for the flash of the MARKER lamp (which occurs when the
- DME=12). At this signal the jet must be maneuvered for the final
- approach:
-
- 1. Quickly swing the nose until the compass shows 042 degrees.
- 2. Use rudder and elevator keys to keep the ILS indicator needles
- centered as the jet descends along the glidepath.
- 3. As soon as the runway graphic appears on the screen, use the
- graphic arrow as a guide to apply rudder corrections.
-
- K. When the MARKER lamp flashes again to announce arrival at the decision-
- height point, check the runway alignment using the graphic displayed on
- the screen. If necessary, press the M (Missed Approach) key to abort
- the landing attempt. Otherwise, if the plane is lined up safely, take
- all cues from the RADAR ALT from here on in:
-
- 1. At 100 feet, idle the engines (S key).
- 2. At 50 feet, flare up the nose (\ key).
- 3. At 0 feet, the jet is on the runway. Slow it down by applying
- reverse thrust to the engines (Q key).
-
-
- FLIGHT PLAN - PHILADELPHIA, PA TO BUFFALO, NY
- ------ ---- ------------- -- -- -------- --
-
- 1. After takeoff, continue climbing to 3000 feet on course 075 degrees.
- 2. At 3000 feet alter course to 000 degrees and continue climbing. Adjust
- thrust for airspeed 580 knots, tune VOR to Philipsburg station (115.5 MHz),
- and set radial to 278 degrees.
- 3. Steer along 278 degree radial. When intercepted, level off at 40,000 feet
- and proceed to Philipsburg at 600 knots.
- 4. At DME = 20 NM, retune VOR to Buffalo (116.4 MHz) and set radial to 346
- degrees.
- 5. Upon intercepting 346-degree radial, alter course to follow radial to
- Buffalo.
- 6. At DME = 73 NM, begin descent to 1900 feet (descend at approximately
- 11,000 feet per minute).
- 7. Level off at 1900 feet. Remain aligned with radial.
- 8. Begin initial approach trim when DME = 20 NM.
- 9. Execute ILS final approach procedures when MARKER lamp flashes. Localizer
- direction is 042 degrees.
-
-
- FLIGHT PLAN - PHILADELPHIA, PA TO JFK INTERNATIONAL, NY
- ------ ---- ------------- -- -- --- -------------- --
-
- 1. After takeoff, continue climbing to 6000 feet on course 075 degrees.
- While climbing, tune VOR to JFK station (115.9 MHz) and set radial
- to 058 degrees.
- 2. Level off at 6000 feet. Steer left to intercept radial, align with it,
- and proceed toward Long Island, NY at 400 knots.
- 3. At DME = 38 NM, begin descent to 1900 feet (descend at approximately
- 7410 feet per minute).
- 4. Level off at 1900 feet. Remain aligned with radial.
- 5. Begin initial approach trim when DME = 20 NM.
- 6. Execute ILS final approach procedures when MARKER lamp flashes. Localizer
- direction is 028 degrees.
-
- ===== END ======
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- mp flashes. Localizer
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