Sources & Methods
PilotDesk uses standard math and public aviation references to explain and implement its tools. Aircraft-specific limitations and performance always come from the current approved data applicable to the particular aircraft, including the POH/AFM, supplements, placards, weight-and-balance records and operator procedures.
Reference review: September 2026. FAA publications can be revised between PilotDesk updates; follow the linked FAA pages for the current edition and addenda.
Primary FAA references
| Reference | Used for |
|---|---|
| Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, FAA-H-8083-25C ↗ | Aerodynamics, flight instruments, performance, weather, navigation, weight and balance, and foundational pilot knowledge. Check the FAA page for current addenda. |
| Airplane Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-3C ↗ | Maneuvers, takeoffs, landings, ground-reference maneuvers, stalls and operational training context. Check the FAA page for current addenda. |
| Weight & Balance Handbook, FAA-H-8083-1B ↗ | Weight, arm, moment, CG, standard weights and weight-and-balance procedures. The FAA handbook list carries the current handbook and addendum. |
| Aviation Weather Handbook, FAA-H-8083-28B ↗ | Current FAA aviation-weather knowledge and weather-service context. |
| Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) ↗ | Current U.S. basic flight information and ATC procedures. PilotDesk does not substitute for the current AIM. |
| Aviation Weather Center Data API ↗ | Current METAR, TAF and station/airport information requested by the Weather tool. |
| FAA Aeronautical Data and Products ↗ | Airport, chart and aeronautical-data context. |
| FAA NOTAM Search ↗ | Official current NOTAM lookup. PilotDesk links to the source rather than attempting to reproduce the NOTAM system. |
| Current aircraft POH/AFM, supplements, placards and aircraft records | Aircraft-specific speeds, limitations, approved performance, configuration, station arms, CG envelopes, procedures and current empty-weight data. |
Calculator methods
| Tool family | Method and boundary |
|---|---|
| Wind components | Trigonometric resolution of wind relative to runway heading. It does not decide whether the wind is within a pilot, operator or aircraft limit. |
| Wind triangle | Vector solution for heading, groundspeed and wind-correction angle. Mathematically impossible steady-state solutions are rejected. |
| Pressure altitude | Common pilot approximation using field elevation and the difference between the entered altimeter setting and 29.92 inHg. |
| Density altitude | Dry-air ISA atmosphere model using pressure altitude and temperature. It is not a takeoff, climb or landing performance calculation. |
| Estimated convective cloud base | Temperature/dew-point convergence rule of thumb. It estimates a convective cloud base AGL and is not a ceiling forecast or substitute for weather observations/forecasts. |
| Turns and load factor | Coordinated level-turn geometry and load-factor relationships. Air-relative turn math does not account for wind-driven ground-track displacement. |
| Accelerated stall | Reference 1-G stall speed scaled by the square root of load factor, subject to the entered assumptions. |
| Pivotal altitude | Common knots/feet training approximation: groundspeed² ÷ 11.3. Pivotal altitude changes with groundspeed. |
| Dynamic hydroplaning | FAA Airplane Flying Handbook estimate: 8.6 × √main-tire pressure in PSI, with the result in knots. The rounded 9× shortcut is different. Neither gives a safe runway speed, stopping distance, or recovery speed. |
| Maneuvering-speed adjustment | Square-root weight relationship used as a training/planning relationship. Published aircraft data controls; manufacturers may provide specific values or limitations. |
| Weight & balance | Moment = weight × arm; CG = total moment ÷ total weight. PilotDesk judges an envelope only when the user explicitly enters boundary data, and then says only whether the point is inside that entered boundary. |
| Fuel weight helper | The FAA Weight & Balance Handbook lists standard weights that vary with temperature, including approximately 6.01 lb/US gal for Avgas and 6.68 lb/US gal for Jet A/A-1 at 59°F. Actual or approved values should be used when available. |
| 3° descent / climb gradients | Geometric flight-path relationships plus separately labeled pilot rules of thumb where displayed. |
| Approximate TAS | The 2-percent-per-thousand-feet relationship is a training shortcut only, not a precision true-airspeed solution. |
Live weather boundary
Weather requests use a same-origin PilotDesk endpoint that retrieves Aviation Weather Center data. Raw METAR and TAF text is presented when available. Weather responses bypass the PilotDesk offline cache. When disconnected, the Weather page should clearly identify that current weather cannot be retrieved.
Airport/runway wind-component helpers use available airport metadata and the current reported wind. Any displayed runway heading or airport metadata should be checked against current published airport information before operational use.
Corrections
If a formula, reference, explanation or result appears wrong or outdated, report it. Safety-related corrections take priority. Automated tests protect known calculator relationships, but testing cannot make generic software a substitute for current approved aircraft-specific information or pilot judgment.
Government and third-party sources control their own content, availability and revision cycles. Linking to a source does not imply that the source endorses PilotDesk.