How far will an aircraft travel in 2-1/2 minutes with a groundspeed of 98 knots?

• A. 4.08 NM
• B. 3.50 NM
• C. 5.00 NM
• D. 4.50 NM

Answer: (A)

Distance is found by multiplying the speed by the time. With a groundspeed of 98 knots, the aircraft covers 98 nautical miles in one hour. Convert 2.5 minutes to hours: 2.5/60 = 0.0416667 hours. Multiply 98 by 0.0416667 to get 4.0833 nautical miles, which rounds to 4.08 NM. So the distance traveled in 2.5 minutes is about 4.08 NM. A quick check: at roughly 100 knots, 2.5 minutes would be about 4.17 NM, so 98 knots yielding 4.08 NM fits.