A flight plan requires 2.5 hours of flying time and you must hold a 0.5 hour reserve. What is the minimum planned mission time?

A flight plan requires 2.5 hours of flying time and you must hold a 0.5 hour reserve. What is the minimum planned mission time?

• A. 2 hours
• B. 2.5 hours
• C. 4 hours
• D. 3 hours

Answer: (D)

You must plan for both the required flying time and a reserve. The flight plan needs 2.5 hours of flying and a 0.5 hour reserve. Adding them gives 3.0 hours, which is the minimum to meet both requirements. Anything shorter would violate one of the needs, while a longer plan still satisfies them but isn’t the minimum. The reserve is there to cover contingencies like weather or delays, so combining it with the flight time is how you determine the total planned mission time.

You must plan for both the required flying time and a reserve. The flight plan needs 2.5 hours of flying and a 0.5 hour reserve. Adding them gives 3.0 hours, which is the minimum to meet both requirements. Anything shorter would violate one of the needs, while a longer plan still satisfies them but isn’t the minimum. The reserve is there to cover contingencies like weather or delays, so combining it with the flight time is how you determine the total planned mission time.