Can someone please explain to me how the 1 in 60 rule works? I know that at a distance of 60 nm there is an error of 1 nm or 1 degree. But from that how can I determine track error and also how does this rule relate with the time to a VOR station? Yes I know that you turn your aircraft 90 degree to station and see how long it takes you to cross a certain number of radials and then from that you can determine your time to station but what does that have to do with the 1 in 60 rule?

Thanks

The only thing I use the 1 in 60 rule is for IFR approaches into remote areas. 30 miles back of the airport I turn 10 degrees off course. This allows me to intercept the inbound 5 mi. back. As for your question, just check your gps. Best I can do.

The 1 in 60 rule is really just a mental math shortcut for a trig problem - if you're 30 miles out and you find yourself about 3 miles off, then according to the 1 in 60 rule you're about 5 degrees off track, which makes sense considering 30sin5deg equals 2.6. As for how it relates to the VOR distance the rule applies to any situation involving a triangle, as long as you have 2 out of the three variables - distance/distance/angle. From a distance you can get time or ETE if you have a ballpark ground speed. I just BS'd this but I hope it helps.

No, no, you've got it all wrong ... the 1 in 60 rules states that if a pilot directly asks 60 women in bar if they want to screw, one won't say no

The 1 in 60 rule. It's all about proportions.

First of all let's look at the 60... why this peculiar number?

As you know 60nm is equivalent to 1 degree on earth's surface. Which is why at 60 kts, we're doing 1 degree / hr over earth.

Imagine a triangle with it's hypotenuse and base legs going to the right. Then the height leg connecting them. We get a right shaped right angle triangle.

The base of the triangle is 60 as we are trying to work out a ratio that if we fly off track for 1 degree, in 60nm (or in 1 degree over earth), how many miles will we be off our intended track. It should be worth mentioning that if all of this was done in degrees, the math wouldn't be as complicated as some people make it. Because if we did this triangle with all its units in degrees, then the ratio would be 1 degree, to 1 degree, to 1 degree. Because if we vary 1 degree in our HEADING, after flying over the earth for a distance of 1 degree, we will be a distance of 1 degree to the NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, or WEST of our intended track. But as distances are not done in degrees, rather nm, we need to replace our distance values in the triangle with nautical miles and only use the degrees for the heading change.

So, simple trigonometry tells us that with a base of 60, and an angle of 1 degree, we want to find the height of the triangle using Tangent.

Tangent 1 degree = X/60

60 x Tangent 1 = X

X = 1.04nm

So if you really want to think about it, it should be called the 1.04 to 60nm rule lol... but we round it for efficiencies sake as .04 won't make that large of a difference for actual operational purposes.

Ok so earlier I said that the rule is all about proportions. What if we have altered off course 5 degrees, how many miles are we from our intended track after 25nm?

All you have to do is make the triangle into a unit of 60. How do we get from 25 to 60? By multiplying 25 x 2.4 which you can find out by just dividing 60/25.

Ok this will get our base leg to 60, how about our height? Our height is no longer X but rather 2.4 times x.

In the 1 to 60 rule, if we flew 5 degrees off track for 60nm, we would be off by 5nm, but since we're off track by 5 degrees at 25nm, we need to get 5nm to match in a ratio of 60 like we did to 25. And since the multiple to get this triangle to 60 is 2.4 as figured out above, our 5nm needs to be multiplied by 2.4 as well. So in 60nm, we will be off by 12nm (2.4 x 5).

OK so how to apply all of this for TIME to VOR?

A typical question may ask, at 1000z you cross R280 from a station, at 1006z you cross R290 from a station. If you were to fly inbound to the VOR, how long would it take you?

Ok so our speed right now is 10degrees / 6 minutes. Remember, 1 degree / min = 60 knots. 10/6 = 1.67deg/min.

So Through mathematical proportion you will find that if 1deg/min = 60kts, then what is 1.67deg/min ? You will find that it's 100kts. In case you have forgotten how to do mathematical proportions, the calculation would be 1.67 x 60 divided by 1 = which 100

Ok now, so you have flown 100 kts for 6 minutes, which is 10nm and this was equivalent to an angle of 10 degrees as you crossed R280 to R290.

So our height is 10nm, our angle is 10 degrees, and we need to find our BASE now.

Tangent 10 degrees = 10nm/X

X = 10nm/Tangent 10degrees

X = 56nm

So at a speed of 100kts, it will take us 33.6 minutes to cover 56nm So if we turned at 1010Z, we will be there at 1044Z and not 1043Z... remember to round up on transport exams.

Let's try a different example.

1000Z you cross R090, at 1020Z you cross R143.

This means you have flown 53degrees / 20minutes.

53/20 = 2.65

So if 1deg/min = 60, what is 2.65deg/min? It is 159kts.

So you have flown 159kts for 20 minutes, this is equivalent to 53nm

Ok so your height is 53nm, your angle between the hypotenuse and base is 53degrees.

To figure out our BASE, the formula is

Tan 53 = 53nm/X

X = 53nm/Tan53

X = 39nm. So you are 39 nm from the station and at a speed of 159 it will take you 14.7 minutes to get there.

Okay thanks again Loopa! I am going over what you wrote and trying to figure it out.

The good news is after you finish the exam you will probably never have to use the rule in flight as there are very few practicle examples where there are not easier ways to determine track error, or distance. The one "60" rule that actually does have a practical application is with respect to speed. For every 60 kts of ground speed you are covering 1 nm every minuite. This can be handy for deciding when to start a descent although GPS time to destination makes this really easy as you only have to double the thousands of feet AAE to get the time to start a 500 ft/min descent ( eg you have to descend 8000 ft = start down when GPS time to destination reads 16 min)

Actual practical application of 1 in 60 rule:

Let's say you're cruising around 120K and you notice that you have 10 degrees of crab on, to hold your track. You have 20 knots of crosswind component. Who cares, right? It's not like you can do anything about it.

Let's say you cruise at 180K and you know that you will have 18 knots of crosswind component. You know you will have to crab 6 degrees into the wind, even before the GPS tells you to. How exciting.

In the days before GPS, this sort of thing mattered a bit. It really doesn't any more - what really matters:

Is there enough headwind that I need to replan my next fuel stop?

yeah GPS makes a lot of things easier. Only 1 of our aircraft is actually equipped with a GPS which I rarely get to fly which stinks. As for the application of the 1 in 60 rule, the only reason I am asking is because of the Written which is coming up. But thanks for the comments.

Hey Cessna 150 - where did you finally go on your cross country?

Every pilot should own a handheld GPS. It doesn't need to be the latest and greatest - I personally use a G196 - I have several of them.

Bushav8er wrote:Hey Cessna 150 - where did you finally go on your cross country?

I have yet to go anywhere still:| I have just a few more lessons left which will take a week or 2 and when they are done it is just time building flights so that is when I would like to go somewhere good. About the handheld GPS device, do I really need 1 at the level that I am at right now? I have a bit over 100 hours. I have also been told that a car GPS works just fine to determine your position and I guess your speed but not sure.......But I dont think I need a GPS at this time, maybe later when I go further away from base, I dont even have my own headset yet but I am working on it!

No, no, you've got it all wrong ... the 1 in 60 rules states that if a pilot directly asks 60 women in bar if they want to screw, one won't say no

Read no further. This is the only comment worth reading. The others are all pure crap. Nobody ever uses the 1 in 60 rule when flying for a living unless they are some warped flying instructor making a name for themself.

You can take this to the bank.

The others are all pure crap.

Lol... wow.

Loopa, your explanation was very precise. I was just having some fun. Sorry if it was offensive. It takes me looking at my posts the following day to realize I might have been acting like an asshole.

I had a feeling it was a joke... lol

It just hit me, maybe I should dedicate less time here HAHA, I'm starting to take it a tad too seriously.

Have a fabulous day