The 3:1 descent ratio is used to plan and execute which type of descent path?

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Multiple Choice

The 3:1 descent ratio is used to plan and execute which type of descent path?

The situation tests how a descent path is planned when using idle thrust. The 3:1 descent ratio describes how much altitude you plan to lose relative to the distance you travel horizontally, typically about 1,000 feet of descent for every 3 nautical miles of travel. This yields a gentle glide path—roughly a 3-degree descent—while the engines stay at idle and you manage pitch to control airspeed. It’s a planning method used to shape an open-descent path efficiently without actively pulling more thrust. The other types involve different control philosophies: a constant-rate descent fixes vertical speed (fpm) rather than distance-based planning; manual descent relies on pilot inputs without a defined ratio; and approach descent refers to a specific segment during the arrival, not the broader idle-descent planning technique.

The situation tests how a descent path is planned when using idle thrust. The 3:1 descent ratio describes how much altitude you plan to lose relative to the distance you travel horizontally, typically about 1,000 feet of descent for every 3 nautical miles of travel. This yields a gentle glide path—roughly a 3-degree descent—while the engines stay at idle and you manage pitch to control airspeed. It’s a planning method used to shape an open-descent path efficiently without actively pulling more thrust. The other types involve different control philosophies: a constant-rate descent fixes vertical speed (fpm) rather than distance-based planning; manual descent relies on pilot inputs without a defined ratio; and approach descent refers to a specific segment during the arrival, not the broader idle-descent planning technique.

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