ADF Frustrations

[Centaurus]

I am having real trouble in trying to teach one particular student how to fly ADF approaches. No matter how much I try to get the picture across, she seems to lose the plot and cannot fathom out what is the current position of the aircraft and what heading is needed to regain track.We have spent much time on the PC flight simulator and I feel real sorry for her. She can expound the theory but somehow is as yet, unable to put that theory into practice. I seem to have no real trouble with other students.

First of all, can anyone suggest a website that teaches how to do ADF approaches?

Secondly (and believe it or not I am serious) I have read in Readers Digest and other articles,that some females may have a problem with spacial orientation because their temporal lobe is different to the orientation make-up of a male brain. Examples that I have read of this includes difficulty with map reading. Could this explain why a highly intelligent female pilot such as my student continually runs into trouble with interpreting ADF tracking?

Having now stuck my neck out, her problem could be that I am a lousy instructor!

[GT]

Of course, the student must have a mental 3D picture of the approach, and her position in it, created in her mind. However, in terms of initially intercepting, regaining or maintaining a particular QDM, I see, and teach, this as a pure DI/RBI or a pure RMI exercise - no mental picture is necessary, in my opinion.

I teach, put in its most basic terms, if the RBI/RMI needle head is left of where you want it, turn left, far enough to put the needle head onto the right of the instrument, so that it will fall right, back to where you want it, and vice versa if the needle head is right of where you want it, of course. Now, we know to what degree you do this depends on several factors, ground speed, how far you are off the desired QDM, how close you are to the beacon etc., but essentially that's it, I think. For QDRs, I teach the same sort of approach (ha ha - excuse the pun) but to pull the tail of the needle. I hope this helps a bit.

Regards, (waiting to get shot out of the sky) GT.

[212man]

I was also taught the 'push the head, pull the tail' idea and found it worked, though I've seen comments from others who disagree. Do your a/c have HSIs? I find that it is common for pilots to ignore the CDI when using an ADF as they feel it is not showing them anything (ie no nav input) However if set up in conjunction with the desired QDM it helps greatly with situational awareness.

How about, making up a cardboard compass rose (say 12" square) and have the student hold it flat in front of her in the class room. Then, pretend you are the NDB and stand in various places in the room and get her to point her hand at you. She can then see in the real world (vs the PC one) what the needles are doing. She will also be able to see what needs to be done with her heading to get the needle onto the desired QDM. Might work! Good luck

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Another day in paradise

[hugh flung_dung]

I used to teach the pull/push technique but changed a while ago to a series of questions that the studes ask themselves.

1 - What is my bearing to/from the beacon? - Easy, visually overlay the ADF needle on the DI.
2 - What bearing to/from the beacon do I want? - Hopefully they know this!
3 - Is this bigger or smaller than the bearing I have?
4 - Which way do I turn? - Easy, inbound: left for bigger number, right for smaller number (reverse for tracking outbound).
5 - What heading do I turn to? - Obviously this depends on having SOME situational awareness.

All they have to check now is that their current heading will cause the needle to rise or fall (head always falls) onto the desired number on the DI.

This seems to work well, the reason Q4 is phrased this way around is that the only time that you don't have time to think is turning inbound to the hold or the approach segment.
Slightly easier with RMI but same process.

Comments?

[Stan Evil]

Have a look at a bit of software called RANT - it may help. You can get a free demo at www.oddsoft.co.uk (http://www.oddsoft.co.uk)

[AV8 consultants]

3 Q's
Where am I?
Outbound tail of the needle points to the trk.Inbound the head of the needle points to the trk. (using RMI) NB**if fixed card simply overlay onto DG.

Where do I want to go?
Easy just look at the DG find the radial your are on and the one you want.

Which way do I turn? (See end note)

Imagine yourself on the bottom of the of the needle (regardless of the head or tail) and as said push or pull it so that the head or tail of the needle moves to where you want it to go, depending if you are outbound in which case the head will be on the bottom, hence the tail will point to the outbound trk.If inbound, the head is on the top and points to the trk and the tail is what you push pull to move the head. (this is all in relation to the DG remember NOT THE ADF ITSELF so you have to overlay it the ADF onto DG)

Next, when do I stop turning? For OUTBOUND INTERCEPTS-When the trk required and the tail are on the same side. The tail of the needle is below the trk required (because it drops)and it is outside a 30 degree arc either side of the top of the DG.
INBOUND INTERCEPTS-When the trk required and the HEAD is on the same side.The HEAD of the needle is ABOVE the trk required (because it drops)and it is outside a 30 degree arc either side of the top of the DG.

** If you wish to speed up the intercept turn more than the 30 degree arc and you will intercept it faster.**

Remember OUTBOUND TO OUTBOUND turn the shortest way.
INBOUND TO OUTBOUND turn the longest way.
OUTBOUND TO INBOUND turn the longest way.
ie around the DG.

Practice will only make it stick but this is the easiest way I know to teach it. I had troubles too. Its not a girl thing. It took a wise and old pilot to teach me an easy situationally aware method of doing intercepts. Hope it helps.

[GRpr]

Centaurus

If your student has a PC at home, then there is a superb little program, totally free, at http://www.visi.com/~mim/nav/

This helps develop situational awareness and, as an added bonus, covers the VOR, RMI, and HSI. Your student can set up her own scenario's and 'fly' them at home, watching both the position of the aeroplane and the ADFs (of which there are two; the two NDBs can be repositioned at will).

It really is a gem, and should be on every instrument student's PC.

I would be interested to hear if you think it might help.

[Centaurus]

To everyone who has replied, thank you very much. I have passed the lot on to my student.

[Need4speed]

Superimpose the ADF needle on the DG.
The aircraft is always on the tail of the needle pointing up. The centre of the needle is the station.
Now ask 3 questions:
1. Where am I?
2. Where do I want to go?
3. How do I get there?

Start with this and see how you go, and don't feel bad. The ADF is one of the hardest things to teach.

[Need4speed]

OOOPS. There are another two questions (obviously been a while since I instructed and it's late)

4. How do I get there?
5. How will I know when I am there?

There ya go.

[Charlie Foxtrot India]

Many people have trouble transposing the needle onto the DG. And of course it doesn't work in the case of a vac pump failure!

If you use the rotating card then the track from the station (similar to a radial) is on the tail of the needle. Bingo, you're orientated and the rest is relatively easy. When doing intercepts, when the tail is on the track you want the intercept is done and you can turn onto your heading. (with a bit of anticipation of course)

Few instructors here in Aus use the rotating card, using the logic that some aeroplanes may not have one. I've never come across one that didn't. Another reason I've been given is that the stude can't hold heading so the rotating card is no good. I say if they can't hold a heading they probably shouldn't be mucking around under the foggles yet!

There are forms of dyslexia where people have a lot of trouble with left and right, east and west, despite having excellent spatial orientation. Perhaps this is your student's problem. Ask her if she has trouble with left and right; and prefers to have her map aligned to track or aligned north upwards on lap when navigating. If it is the latter she could well have the above problem. Especially if reading is not a problem, but sometimes murds get wuddled when writing, and she can read mirror writing but not read upside down.
If this is the case she will find it harder than most but not impossible. A bit of patience and the penny will drop. Try saying "turn towards me/turn towards you" instead of "turn right/left" (which is actually meaningless to more people than many instructors realise!) until she gets the picture. I have seen this many times, with studes who have been told to align map to track and have got in a total frazzle; so for instructors those who insit on it, think again, it's not the only way.

(any instructors with this problem, remember which side of the aircraft you sit on, then remember "the instructor is always right"!)

Ropes laid out in the garden representing tracks inbound and outbound and then plodding around doing intercepts on foot helped me. Simple, cheap, effective. And a hoot if they have to hop if they get it wrong!

BTW to be REALLY pedantic, a QDM is a MAGNETIC track to a station, eg an inbound track on a VOR. A TRUE track eg to an NDB is a QUJ.

Good luck!

[This message has been edited by Charlie Foxtrot India (edited 17 March 2001).]

[212man]

As I'm the only one to have used the term QDM, I guess that last remark was aimed at me? I agree that a QDM is a magnetic track to a station, just as a QDR is the track from one. Generally when using NDBs one is aiming to achieve a desired QDM/QDR as generally we use a magnetic compass to navigate with and approach plates depict magnetic tracks to fly procedures. Did I miss something?



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Another day in paradise

[RichT]

Centaurus,
Bear with this I know it sounds a little like Blue Peter:

I had exactly this problem and I solved it in a noval if not unusual way. Get a compass, little walkers type. Get a magnet and a map. place the magnet under an NDB shown on the map stick the compass on a cardboard cutout of a little aeroplane and hey presto you have an ADF simulator. The compass will always point at the magnet and you can demonstrate all sorts of scenarios.

[GT]

Interesting idea!

[LookinOut]

Like the Compas Idea...

Maybe a bit to much to expect(?) but does anyone know where I can access some type of Flight Sim that would suffice for the scan practise plus navaid tracking etc without forking out the bucks.

[Centaurus]

RichT. Sorry I'm a bit late on reading your suggestion but have been away. Thanks for very neat idea. It worked well.