MAP WORK AND TOUR PLANNING
TIME ZONES
Concepts: TIME ZONES, UTC,
GREENWICH, HEMISPHERES,
EQUATOR AND SEASONS, STANDARD
What you TIME, LOCAL TIME, INTERNATIONAL
DATE LINE (IDL), USE OF THE 24-HOUR
must know! CLOCK (00:00– 23:59), LATITUDE,
LONGITUDE, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
(DST), JET LAG AND JET FATIGUE
1. You must show ALL steps in your
calculations.
• You are given marks for the steps of
the calculation, not only the answer.
2. When doing time zone calculations,
use the 24-hour clock. You will not be
What you given marks if your answers are
must written in the wrong format.
• 13:00✓ NOT 13h00 X or 1 p.m. X or 1
remember! o’clock in the afternoon X
3. Follow the steps carefully.
• Write the steps out with each
calculation so that you make it easy for
the marker to do his/her work.
What to do! - 3 types of calculations
Normal time zone Calculation with Calculation with
calculation DST flying time
• Write out each of • First change the time • Write out each of
the steps in the zone of the place the steps in the
correct order as practicing DST – correct order as
you are dong the ONE time zone to you are doing the
calculation. the right. calculation.
• Then do the • THEN ADD or
calculation showing SUBTRACT the
the steps as for a number of flying
normal calculation. hours to/from your
answer.
• Find the places in the question on the
world time zone map in your question
paper. Determine the time zone of
each place. Refer to the grey and
white section at the top of the map.
Steps to • Remember that the world time zone
map is colour-coded for a reason. The
follow: white/grey areas on the top of the
Step 1 map match with the colour of the
country.
• The time zone is also given on the
countries on the time zone map.
• All places found in the same time
zone have the same time.
• Work out how many hours difference
there are between the TWO places
in the question.
• There are two ways of doing this:
➢ Follow the rule of the signs.
➢If the signs are the same, both
Steps to plus (+) or both minus
follow: (–), SUBTRACT the smaller time
difference from the larger time
Step 2 difference.
➢Eg: South Africa +2 and Sydney,
Australia +10
➢(10 – 2 = 8 hours difference in the
time between the two places)
➢If the signs are different, that is;
one sign is plus (+) and the other
sign is minus (–), ADD the time
differences together.
➢Eg: South Africa +2 and New York
-5
Steps to ➢(5 + 2 = 7 hours difference in the
follow: time between the two places)
Step 2 OR…
➢FOLLOW THE JUMP JUMP
PRINCIPLE…
• From the known time to the unknown
time ….
• Is the direction east (add the number
of hours time difference to the time
given) or west (subtract the number
of hours time difference from the
Steps to time given)?
follow: • THEN …
Step 3 • Add or subtract the number of hours.
• Give the answer using the 24-hour
clock. Remember to include the date
if you are told to do so.
TIME ZONES
N
IDL
W E
S
MOVE TO THE LEFT (WEST) - MINUS MOVE TO THE RIGHT (EAST) - PLUS
Example – Question paper
Answer - Marking guideline
• First change the time zone of the
place practicing DST – ONE time
zone to the right hand side.
• If New York (-5) is used in the
calculation, the time zone should be
Calculation adjusted by adding ONE hour to the
with DST time zone (move it ONE time zone
the RIGHT), taking New York to -4.
• Then do the calculation showing the
steps as normal.
• Write as follows in your answer:
➢New York -5 (+1 hour DST ✓) -4 ✓
Example – Question paper
Answer - Marking guideline
• Do each of the steps in the correct
order as you are doing the
calculation.
• THEN ADD or SUBTRACT the
number of flying hours from your
Calculation answer.
• If you have to work out the ARRIVAL
with flying time then ADD the flying time to your
time answer.
• If you have to work out the
DEPARTURE time then SUBTRACT
the flying time to your answer.
Example – Question paper
Answer - Marking guideline
