Help with VOR

[Cricket23]

I having a mental block with getting VOR correct. ie signal from the VOR and whether I should use the 'to' or 'from' flag. I know it should be simple, but just can't get it for some reason. Any hekp would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Romeo Romeo]

I make sure the DI and the OBS are set to about the same thing (i.e. I make sure they're not 180 degrees out), then the CDI gives a true indication of where the radial is.

So for example, if I'm flying over a VOR from east to west, I'm heading in a westerly direction, I will have about 270 degrees on my DI (depending on my wind correction angle and so on - but it'll be about 270 - certainly not 90!), so I'll set 270 on my OBS. The CDI needle will tell me whether I'm to the left or right of track and the To/From indicator will tell me if I've passed the VOR yet or not.

Does that help - or have I just answered a different question!

[BEagle]

When tracking along a radial, select the OBS to the way you're going. E.g. tracking towards the VOR from the south west on the 225 radial, set the OBS to 045.

When twiddling the OBS to fix position, always use 'FROM' and read off the radial obtained with the CDI centred.

[Whopity]

Keep it simple:

If you want a bearing its always measured FROM the VOR

If you are going TO it you need TO selected because the VOR is not clever enought to work out which way you are going!

[Evil J]

I got it wrong once over the North sea, was nearly never seen again-GPS spotted the mistake and made me realise things weren't right before i went too far wrong. Won't do it again!!

I, as already stated make sure the OBS and DI are roughly the same sort of numbers, unless just fixing when it must be FROM.

[Johnm]

Like most things in aviation it's about practising procedures until they're second nature:

Start with selecting and indentifying the VOR you want to use.

Then decide whether you want to use it for establishing a position or whether you want to fly to it.

If you want to establish your position then twiddle the OBS knob until the FROM flag shows and the bar centres, read the radial FROM the VOR TO you off the top of the dial. From the compass rose on your chart you can then draw the line you are on.


If you want to fly TO the VOR twiddle the OBS knob until the TO flag shows and then read the (zero wind) heading off the top of the dial and turn to it. Thereafter you can work out drift by following the needle, if the needle is out to the right you need to turn to the right and vice versa.

Hope that helps (it did for me!)

[Cricket23]

Thanks very much for your replies, most helpful. I'm up next Saturday whether permitting, so will give it a go. :ok:

[Lift Fan]

Practise VOR Nav for free here:

Tims Air Navigation Simulator (http://www.visi.com/~mim/nav/)

Enjoy!!

[High Wing Drifter]

I really think RANT (www.oddsoft.co.uk) is a worthwhile purchase. It simulates virtually all instrument types. Apart from teaching the basic skills, the substantial knowledge imparted by the author and the tutorials add finesse. The down side is it ain't free, but £80 isn't going to break an aviation oriented bank account.

[Flyin'Dutch']

A VOR sends out 360 radials.

These are like the spokes of a wheel.

When standing in the center of the VOR looking down a radial, the direction in which you are looking gives the radial its name.

For example.

Looking from the center due South is the 180 radial.

If you move along that radial with the OBS set to 180 the flag will show FROM.

From that it follows that whenever the flag is FROM and you turn the OBS until the needle centers you will be on that given radial.

Flag FROM OBS 270 -> you are on the 270 or due West radial from the VOR you selected.

If you want to fly to the VOR you find the radial you are on. Then turn the OBS onto the reciprocal heading (which is 180 degrees the opposite of the radial you are on) the flag will change to 'TO' and fly towards the heading your OBS indicates.

This is assuming no wind. If there is wind you will need to correct for the wind otherwise you will be blown off the radial you are tracking.