From 5,000 ft AGL, using a glide ratio of 1.3:1, how many nautical miles can you glide?

From 5,000 ft AGL, using a glide ratio of 1.3:1, how many nautical miles can you glide?

• A. 0.8 NM
• B. 2.0 NM
• C. 1.3 NM
• D. 1.1 NM

Answer: (D)

Glide ratio is the horizontal distance you can cover for each unit of altitude you lose. With a glide ratio of 1.3:1, you travel 1.3 units forward for every 1 unit you descend. From 5,000 ft AGL, the horizontal distance you can glide is 5,000 × 1.3 = 6,500 ft. Convert that to nautical miles: 6,500 ft ÷ 6,076 ft per NM ≈ 1.07 NM, which rounds to about 1.1 NM. So you can glide roughly 1.1 nautical miles, assuming no wind and at best glide speed.

Glide ratio is the horizontal distance you can cover for each unit of altitude you lose. With a glide ratio of 1.3:1, you travel 1.3 units forward for every 1 unit you descend. From 5,000 ft AGL, the horizontal distance you can glide is 5,000 × 1.3 = 6,500 ft. Convert that to nautical miles: 6,500 ft ÷ 6,076 ft per NM ≈ 1.07 NM, which rounds to about 1.1 NM. So you can glide roughly 1.1 nautical miles, assuming no wind and at best glide speed.