The Flight Path Angle (FPA) is the angle between an aircraft’s velocity vector and the horizontal plane. It represents the trajectory of the aircraft in three-dimensional space. Positive Flight path angle indicates a climb, negative FPA denotes a descent, and zero Flight path angle corresponds to level flight. FPA is a crucial parameter for understanding an aircraft’s vertical movement during flight. The formula to calculate flight path angle is as follows:
Where:
- D is the drag force in N,
- W is the Weight in N.
- γ is the flight path angle is in radian.