Question

Approaching desired altitude, when should the pitch change to level off?

1) Before reaching the desired altitude
2) After reaching the desired altitude
3) At the same time as reaching the desired altitude
4) Cannot be determined

Answer 1

The pitch should change before reaching the desired altitude to level off smoothly and account for aircraft inertia. The sound's pitch perceived by a listener correlates with the aircraft's speed due to the Doppler effect.

Step-by-step explanation:

When approaching the desired altitude, the pitch should begin to change before reaching the desired altitude. This anticipates the lag in aircraft response due to inertia and allows the plane to level off smoothly at the target altitude without overshooting it. Adjusting the pitch too late could result in climbing past the desired altitude, requiring a corrective descent.

Similarly, the frequency of sound as perceived by an observer (the baggage handler in this case) would be higher pitched when the plane approaches due to the Doppler effect and would decrease in pitch as the plane slows to a stop and the sound waves are no longer as compressed.