Pivotal Altitude Calculator

Calculate Pivotal Altitude

Formula

The formula to calculate the Pivotal Altitude (PA) is:

\[ PA = \frac{GS^2}{15} \]

Where:

Pivotal Altitude Definition

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.

Example Calculation

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.