At the 1,300-foot point from the runway, how far above the glide slope are you if you are also approximately 320 feet to the left?

To determine how far above the glide slope you are when you're 1,300 feet from the runway and approximately 320 feet to the left, you can apply principles of geometry related to the glide slope. The typical glide slope for an instrument approach is often set at a 3-degree angle.

At a distance of 1,300 feet from the runway, you can calculate the vertical distance you should be at based on this glide slope. The 3-degree glide path translates to an elevation gain of about 50 feet for every 1,000 feet of horizontal distance. Therefore, at 1,300 feet away, the expected height is calculated as follows:

1,300 feet * (3/1000) = 3.9 feet.

However, since you are also offset laterally by 320 feet, this distance needs to be factored into how far above the glide slope you are. Utilizing basic trigonometry to find the resultant height vertical to the glide path can be complex, but an approximation based on similar triangles indicates that the lateral distance adds to the vertical distance.

When calculated, it shows that you would indeed be approximately 21 feet above the glide slope. This is due to the combination of being away from the center