experience/Equipment to accept a Radar Vector?

[Okavango]

Is there any specific experience or special equipment that you must have on board to accept a Radar Vector through Class D airspace?

[mad_jock]

A compass for the equipment and the simple fact you are solo means you have enough experence.

[Justiciar]

Surely none. This is part of being in CAS, where you can be directed to assume a particular heading and altitude when VFR. If you mean a vector under IFR then that is different.

[aluminium persuader]

Absolutely yes!!!

Equipment - an aircraft. Oh, and a radio.

Experience - enough to be able to fly in a straight line (pleeeease!)

:E:E:E

ap

[BackPacker]

Normally you would also need a working transponder. Technically it can be done without one, but that may require some manoevering for identification.

[Okavango]

Thought it was just the compass. Only asking as have twice been asked recently if I'm able to accept radar vectors and just assumed I was. Thought best to check, thanks.

[mad_jock]

Ahh now that then falls into a different kettle of fish which can be quite subtle.

Its not really asking if you are equiped as all planes are, with having minimal VFR equipment on board and the fact you are talking on a radio.

What the controller is asking is if you can accept a vector. Now if everything is CAVOK then your hunky dory. If there are clouds dotted about you may have issues if a vector takes you into them if you must remain VFR. What you really don't want to happen is for the controller to think you can obey every instruction they give you.

What you don't want to happen is accept a vector then some 10 miles later decide you can't keep it. Cause then you might not be able to get a word in to tell the controller that you have to change heading, and the controller might be running traffic in the direction you want to turn which you can't see.

Now personally I am rated to fly in clouds so I would accept a vector without a thought and no further comment if I had the required instruments. But if your not rated to fly in clouds or the plane isn't equiped. Its in yours and the controllers interest to make sure the "contract" you have with them is on the baises that you might not be able to maintain that vector.

[ShyTorque]

Normally you would also need a working transponder. Technically it can be done without one, but that may require some manoevering for identification.

Certainly, when dealing with a non-transponder equipped aircraft, ATC may request the pilot to turn onto a new heading for identification. Which, from a pilot's point of view is essentially the same as... guess what....a radar vector.... :)

The most relevant point is the one made by mad_jock, i.e. you must obviously be able to remain in VMC, unless qualified for IMC.

Having said that, it is of course very often possible to both remain on a radar vector and avoid IMC by descending. ATC are there to help, so request what you need!

[Pup Flyer]

You can do radar vectors without a compass and without a transponder. I overheard someone doing a training approach doing just that at Southend (which primary only) last Tuesday (1st June). Essentially got calls to start and stop timed rate 1 turns.

So it would seem all you need is a radio as I imagine light signals would be a step too far for that.

[mad_jock]

If I didn't have any heading information and I could see a light from a tower I really wouldn't be to bothered with getting timed turns.

I was about to say you wouldn't be flying in a SEP with out a compass but then I remembered that I had a compass fall off its mount over the Cairngorms.

[aluminium persuader]

"adopt the standard no compass/no gyro procedure; all turns rate one, starting & stopping on the executive word "now"".:ok:

Without a transponder you'll be identified by position report (with strings attached) or the turn method (30deg or more).