Question

An observer (0) spots a plane flying a 35° angle to his horizontal line of the sight. If the plane is flying at an altitude of 17,000 ft, what is the distance (x) from the plane (P) to the observer (O)?

Answer 1

Refer to the diagram shown below.

By definition,
sin(35°) = 17000/x
Therefore
x = 17000/sin(35°) = 29,638.6 ft

Answer: 29,638.6 ft