Performance Rules of Thumb

Question 1

Light Singles

Rate of Climb

Answer 1

800 ft/min, or 80KIAS

Question 2

Light Multi

Rate of Climb

Answer 2

1000 ft/min, or 100KIAS

Question 3

Light Multi

WTC

Answer 3

Light

Question 4

Light single with slowest cruise speed

Answer 4

Cessna C152

100kts, or
1.7NM/min

Question 5

Light Single with fastest cruise speed

Answer 5

Piper PA46 Malibu

200kts, or
3.3NM/min

Also pressurised, so ceiling increases to FL250

Question 6

What are the lowest bookends for Light Single aircraft category?

Answer 6

Cessna C152 is slow, at 100kt cruise speed.

Light Sport Aircraft (e.g. Foxbat (AP22) and Jabiru (JABI) are even slower, between 50 and 100kts. MTOW 600kg, CLIAS 55kts

Question 7

Turboprop

Rate of climb

Answer 7

1500ft/min, or 150KIAS

Question 8

Business Jet

Rate of Climb

Answer 8

4000ft/min, or 300KIAS

Question 9

RPT Jet

Rate of Climb

Answer 9

3000ft/min, or 300KIAS

Question 10

Light Single

Cruise speed

Answer 10

2.5 NM/min, or 150kts

Question 11

Light Multi

Cruise speed

Answer 11

3 NM/min, or 180kts

Question 12

Light Multis with fastest cruise speed

Answer 12

Piper PA31 Navajo/Chieftain – 3.5NM/min, or 210kts

Cessna C340 – 3NM/min, or 200kts

Cessna C421 Golden Eagle – 3NM/min, or 200kts

All are pressurised and have higher operational level than category’s usual 10,000ft

Question 13

Turboprop

Cruise speed

Answer 13

4.5 NM/min, or 270kts

Question 14

Exceptions to Turboprop category assumptions?

Answer 14

Cessna C208 Caravan slow and unpressurised. Cruises at 160kts, or 2.5NM/min, and lands at 75kts.

De Havilland Dash-8-400 (DH8D) fast. Cruises at 360kts, or 6NM/min

Question 15

Business Jet

Cruise speed

Answer 15

8 NM/min, or 480kts

Question 16

Exceptions to Business Jet category assumptions?

Answer 16

Cessna Citation 5XX series, all of which cruise at 370kts, or 6 NM/min. Light WTC. (Recognise by hexagonal windows and straight, square wings)

Cessna Citation X (C750) has fastest cruise speed, at M0.9

GLEX and Gulfstream V (G500) have cruise speed of M.85

Question 17

RPT Jet

Cruise speed

Answer 17

8 NM/min, or 480kts

Question 18

Exemptions to RPT Jet category assumptions?

Answer 18

BAe146 (B461/2/3) is slow, M0.67 cruise and climbs at 240kts.

B757 is fast (cruise M0.8), and is WTC Heavy when leading

C17 Globemaster cruises at M0.78

Airbus A380 classed as WTC Super

B747-800 is fast (cruise M0.855)

Question 19

Light single

Operating level

Answer 19

Up to 10,000ft

(except PA46 Malibu, which is pressurised, up to FL250)

Question 20

Light Multi

Operating level

Answer 20

Up to 10,000ft

(except C340, C421 Golden Eagle both of which are pressurised and operate above FL250)

Question 21

Turboprop

Operating level

Answer 21

Up to FL250

Question 22

Business Jet

Operating level

Answer 22

Up to FL500

Question 23

RPT Jet

Operating level

Answer 23

Up to FL430

Question 24

Light single

Rate of descent

Answer 24

500ft/min

Question 25

Light multi Rate of descent

Answer 25

500ft/min

Question 26

Turboprop Rate of descent

Answer 26

2000ft/min

Question 27

Business jet Rate of descent

Answer 27

2500ft/min

Question 28

RPT Jet Rate of descent

Answer 28

2500ft/min

Question 29

Light Single Vat/Approach Speed

Answer 29

70kts

Question 30

Light Multi Vat/Approach Speed

Answer 30

100kts

Question 31

Turboprop Vat/Approach Speed

Answer 31

120kts

Question 32

Business Jet Vat/Approach Speed

Answer 32

130kts

Question 33

RPT Jet Vat/Approach Speed

Answer 33

140kts

Question 34

Typical cruise speed for helicopters

Answer 34

80 to 160kts

Question 35

Operating level for helicopters

Answer 35

Generally unpressurised, so below 10-12,000ft

Question 36

Rate of climb for helicopters

Answer 36

1500ft/min

Question 37

Wake Turbulence Category weight limits

Answer 37

J (Super) more than 560 000 kg H (Heavy) more than 136 000 kg M (Medium) less than 136 000 kg and more than 7 000 kg L (Light) 7 000 kg or less.

Question 38

At which FL will an aircraft's speed measurement change from an IAS to a Mach number?

Answer 38

At FL250