If you need to gain 100 ft, what VSI rate is commonly used?

• A. 100 fpm
• B. 200 fpm
• C. 300 fpm
• D. 400 fpm

Answer: (B)

Vertical speed indicates how fast you’re changing altitude. When you need to gain a specific amount of height, you pick a rate that gets you there in a practical amount of time and with smooth control.

For a 100 ft change, using 200 fpm means you’d climb 200 feet in one minute, so in 0.5 minutes (30 seconds) you’ll gain about 100 ft. That middle-ground rate is commonly used because it’s fast enough to be efficient but gentle enough to avoid overshooting or abrupt control inputs.

If you chose 100 fpm, it would take about a minute to gain 100 ft—slower and sometimes impractical for precise steps. Higher rates like 300 or 400 fpm would reach 100 ft much quicker (roughly 20 seconds or less) but are more sensitive to attitude changes and airspeed, which can lead to a less controllable rise in a precise procedure.