Solar activity
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 616
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Solar activity
I haven't flown for the past few days but have read about the solar activity causing problems with RT, GPS and compasses.
Anyone noticed anything?
Anyone noticed anything?
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Dorset, UK
Posts: 619
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On the TV this morning, some expert said that the solar flares could cause errors on aircraft compasses, of between 5 and 10 degrees.
Given my usual gash VRF navigation, would I even notice the difference???
Given my usual gash VRF navigation, would I even notice the difference???
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Brighton. UK. (Via Liverpool).
Posts: 5,068
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chichester, UK
Posts: 1,650
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It certainly could - the charged particles in a CME compress the Earth's magnetic field - but any effect would be fairly small, few degrees sounds about the maximum. Not enough for me to notice anyway.
<puts on tinfoil hat and heads down to the bunker>
<puts on tinfoil hat and heads down to the bunker>
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 616
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
LOL at you guys 
I had to go out and collect some parts so used the 196 in the car. All seems to be working fine, although signal strengths were a bit lower than normal.
A mate is in charge of the comms for the World Rally Champs. The flare wiped out all VHF communication on this weekend's Catalunya Rally and knocked Inmarsat's satelite out of alignment, meaning they couldn't track the competitors. The Inmarsat guy told him 1/1000th of a degree is a enough to lose all signal from it.
Shame its cloudy, I was looking forward to seeing the Basildon Borealis.
I had to go out and collect some parts so used the 196 in the car. All seems to be working fine, although signal strengths were a bit lower than normal.
A mate is in charge of the comms for the World Rally Champs. The flare wiped out all VHF communication on this weekend's Catalunya Rally and knocked Inmarsat's satelite out of alignment, meaning they couldn't track the competitors. The Inmarsat guy told him 1/1000th of a degree is a enough to lose all signal from it.
Shame its cloudy, I was looking forward to seeing the Basildon Borealis.
PPRuNe Handmaiden
I didn't notice any thing unusual this morning at 3am flying back from Germany. GPS was fine and the compass read normally too. Unfortunately we didn't see any "northern lights" either.
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Age: 61
Posts: 1,271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well I spent a very pleasant spell in the back garden last night with the wife and a tinny of chilled Scrumpy Jack staring open-mouthed (when it wasn't full of cider you understand) at the Aurora Borealis. Very nice. No idea about radios and all that stuff though. I think I'll crack another couple tonight, or maybe a nice bottle of red. Oh, the agony of choice.....
