Thank you everyone for what has been a most enlightening conversation. Yes I have learned and relearned a lot - and am happy to report that after careful consideration my broomstick works just fine now.
To strateandlevel: I will certainly re-read my notes on the Coriolis effect if you will spell it correctly
I am also willing to try anything new, except demonstrating via 90 kt taxi turns that turning error can be generated on the ground.
The straight up fact is that in the southern hemisphere, the needle will turn further than it should on south because of the CG vs pivot point and all that jazz - we know that - but it wants to parallel the gauss line as well. It won't ever get its best alignment due to limitations in the plane of rotation and the battle with gravity, as explained above, and yes, liquid swirl etc etc. I have gone back to my broomstick and after a bit of practice indeed saw that the needle movement, when on north, was indeed in the opposite direction. Thanks for that one strateandlevel
I am happy now, and must apologise for those that think this subject should not be taught like this because it is wasting students' money
or is too complicated
It's a fun exercise to teach, easy to practise on the ground calculating headings to turn to, so you can do it first time in the air, and above all it's in our syllabus (of course I could start a campaign to get it taken out... but that's definitely another story!)
[This message has been edited by deadhead (edited 03 February 2000).]