Cruise Profile

The Cruise Profile strategy is a vertical plane strategy that uses the climb and descent profile computed by the aircraft's current performance models.

Field Description
Reference Frame Select Earth Frame to force the aircraft to overcome wind effects and perform the maneuver with strict respect to a fixed Earth frame, or Wind Frame to allow the maneuver to be perturbed by wind effects without attempting to overcome them.
Stop after level off Select this check box to stop the maneuver as soon as the aircraft achieves its goal altitude and levels off, regardless of whether any of the basic stopping conditions have been satisfied yet.

Altitude

Field Description
Use Aircraft Default Cruise Altitude

Select this check box to define the altitude of the procedure using the default cruise altitude specified in the currently selected cruise performance model.

Level off Select this check box to require the aircraft to level off at the specified altitude. A maneuver is used to bring the aircraft to the altitude specified for a procedure if it is unable to attain that altitude during the course of the procedure. If this option is not selected, the aircraft will simply achieve the highest or lowest - if climbing or descending, respectively - altitude possible while performing the procedure.
Requested MSL Altitude If Use Aircraft Default Cruise Altitude is not selected, define the desired MSL altitude for the maneuver. The altitude is constrained by the lowest ceiling value of the active performance models in the current mission phase.

Cruise Airspeed

Field Description
Airspeed Type

Select the method for determining the airspeed from the following options:

  • Minimum Airspeed - constant airspeed at the minimum cruising airspeed for the aircraft.
  • Max Endurance Airspeed - variable airspeed that maximizes the length of time that the aircraft can remain in flight.
  • Max Range Airspeed - variable airspeed that maximizes the distance that the aircraft can fly.
  • Max Performance Airspeed - a custom performance airspeed and fuel flow that you can use to model specific flight conditions.
  • Maximum Airspeed - constant airspeed at the maximum cruising airspeed for the aircraft.
  • Other Airspeed - constant, manually defined airspeed.

With the exception of Other Airspeed, the actual airspeed will be defined by the currently selected cruise performance model, or possibly by the currently selected climb or descent performance model if the aircraft is climbing or descending.
Airspeed Displays the airspeed. If the airspeed type is Other Airspeed, enter the desired airspeed value; otherwise, the calculated value will be displayed and cannot be edited. Select a reference from the drop-down menu - true airspeed (TAS True Airspeed: the speed that the aircraft is moving relative to the airmass that it is flying in.), calibrated airspeed (CAS Calibrated Airspeed: the speed reported by the airspeed indicator, corrected for position and instrument error.), equivalent airspeed (EAS Equivalent Airspeed: the airspeed at sea level (International Standard Atmosphere) at which the dynamic pressure is equal to the dynamic pressure at the aircraft's current true airspeed and altitude.), or Mach The ratio of the aircraft's speed and the speed of sound at the aircraft's altitude, with local atmospheric conditions. number.