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Instrument Flying

Featured Replies

I'm trying to learn how to fly IFR without using GPS etc.

Here's two YouTube tutorials I'm following. Two questions

1. If you goto https://skyvector.com/ and look around New Zealand.  I can't find many "V" airways. What's the difference between Q, H, W, Y and V.. I've also found A, B and L... some are blue, others black?

2. Can someone attempt to explain what you're trying to achieve with the VOR radial display?

I understand a VOR sends a signal which is decoded and tells the airport which direction the VOR is in relation to the aircraft and that the needs moves. 

a) Why do you rotate the VOR display? what are you moving it towards? is it the direction you want to travel towards or should be following?

b) I know the needle moves to the center and when you turn the aircraft you can keep it in the middle? - how do you know which way to fly?

c) the second display and using that to intercept ... that totally lost me.

This might be super simple. I've never done this before but am keen to learn. I don't learn very well by this is how you do it watch and see. I need to ask question and understand why I'm doing something.

If you know of any good reference material online or videos please let me know.

 

 

 

29 minutes ago, NZAA said:

1. If you goto https://skyvector.com/ and look around New Zealand.  I can't find many "V" airways. What's the difference between Q, H, W, Y and V.. I've also found A, B and L... some are blue, others black?

V are low altitude VOR airways

Q are high altitude RNAV

VOR are usually black and RNAV are usually Blue

 

You rotate the needle until the middle section centers, then you turn to that heading.  So if it centers when at 90 degrees, then you turn to 90 degrees, and adjust as required to keep the needle centered.

 

 

1 hour ago, NZAA said:

Can someone attempt to explain what you're trying to achieve with the VOR radial display?

Since Youtube videos are apparently not your favorite learning method, I suggest you take a look at some of the many websites that explain how to use a VOR for navigation. I've listed a few below, and there are many others. VOR navigation is not particularly difficult, but there certainly is a learning curve. VOR navigation is fundamental to IFR flying and well worth learning even today.  I think the websites below will help to give you a basic understanding and perspective on VOR navigation.

Al

https://www.wikihow.com/Navigate-Using-a-VOR

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2000/december/flight-training-magazine/the-abcs-of-vors

http://krepelka.com/fsweb/lessons/private/privatelessons03.htm

http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/vor-nav.htm

https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/navigation/how-a-vor-works/

http://luizmonteiro.com/Learning_VOR_Sim.aspx    (A VOR simulator)

 

 

Edited by ark

I'm from the old school, but, I taught Instrument ground school for many years.  I recommended you buy a couple introductory books on instrument flying.  This will give you the big picture then you can dig into to the details that are not crystal clear over time. 

If you have a tablet or iPad, you can get some of these books on Kindle or download some specific training courses.  

YouTube would be my last recommended source. But, that is just me.

Good Luck,

Ray

When Pigs Fly . Ray Marshall .

Gleim or King books/DVD's will help you. Also IFR without GPS is insanity 🙂

SAR Pilot. Flight Sim'ing since the beginning.

24 minutes ago, Flyfaster said:

Also IFR without GPS is insanity

actually known as "legacy" ......... and if your GPS routing is via a VOR (navaid), you are required to use the navaid as the primary reverence !

for now, cheers

john martin

Unfortunately Microsoft chose not to include any documentation with the new sim.  I did make a wishlist item that people can upvote on the MSFS official forum related to this.  It's slowly accumulating votes.

There is a copy of the FSX Learning Center documentation that someone posted online, the VOR page there is a pretty succinct explanation - https://krepelka.com/fsweb/learningcenter/navigation/usingvorandadf.htm

AMD 3950X | 64GB RAM | AMD 5700XT | CH Fighterstick / Pro Throttle / Pro Pedals

  • Author
3 hours ago, ark said:

Since Youtube videos are apparently not your favorite learning method, I suggest you take a look at some of the many websites that explain how to use a VOR for navigation. I've listed a few below, and there are many others. VOR navigation is not particularly difficult, but there certainly is a learning curve. VOR navigation is fundamental to IFR flying and well worth learning even today.  I think the websites below will help to give you a basic understanding and perspective on VOR navigation.

Al

https://www.wikihow.com/Navigate-Using-a-VOR

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2000/december/flight-training-magazine/the-abcs-of-vors

http://krepelka.com/fsweb/lessons/private/privatelessons03.htm

http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/vor-nav.htm

https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/navigation/how-a-vor-works/

http://luizmonteiro.com/Learning_VOR_Sim.aspx    (A VOR simulator)

 

 

 

On this link; https://www.wikihow.com/Navigate-Using-a-VOR

Is it me or is step 2 image wrong?

Edited by NZAA

12 hours ago, NZAA said:

On this link; https://www.wikihow.com/Navigate-Using-a-VOR

Is it me or is step 2 image wrong?

You are correct, the image is wrong.

A couple of points that you may find helpful:

1. The display on the VOR head ( CDI needle and To/From flag) is independent of the aircraft's current HEADING. The VOR display only provides information about the aircraft's POSITION relative to the VORs location. Rotating the a/c about a vertical axis will not change the VOR display.

2. Radials are directions that radiate OUT (away) from the VOR. So, for example, to fly OUTbound from the VOR on the 30 deg radial, you would set 30 degs on the OBS selector of the VOR. But, to fly INbound towards the VOR on the 30 deg radial, you need to select 210 degs (the reciprocal of 30 degs) on the OBS selector.

3. Recommend you experiment using the VOR simulator at

http://luizmonteiro.com/Learning_VOR_Sim.aspx   

4. Although you do not care for Youtube videos, I have found the instructional videos by Gian Luca Noia to be quite useful. For example,  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vOl0cy8G3Y&t=5s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WHI9aLFAcw

Al

Edited by ark

14 hours ago, vadriver said:

actually known as "legacy" ......... and if your GPS routing is via a VOR (navaid), you are required to use the navaid as the primary reverence !

What is a VOR ?! 🙂

SAR Pilot. Flight Sim'ing since the beginning.

1 hour ago, Flyfaster said:

What is a VOR ?! 🙂

Ah, I think it's that electronic gizmo you have to know how to use to get your instrument rating, at least for a while yet.  😉

The FAA does have a program for reducing the number of VORs in the US. At one point there were approximately 1000 active VORs in the US. That number is planned to be down to about 600 by year 2030. My understanding is the idea is to have a sufficient number of VORs to serve as a fully functional backup system to GPS navigation. I would not want to have my GPS fail while in IMC and not have a backup Nav system for both enroute navigation and instrument approaches (VOR or LOC/ILS).

Al

Edited by ark

15 hours ago, Flyfaster said:

Gleim or King books/DVD's will help you. Also IFR without GPS is insanity 🙂

So it appears that all of us who learned to fly in the last century are insane.  There was a good life before GPS, following VOR radials or radio ranges, keeping time from check points, estimating drift and the other techniques required for dead reckoning.  I still us my trusty E6-B.

 

Jim Driskell 

Boeing777_Banner_Pilot.jpg

James M Driskell, Maj USMC (Ret)

 

 

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