The formula to calculate the Pivotal Altitude (PA) is:
\[ PA = \frac{GS^2}{15} \]
Where:
Pivotal altitude is the altitude at which a pilot must fly to maintain a constant radius around a point on the ground during a turn. It is crucial for maneuvers such as eights on pylons in aviation training.
Let's consider an example:
Using the formula to calculate the Pivotal Altitude:
\[ PA = \frac{120^2}{15} = \frac{14400}{15} = 960 \, \text{ft} \]
This demonstrates that with a ground speed of 120 MPH, the pivotal altitude would be 960 ft.