Gliding range

The gliding range of an aircraft is the range it can fly in the event of a total loss of engine power.

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Most powered fixed-wing aircraft can glide fairly well, with a glide ratio of 10:1 or even better. In additon, all aircraft have a "best glide" airspeed which corresponds to the minimum of the drag curve of the aircraft, though in fact best range usually corresponds to the slightly higher airspeed which is the tangent point of the drag curve to a line drawn from the origin.

Related Topics:
Glide ratio - Drag curve - Tangent

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If carrying out an emergency landing, the gliding range sets the absolute maximum on the distance away that a possible emergency landing site may be. In practice, however, it is much easier and safer to choose a much closer site. For example, if the aircraft is at 2000ft and has a 10:1 glide ratio, the absolute maximum glide range is 20,000ft or just over 3.5 miles. This distance is the distance travelled through the air - the actual ground distance may be more or less depending on whether the aircraft is flying into the wind or not.

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