Hi guys, it's me again, as you can see by the thread title, once more I'm a little stuck.

 

I've been watching a few youtube videos in which people are navigating from airport to airport using only VOR navigation, there doesn't appear to be a tutorial for this within MS Flight, unless I'm yet to do a mission that involves it. So I was just hoping that some kind sole could show me the basics? As I'm sick of missing my approach to some of the runways etc... And my eyesight is not the best.

 

Thanks in advance !

Here's a previous thread on learning to use VOR: http://forum.avsim.n...-big-vor-topic/

 

Much of this information has also been posted to the AVSIM Tutorials section, but there's a lot of commentary in the original thread.

 

There aren't any VOR-based missions in Flight yet, but there have been some daily aerocaches that gave VOR bearings to help find them.

hey I just posted a simple step by step VOR tutorial....I tried to make it as easy as possible to understand for beginners. www.msflights.net/ and click the tutorials tab.

PMonkey... I am available now (i think) and anyone else that might want to join.

 

If you can setup using AVSIM Teamspeak... that would be good for voice chat.

 

My one problem is... my 2nd comp... my stalwart & steadfast computing device (6 yrs and no problems) has just started a exhibiting a problem... it just turns off like one unplugged it. Happened just a couple times but the last time it was shut down for a thunderstorm (2 weeks ago) it absolutely refused to start up... sometimes shutting down before POST... sometimes after POST... Bizarre behaviour.

 

Thing is my teamspeak and such is on there... so as long as it works... I am ok... and working now for the last 15min or so... weird.

 

Let me know.

 

-Rob

hey I just posted a simple step by step VOR tutorial....I tried to make it as easy as possible to understand for beginners. www.msflights.net/ and click the tutorials tab.

 

Nice tutorial! However, the information about TO/FROM isn't exactly right or a bit too simple (if you don't mind me saying so ). The thing is: you can easily fly towards a VOR station with FROM activated and the other way around, so... they way you describe it can make people get lost!

 

TO/FROM says nothing at all about where the VOR station is (although of course you can use the TO/FROM indicator to find that out!) but it only says where you are in regard to the selected radial.

 

Select a radial with the OBS knob and when you are within 90 degrees left or right from that radial (so on the half of the 'VOR-circle' where that radial is), you will see FROM (no matter where you are heading!). When you are on the other half of the 'VOR-circle' (so more then 90 degrees from the set radial) you will see TO (also no matter where you are heading).

 

TO and FROM will switch when you pass the (virtual) line that is perpendicular to the set radial (called 'the line of ambiguity').

 

Anyway, the way you described it can make people think that when FROM is activated, simply turning the plane 180 degrees will make it switch to TO instantyl, which never will be the case.

thanks J van E, ill have to update it.....So if you are actually flying on the radial your OBS is set to will the TO/FROM always be accurate?

So if you are actually flying on the radial your OBS is set to will the TO/FROM always be accurate?

 

As long as the needle is centered... you will get a TO or FROM flag (assuming not INOP and not in the so called "cone of confusion" i.e. roughly over the top of the station).

 

Just remember the VOR has no idea of your heading... you care if heading is ± 90° what is set with the OBS so you will get "normal sensing".

 

Edit: this is one technique "we" teach student pilots - if lost... center the needle with a "TO" indication (this assumes proper i.d.ing of the station). Turn to roughly that heading. I say "roughly" because if you know where the wind is from (and you ALWAYS should know) your heading will be such as to compensate for drift. Then when the flag "flips" from TO to FROM you know you are crossing over the station and having a current sectional, will know precisely where you are on the map.

 

Edit deux: Remember also... "Radials" technically extend outward from the station... so to know the Radial, you want a FROM indication. Bearing TO... Radial FROM (and please hush you NAV hotties about Bearing FROM :Tounge: ).

 

That answers your question Kaloyanic?

 

-Rob

ahh it's all Chinese to me, think I'll just stick to my own methods, thanks anyway for the help guys, much appreciated.

thanks J van E, ill have to update it.....So if you are actually flying on the radial your OBS is set to will the TO/FROM always be accurate?

 

If you are actually flying ON the selected radial, you will always see FROM. It's impossible to see TO when you fly ON the selected radial, even when you are actually flying towards the station!

 

You ask if it is accurate: the mistake you make (I think) is that you still think the TO FROM indicator is about the VOR station: it's not. It's about the radials.

 

I think a lot of people are confused by VOR (I know I was! ) mainly because they think the TO FROM indicator always points towards or is about the VOR station. It doesn't and it's not. TO FROM shows where you are in relation to the selected radial of that VOR. Once you get that, you are on your way to really understanding VOR.

 

This point is proven by simply turning the OBS knob while you are stationary on the ground (and of course have contact with a VOR station): turning the OBS knob will make TO go to FROM and back again! So clearly TO FROM has nothing to do with your position in regards to the VOR station itself because obviously that position hasn't changed. The only thing that changes when you turn the OBS knob is the radial! Obviously even if you don't move your position in regard to the 270 radial is different then your position in regard to the 180 radial and hence the change of the TO FROM indicator. (I hope this doesn't only make it more complicated, haha!)

 

- If you want to fly towards a VOR, you will have to turn the OBS knob until the needle is centered and TO is activated. The number you will see will ALWAYS be the reciprocal of the radial you are currently on (or in other words: the opposite radial). Fly that bearing and you will fly straight to the VOR (in a situation without wind). As soon as you pass the VOR you will be ON the set radial and TO will switch to FROM.

 

- To find out where you are exactly, you will have to turn the OBS knob until the needle is centered and FROM is activated. The number you see will ALWAYS be the radial you are currently on. If you would fly that heading you would be moving away from the VOR station on that radial.

 

Using the reciprocal to fly towards a VOR is done in order to be able to use the CDI as a commanding instrument (needle left, turn a bit left, needle right, turn a bit right). It's common practice to match your heading with the number you set using the OBS. If you wouldn't do that you would get reverse sensing: needle left, turn a bit right, needle right, turn a bit left, which can become confusing.

If you fly a heading that's within 90 degrees left or right from a set radial, you can follow the CDI as a commanding instrument. If you fly a heading that's more then 90 degrees from the set radial, you will get reverse sensing.

 

LOL I wanted to give a short answer but ended up (after editing it 10 times) with an almost complete tutorial.

LOL I wanted to give a short answer but ended up (after editing it 10 times) with an almost complete tutorial.

 

Yeah, it's really not an easy system to explain, but it is incredibly simple to use once you do wrap your head around it.

 

If anyone is confused by long explanations of the VORs when trying to learn to use them, don't beat your head against the wall. Try just flying around, as you have been. Play with them in the air. As you move the plane around, watch the indications, paying attention to where you are in relation to the VOR ground station. Eventually, you'll suddenly get it and smack yourself on the forehead for not seeing it sooner.

 

It's not as complicated as it looks, it's just non-intuitive.

All the TO/FROM flag indicates is whether flying the heading selected by the OBS will take you to TO or FROM the VOR.

they think the TO FROM indicator always points towards or is about the VOR station. It doesn't and it's not. TO FROM shows where you are in relation to the selected radial of that VOR.

 

That was me! Thanks again, Jeroen! This just cleared a lot up for me. Again.

thanks guys that makes sense. So the TO/FROM indicator tells you which way the radial is, not the station.

 

If you are actually flying ON the selected radial, you will always see FROM. It's impossible to see TO when you fly ON the selected radial, even when you are actually flying towards the station!

 

I see where I was confused...the radials extend from the station and not through it (hence the name radial)....so say I have my OBS set to 200 and I am flying TO a station...I'm not actually on the 200 radial, I'm on the 20 radial.

thanks!

thanks guys that makes sense. So the TO/FROM indicator tells you which way the radial is, not the station.

 

 

 

I see where I was confused...the radials extend from the station and not through it (hence the name radial)....so say I have my OBS set to 200 and I am flying TO a station...I'm not actually on the 200 radial, I'm on the 20 radial.

thanks!

 

No, until you get to the transmitter you are on the 200 radial, flying a course of 020. Flying a "To" will be a heading 180 degrees from the radial that you are on. Once you get to the transmitter and maintain your flight, you will start to fly on the 020 radial "From" the trasmitter on a heading of 020.

 

When Fromming, the course is the same as the radial. When Toing, the course is 180 deg from the radial.

Thanks to roboray for the help with VOR. I read the tutorials when I had trouble with VOR navigation a few weeks ago. I did smack myself in the head when I figured it all out. I try to use VOR when I do some jobs just for fun and to not forget it.