Navigation help needed please

[dazzystar 23]

Hi All,

 

I understand how to head towards a VOR but what I don't understand and could do with some guidance is how to locate and land the plane on an airfield as VOR's are rarely slap bang in the middle of a runway.

 

So for example if I navigate towards an airfield and have looked at the charts and want to land on runway 34 what do I need to do?

 

Many thanks

Daz

[FloG 148]

As you say you know how to fly to a VOR, you could at first try to land on an ILS manually. That, in case you don't know, is in a nutshell two radio beams (one for horizontal and one for vertical guidance) at the same frequency as VORs, but for only one specific radial. It will point you to the direction of the runway, and will show your horizontal deviation just as it would be shown if you used a VOR, and it will also give you your vertical deviation in a similar way.

 

As for the real VOR approach, I'd say it depends on the airport you're talking about, but as far as I understand it, any non-precision approach (and the VOR is such) will only lead you to a point at which it should usually be possible for the pilot to establish visual contact and land the plane visually. If you need further assistance with the procedures, it might be helpful to tell us what airport you're talking about in particular,, so someone could take a look at the charts and tell you how to execute the approach.

[dazzystar 23]

Thanks. If you're using the GPS to get you towards an airfield that has ILS should you switch the aircraft from GPS to NAV mode once identified on the localizer?

[FloG 148]

Yes, exactly. The NAV/GPS switch needs to be in the GPS position only to follow a flight plan, if you want to pick up and follow a radio signal of any kind (VOR, ILS, NDB) the switch needs to be on NAV.

[DaveCT2003 1,820]

I just want to say WELCOME to Flight Simulation!  It's an excellent hobby (despite what my better half says and thinks).

 

Feel free to ask any questions you have, lots of knowledgeable guys around to give you a hand.

 

 

Dave