SKVECTOR and navigation

[jscott5150 0]

I am starting at the bottom, and trying to navigate based on time and looking out the window. I have gotten better at take offs , slower climbing and turning. Still having trouble keeping the plane flying at a level plain. Use the trim when it creeps up or down which it always seems to do ( Piper Archer 3).

 

LAst night I went onto Skyvector and used CYOW as home airport and then CYCC as Cornwall as I have driven there a ton over the last few years with kids hockey. It gave me a course of 119 degrees (but in bracket 106t) for 27minutes does this mean if I am looking at the compass I should be using 106 as a true direction. I used 119 and could not find the airport , the ground area doesn't really look like what it should ans the St.Lawrence looks small. Is there a better compass that what just sits on the top of the dash.

 

I would also like to try CYOW to CYFJ ( tremblant) and again 42 degrees or ( 29T) for 42 minutes or so.

 

I can't seem to find a pay scenery for Ottawa.

 

Still haven't made a real successful landing

[strider1 575]

You want use the magnetic course or magnetic heading, which is a magnetic course corrected for wind.

[jscott5150 0]

Is that the 119 or the 106T

[strider1 575]

Is that the 119 or the 106T

Its a magnetic course of 119. If there is any wind you are going to be blown of course, so you have to correct for the wind.

 

If you want to acquire the theory to fly an airplane? I highly recommend you buy and read Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook !

 

In a nutshell these are the steps:

 

Step 1- Draw a line between airports.

 

Step 2- Determine the true course(the angle your flight path makes with the true north pole). You need a plotter and a sectional map to do this by hand.

 

Step 3-Determine the wind correction angle. You will need a E6-B(type of computer to determine the wind's effect)

 

Step 4-Determine your true heading(course corrected for wind)

 

Step 5-Determine your magnetic heading(corrected for the angular variation between the true north pole and magnetic north pole). You need to look for the nearest isogonic line on a sectional and subtract or add the variation.

 

If you do a google search on "cross country navigation", I'm sure you can find some videos that explain it. But you should really pick up a book and start reading !

[LHookins 3,103]

Welcome to the wonderful world of dead reckoning.  Please enjoy your stay.

 

Don't make things any harder for yourself when first starting out than they need to be.  Use Skyvector to plot the course between your departure and destination and it will give you the correct magnetic course to fly.  Ignore the True course for now, and all the corrections you'd be making with a real chart in the real world.  Note that the previous post does not address using the compass card correction, needed because magnetic compasses do not point in exactly the right direction throughout the entire 360 degree travel. 

 

So you've got your magnetic course to fly, and a time.  There is likely to be wind, but you won't always know exactly how much or from where, so it may be easier to estimate drift by eye and apply a bit of course correction by guesstimate.  For example, you won't be able to hold 119 that easily, so use 120 for your course.  Watch out the window and see which direction the aircraft is drifting.  It may be easier to look off the the sides in some aircraft, probably not the one you're flying though.  If you're drifting to the right, fly 115 degrees.  If drifting to the right noticeably, use 110 or 105.  If drifting to the left, use 125, 130 or 135 degrees.  Note that in turbulence or gusting winds, you'll have to guess at the compass reading anyway, so get used to it not being exact.

 

If you've got some landmarks along the path, like additional airports, lakes, rivers, whatever, plot shorter legs using these intermediate landmarks.  You'll have less chance of going off-course that way.  Also, if you arrive at your waypoint sooner than you expect, then you have a tailwind;  reduce subsequent times appropriately.  If you arrive later, you're flying into a headwind;  increase subsequent times.  I prefer to fly about 15 minute legs.  Headwinds and tailwinds will make these 13 to 17 minutes.  You should use large obvious landmarks that you can see from a distance and that are more likely to be included in the flight sim terrain.

 

Expect to get lost once in a while.  It may help to climb a bit to get a better look around.  Oh... and good luck!

 

Hook

[ryanbatc 12,836]

Totally agree with Hook - just fly the heading you see on skyvector - make corrections as needed.

 

If IFR you'll be on an airway, VOR to VOR, or GPS direct.