Using a best glide ratio of 30:1, how many nautical miles would be traveled to lose approximately 200 feet?

• A. 0.5 NM
• B. 1 NM
• C. 2 NM
• D. 3 NM

Answer: (B)

A best glide ratio of 30:1 means you travel 30 units horizontally for every 1 unit of altitude lost. To lose about 200 feet, the horizontal distance is 200 × 30 = 6,000 feet. Converting to nautical miles (1 NM ≈ 6,076 feet) gives 6,000 ÷ 6,076 ≈ 0.99 NM, essentially 1 NM. So you’d cover about 1 nautical mile while losing 200 feet. For reference, 0.5 NM would correspond to roughly 100 ft lost, 2 NM to about 400 ft, and 3 NM to about 600 ft.