Knowing when to descend can be easy
Getting the airplane down and in the traffic pattern at the appropriate altitude is a common mistake for students, but it can be easily remedied. To calculate how many miles out you need to start descending, simply multiply the number of feet you have to lose (in tens) by three.
So, if you have to lose 5,000 feet, multiply 5 times 3 to get 15 miles early.
There’s a clever way to figure out rate of descent to reach that target as well. Take half your groundspeed and multiple by 10. Let’s say you’re flying at 100 knots. Half of that is 50. Multiply by 10 and you get 500 feet per minute.
AOPA Flight Training staff
AOPA Flight Training Staff editors are experienced pilots and flight instructors dedicated to supporting student pilots, pilots, and flight instructors in lifelong learning.
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