Introduction
Measure the distance between two points on the map
In this topic, you learn to measure distances between locations on the map, between different airports, and between aircraft and waypoints.
We estimate that this will take 6 minutes to complete.
Detailed explanation
Working with the measure tool
Occasionally in your flight-following activities, you want to measure the distance between two points. You can use the N-Tracking measure tool to measure the distance between:
- two airports
- an aircraft and a navigational point on the map (such as an airport icon from the Airports layer)
- two aircraft
- any two points you designate (by clicking) on the map.
In a first example, determine the distance between airports EGKK (Gatwick) in England and LFPV (Vélizy) in France.
Hover your mouse over the Palette button until the measure button displays.
Click the measure button.
A is considered as the starting point and B as the ending point for a distance that you want to measure. You can select a flight number, ICAO/IATA airport code, or any point on the map if you use the position button 
.
Click the (A) Flight, Airport or Coordinates input field.
HINT
If your map scale uses kilometers, the distance is also reported in kilometers.
Start by entering an ICAO/IATA airport code. N-Tracking filters all possible airport codes based on your typed input.
Enter egkk into the Flight, Airport or Coordinates field.
Click the EGKK/LGW list item.
The ICAO/IATA airport code changes to match the aerodrome reference point (ARP) of the airport that you chose.
Click the (B) Flight, Airport or Coordinates input field.
Enter lfp into the (B) Flight, Airport or Coordinates field.
Click the LFPV/VIY list item.
The distance between the two airports is 170 NM. You can also see the equivalent distance in kilometers by clicking the drop-down beside "NM".
Imagine that instead of planning for a landing at LFPV (Vélizy), you want to know the distance to airport LFPG (Paris, Charles de Gaulle) instead.
N-Tracking displays a straight line on the map between Gatwick and Vélizy airports.
Imagine a scenario where the aircraft, instead of landing at airport LFPV is diverted to LFPG instead. You can change the location of B away from the Vélizy airport to the Charles de Gaulle airport.
What is the changed distance?
Click the (B) position button.
HINT
You can measure the distance between any two points on the map by clicking the location on the map. For example, to measure the distance from EGKK and the southern coastline, click on the relevant location on the English coast as position B.
You can also enter a set of known coordinates in the Measure table: separate the degrees, minutes and seconds by spaces, and use a comma to separate the two directions; for example to manually enter the first coordinates, enter 51 08 53 N,0 11 25 W.
Regardless of how you enter the coordinates, only the DMS format is used for display.
Click the LFPG airport icon.
The distance changes by 2 NM.
Begin the next example with the measure tool closed again.
For this example, measure the distance between two flights (AFR37CD and AFR7709).
Click the measure button.
Click the (A) Flight, Airport or Coordinates input field.
Enter AFR37 into the Flight, Airport or Coordinates field.
Click the AFR37CD list item.
Click the (B) Flight, Airport or Coordinates input field.
Enter AFR77 into the (B) Flight, Airport or Coordinates field.
Click the AFR7709 list item.
Currently, the distance between the two aircraft is 210 NM.
HINT
When points A and B are two different flights, be aware that results in the Measure pane do not automatically update.
If you want to monitor this distance over the course of several minutes, or the course of the flights, you must refresh the changed locations of the aircraft (click the position button and then click the related aircraft icon again) to display the changed distance between them.
Click the measure button to disable the tool.
Click the measure button.
Next, use the measure tool to determine the flying distance between an aircraft and its original destination airport compared to an alternate destination.
For this example, begin with the flight selected in the Flight list. Measure the change in distance for flight WZZ1320, currently flying between Prishtina and Baden-Baden.
Click the measure button.
HINT
Type hint to help learners. (12pt)
Click the (A) position button.
HINT
If you have a known set of coordinates, you can also enter them directly into the appropriate position field, using DMS format. In this example, the entry for position field (B), shows how to enter the pair of coordinates (separated by a comma).
Click the WZZ1320 aircraft icon.
Field A displays the current coordinates of flight WZZ1320.
Click the (B) position button.
Click the EDSB airport icon.
The distance between the aircraft and the waypoint (and airport) is 174 NM.
If the aircraft needed to land at the LFSX airport instead, what would be the flying distance?
Click the B position button a second time to update its position.
Click the (B) position button.
Click the LFSX airport icon.
N-Tracking displays the coordinates for the new destination.
The revised flying distance is 208 NM.
SUCCESS
Congratulations! You have successfully measured distances on the map, measuring the distances between flights, between a position indicated by coordinates, and between airports.