Navigation Log Version 2.6 Here is a VFR Navigation log I've been working on for some time, and an example. Some explanation is required. First, note the distinction made between "data entered" and "data configured". "Data entered" means you need to enter the data for each flight, for example the W&B161 sheet. "Data configured" means data you set up once for your particular aircraft, for example the "Climb, Eng Perf", Va, and Vs sheets. All of the sheets should be protected from inadvertant changes. There is no password on the protection so you can turn it off and on the Toolbar. I suggest when you do change something you protect the sheet again, and note the changes on the Change Log sheet. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are 11 sheets. Sheet 1. Fixes Contains data tables for a position fix. There is space for 3 independent VOR fixes per position fix. For each VOR fix a column is provided for: name, identifier, frequency, radial, and distance (write over the column headers for the third fix). There are no references from this sheet to others. The sheet can be changed with impunity. Example: Monroe | MLU | 117.2 | 230 | 8.7 | I generally create a Fix sheet for each Leg sheet even if it is blank. Sheet 2. Leg This sheet is the Navigation Log. It is organized in a number of outlined blocks. Upper left is a Weight and Balance block, with various speeds adjusted for aircraft weight. Gray values in this block are taken/calculated from W&B161, Va, and Vs sheets. Leg Info block gives time, distance, and fuel usage for taxi, takeoff, cruise, and descent. Vr, Vx, and Vy are simply values input from your POH. Gray values from this block are taken/calculated from the Climb,Eng.Perf sheet. A Notes section is provided for random notes. Upper Right is an ATC block for noting ATC Frequencies and transponder codes for flight following handoffs. Check Points (Fixes) is a column and two rows of values. In the small first column of the first fix of each sheet put the fix number. The rest of the numbers should populate as you enter a fix name. Put the fix name on the first row and any helpful information on the second row. See the example sheet. The VOR columns provide up to two fixes for each Check Point. Altitude is your chosen cruise altitude. The Wind block allows the input of winds and temperature aloft data. These values are used for calculations in the course block. Choose your CAS value and it populates down the column. Us any type airspeed you want. The Course block uses the Wind block data and the data you input to the Course block to ultimately calculate your course heading. TC = True Course, TH = True Heading, MH = Magnetic Heading, CH = Course Heading (this is your course for the subleg). Dist/GS block tracks your distance traveled and remaining, as well as your estimated and actual Ground Speeds. GS = Ground Speed, Total Fuel = Total USABLE Fuel. In the white box under Rem, put your total leg distance. In each white box below put the subleg distance and the block calculates your remaining distance at each subleg. Time off and Fuel block tracks your Estimated and Actual Times Enroute and Estimated and Actual Times of Arrival. Again, the gray boxes are caclulated, the white are for your input. Put your usable fuel quantity in the Total Fuel box. Based on the GPH value the sheet calculates your fuel usage and fuel remaining. Airport & ATIS block provides columns for airport and weather data for your Departure and Destination airports. None of the data is calculated. Boxes are provided for up to 3 runways. I generally list the Traffic directions in the traffic box for all the runways separated by '/'. For example "R / L / R" Airport Frequencies Block provides various frequencies for your departure and destination airports. Sheet 3. Climb, Eng.Perf In the table you enter the climb data from your particular POH. There are some Density Altitude calculations on the right-hand side, and are used as a standalone calculator for Rate of Climb and Engine RPM/Power. ROC and Engine Performance numbers will need to be derived for your own plane. Configure the Sea Level Values from your plane's POH. Sheets 4 & 5. W&B161 and W&B180 These are weight and center of gravity calculator sheets for the Piper PA-28-161 and the Piper PA-28-180. Currently the workbook is configured to use the W&B161 sheet. To adjust for your aircraft, fill out the weight and arm columns with the data from your particular POH. Yellow cells are static values specific to your aircraft. Gray cells are calculated. Both yellow and gray cells are protected. White cells are data input. You will have to adjust the chart to your particlar plane. Sheet 6. Va This is your "Manuvering Speed", and what is provided is specific to the PA-28-161. To customize it to your plane, enter into the yellow cells the endpoints of Va as supplied in your POH. My POH lists 2 Va values, (111.0 @ 2325) and (88.0 @ 1531). Gross weight is taken from the W&B sheet. When you enter you specific values the chart will adjust. You may have to manually adjust the axes. Sheet 7. Vs This sheet contains calculators for Vs0 (full flaps stall speed) and Vs1 (no flaps stall speed). Again to adjust for you particular plane replace the weight and speed values from your POH. My POH lists the following for Vs0: (44.0 @ 2325) and (37.0 @ 1600). Gross weight is taken from the W&B sheet. When you enter you specific values the chart will adjust. You may have to manually adjust the axes. Please note your stall speeds may include retractable landing gear considerations. Sheet 8. Vx|Vy Calculates Vx and Vy. You will need to configure for your plane just as for the Va and Vs sheets. This sheet is informational only and is NOT used by any other sheet. As such it could be deleted. Sheet 9. ROC Rate of Climb. You will need to configure for your plane just as for the Va, Vs, and Vx|Vy sheets. This sheet is informational only and is NOT used by any other sheet. As such it could be deleted. Sheet 10. Standard Atmosphere Just a standard atmosphere look up table. This sheet is informational only and is NOT used by any other sheet. As such it could be deleted. Sheet 11. Change Log --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following information is from previous versions of the workbook and may no longer be appropriate. When in doubt check the formulas your self. The Navigation Log For each leg of a flight the first sheet can be copied. Fields will be described. Weight: this is calculated from the information on the W&B sheet, except the fuel quantity which is from the "Total Fuel" field on the NavLog. Also the "Unused gallons" value is added to the "Total Fuel" value. See "Total Fuel" description below. Weight = (Total_Usable_Fuel_gallons + Unuseable_fuel_gallons)*6 + Basic_Empty_Weight + Pilot_and_Front_Passenger + Baggage %MGW: This is calculated from the Weight and from the Maximum Gross Weight entered on the W&B sheet. This value is needed by the Takeoff Performance Computer and is convenient to have readily available for on-the-fly calculations. You may want to calculate your takeoff roll BEFORE committing to a short field. %MGW = 100*Weight/MaxGrossWeight CG Pos.: as for "Weight" above this is calculated from the information on the W&B sheet, except the fuel quantity which is from the "Total Fuel" field on the NavLog. Also the "Unused gallons" value is added to the "Total Fuel" value. See "Total Fuel" description below. CG Pos. = ((Basic_Empty_Weight_moment + Pilot_and_Front_Passenger_moment + Baggage_moment) + (Fuel_arm * (Total_Useable_fuel_gallons + Unuseable_fuel_gallons)*6)) / Weight Va, Vs0, Vs1: all calculated from the Weight and the slope (m) and y-intercept (b) from the respective sheet. Va, Vs0, Vs1 = (Weight * m) + b Hobbs: Spaces for "Hobbs Out" and "Hobbs In". Date: Date of the flight. Taxi/Runup: Amount of fuel assumed used in start up, runup, and taxi. TO/Climb: Amount of fuel used to takeoff and climb to the first "Altitude". This is calculated from the data on the "Climb" sheet. Leg-Climb: (Leg minus Climb) Amount of fuel used to cruise the remaining distance on the first segment. Uses the "Leg" distance of the first segment minus the calculated climb distance. Vr: Rotation speed at maximum gross weight. Vx: Best climb angle at maximum gross weight and at sea level under standard temperature and pressure. Vy: Best climb rate at maximum gross weight and at sea level under standard temperature and pressure. ATC Freq. and Transpondr: These are labels for the field above. This is the place to write down your transponder code from Air Traffic Control, and to write down the next ATC frequency as you are handed off from ATC facility to ATC facility. The labels are at the bottom of the columns so the clipboard clip does not obscure them. Check Points (Fixes): Place your Checkpoint, waypoint, or airport in the upper-left cell of the box. Applicable VOR identification and frequency can be placed in the appropriate cells to the right. I usually put the VOR radial in the lower-center cell of this box. See the example for this and other ways to record VOR information. Course (Route): This is a holdover from the source template and I tend to ignore it. You can put a 'D' in it if you are flying through or 'L' if you are landing. Altitude: Place the altitude at which you are going to fly the segment in the upper cell of the box. The value of the first altitude is used to calculate the "TO/Climb" and "Leg-Climb" cells. Wind: Dir., Vel., Temp: This is where you record the wind parameters at the altitude you are going to fly. These values are used to calculate your eventual course. Temp is ignored and are for your records only. CAS : Calibrated Airspeed: Used to calculate your "GS Est." (estimated ground speed) and your "ETE" (estimated time enroute". Cells that are greyed out are calculated. Cells that are white you supply values or record values during the flight. TC : True Course. The true course heading for the flight segment. You determine this from your chart. This is used to calculate your "TH" (True Heading), "MH" (Magnetic Heading), and "CH" (course heading). TH : True Heading. Your True Course adjusted for the Wind Direction and Velocity. MH : Magnetic Heading. Your True Heading adjusted for magnetic variation. Magnetic variation is marked by dashed isogonic lines on your chart. It is a function of where you are on the earth. CH : Course Heading : Your Magnetic Heading corrected for your particular compass deviation. WCA : Wind Correction Angle. This cell is calculated from the wind direction and velocity, your CAS, and your TC. A negative value is a left correction and a positive value is a right correction. Var. : Magnetic Variation. You must supply this value. East variations are entered as negative numbers and west variations are entered as positive numbers. Dev : Compass Deviation. You must supply this value from the information on your compass deviation card generally affixed to the magnetic compass in the cockpit. Compasses can vary in their deviation across the magnet rose, so this value will depend on your MH. For example if your compass card lists a -1.2 degree deviation at 270 degrees and your MH is 270 or close, enter -1.2 in this cell. An enhancement of this sheet might be to add a Mag. Dev. sheet and have the user enter the data from their particular compass card. The calculation could then just look it up and interpolate. Dist., Leg, Rem : Distance, leg, remaining. The total distance on the sheet goes in the first blank box below "Rem". For each segment (leg) you enter the segment distance and this is subtracted from the total distance and the remaining distance is displayed. You last displayed remaining distance value should be 0 (zero). If not, you have some inconsistency. GS, Est., Act. : Ground Speed, Estimated, Actual. The actual value is calculated from your "ATE". Your ground speed estimate is calculated from the course and wind data. Total Fuel : Total USABLE fuel. Remember there is always some small amount of fuel that can not be picked up out of your tank(s). This quantity of fuel is listed in your POH. My plane has 2 25 gallon fuel tanks and each is listed as have 1 gallon unusable. Hence my Total Fuel is 50 - 2 = 48. From "Total Fuel", "GPH", and "ETE", your fuel usage is estimated. Time Off : This is the time you took off. Enter the value BEFORE you start your takeoff roll. GPH : Gallons Per Hour. This value is taken from the GPH field on the "W&B" sheet. When you set this value on the "W&B" sheet be conservative. If you are a gallon per hour over actual usage, then you have given yourself a margin for error. Unbelievably, too many pilots crash from fuel exhaustion and it gives the rest of us a bad name. ETE : Estimated Time Enroute. This is calculated from your segment distance and your estimated ground speed. The first segment takes into account your takeoff climb. ATE : Actual Time Enroute. Use your stopwatch and enter the value here. From this value your actual ground speed is calculated. ETA, ATA : Estimated Time of Arrival, Actual Time of Arrival. You supply both values. Fuel, Rem : The upper cell in the segment is the estimated fuel usage and the lower cell is your remaining fuel. When you have multiple navigation logs you will take the last value for remaining fuel and enter it in the next sheet's "Total Fuel" cell. Or you can link the next sheet's "Total Fuel" cell with the last remaining fuel value. The final columns are places for you to keep information about your Departure and Destination airports. You should use a separate sheet for each takeoff and landing cycle. Remember the first segment on a sheet ASSUMES a takeoff and climb to altitude. Place the Airport codes in the row below the label "Airport Labels". This keeps them visible in the centerish of the sheet. See the example workbook. ATE : Actual Time Enroute