On 30 Dec 2004 02:43:33 -0800, "Ramapriya"
wrote:

1. How does a pilot get to know the distance to the airport that he has
to land in, so that he plans his descent accordingly, in planes that
don't have an onboard computer? Maps I know would give the distance
between two fixed points, but how does he keep track of distance
covered in flight and that sort of thing? To inquire ground stations
such info would be embarrassing, I guess

What do you mean by "onboard computer"? Most airplanes nowadays (even
small single-engine-ones) have GPS receivers, for which the easiest
task is "tell me the distance to airport XYZ". Modern airliners are
equipped with flight management systems. These derive information
about the airplane's position from various sources (ground-based
navaids, inertia, GPS...), so no problem there, too.

If you don't have all those toys, it is likely that you have at least
a VOR receiver (see below), an ADF or a DME. With those you can also
calculate distances to a fix, but that may require some mental math to
be done.

Airplanes without any onboard electronics are normally flown day-VFR
only, so distance calculation can be made by dead reckoning or
pilotage. But if you are unsure you can of course ask a radar
controller for assistance.

2. What exactly is a VOR? Sounds like it's a constant all-direction
radio transmission from a fixed point on the airport to help locate
where the airstrip is. If so, does it necessarily have to be from *a*
standard designated point in the airfield, right across all airfields
on earth?

VORs are not necessarily located on airports. For technical details do
a google search, I am sue you will find better explanations than what
can be given here in text-only-mode.

Basically a VOR receiver in the airplane tells you the bearing from
the station to the airplane. Pilots are talking about so-called
"radials", e.g. if an airplane is on radial 270 of a VOR, its position
is due west of the VOR.

Most VORs are used for enroute navigation, but there are also
instrument approaches relying on VORs. But as VORs used for approaches
can be located anywhere on the field or even be off-airport, minimums
are usually higher than for an ILS approach.

3. If a pilot needs to land at an airport that doesn't have a control
tower, how does he figure its elevation so that he may plan his
descent?

The elevation of an airport is published. And even non-attended
filelds often have automatic weather reporting that provides an
altimeter setting. If not, you can use the altimeter seting from a
nearby airport which is nomally not too far off.

4. When a pilot says, "Give me a vector", what does he actually mean?

He requests heading instructions from a radar controller, for example
to intercept an ILS or to an airport.

5. When pilots use miles in conversations, does it mean the miles we
normally use, or is it always nautical miles?

Pilots are using nautical miles.

6. The difference between airspeed and groundspeed is that airspeed is
the net of the plane's speed and opposing windspeed, while groundspeed
is just the plane's speed. Right?

If a plane would fly at sea level with an airspeed of 100 kts and
there was a headwind of, let's say 50 kts, its groundspeed would be 50
kts. With calm winds, the groundspeed would also be 100 kts.

When flying higher, air- and groundspeed differ even with no wind, as
the air becomes less dense with altitude, so indicated airspeed
decreases.

Look for "indicated" and "true" airspeed in the books you should have
bought by now ;-).

7. What is "density altitude", and how to compute it? If I'm not wrong,
its use is to plan the length of takeoff roll and angle of climb.

Uh, I'll leave that to someone else now...

Regards
Tobias