Westcott NDB?
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Westcott NDB?
Wanting to practice some ADF tracking, on both 20th and 26th April I tuned to WCO (335 kHz).
On both dates no ID could be heard and no signal detected (ADF needle didn't move).
As far as I could see, there were no relevant Notams concerning WCO.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to why WCO was not working?
NB: Aircraft ADF was definitely working as could ID and track both HEN and CHT.
On both dates no ID could be heard and no signal detected (ADF needle didn't move).
As far as I could see, there were no relevant Notams concerning WCO.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to why WCO was not working?
NB: Aircraft ADF was definitely working as could ID and track both HEN and CHT.
I think you were lucky to find CHT still active: it is no longer mentioned in the AIP, just like WCO. HEN still is, but perhaps not for very long. There is a general tendency to phase out NDB's, as I understand.
Check it out at https://nats-uk.ead-it.com/cms-nats/...dex-en-GB.html , section ENR 4.1
Check it out at https://nats-uk.ead-it.com/cms-nats/...dex-en-GB.html , section ENR 4.1
Last edited by Jan Olieslagers; 27th Apr 2024 at 15:34.
Back in the day, we used to use a local AM radio station for NDB tracking practice. Even had a homemade "ADF approach plate" drawn up for use in instrument training. (No need to comment, it was all just for practice only, never intended for real IFR usage, way too close to mountains and other obstacles, it would have had to have 2500 feet AGL minimums or worse.)
I thought WCO had gone years ago. It's no longer listed in the AIP although SkyDemon still shows it.
The only enroute NDB in the UK listed is Woodley.
UK AIP enroute navaids
Click on ENR 4.1
The only enroute NDB in the UK listed is Woodley.
UK AIP enroute navaids
Click on ENR 4.1
Wanting to practice some ADF tracking, on both 20th and 26th April I tuned to WCO (335 kHz).
On both dates no ID could be heard and no signal detected (ADF needle didn't move).
As far as I could see, there were no relevant Notams concerning WCO.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to why WCO was not working?
NB: Aircraft ADF was definitely working as could ID and track both HEN and CHT.
On both dates no ID could be heard and no signal detected (ADF needle didn't move).
As far as I could see, there were no relevant Notams concerning WCO.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to why WCO was not working?
NB: Aircraft ADF was definitely working as could ID and track both HEN and CHT.
Report these things, or nothing'll get done.
G
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NATS is busy switching off the NDBs as fast as the CAA will let it. As en-route procedures using the NDB are removed/RNAV'd the entry for that beacon is taken out of the en-route section of the AIP. Several of them are still included in airport procedures in which case they have been moved from the en-route listing to the listing for the relevant airport(s). That of course makes it next to impossible to find out whether or not an NDB is still in service without searching through the entry for any airport that might be nearby. The same will increasingly start to apply for VORs.
WCO was a part of Cranfield procedures, if it's gone from their AIP entry it's probably switched off. CHT and HEN still feature in some airport procedures which is why they are still switched on. For some reason they followed a different approach for WOD and marked the en-route entry to say it has no en-route dependency even though they also put it in Heathrow's part of the AIP.
WCO was a part of Cranfield procedures, if it's gone from their AIP entry it's probably switched off. CHT and HEN still feature in some airport procedures which is why they are still switched on. For some reason they followed a different approach for WOD and marked the en-route entry to say it has no en-route dependency even though they also put it in Heathrow's part of the AIP.
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When WCO was removed from the En-Route section of the AIP it was moved to EGLL AD 2.19 and it's still there in the current AIP so should still be in service and notamed if it isn't radiating. It isn't in Cranfield's equivalent section despite appearing on their chart.
Just double checking NOTAMs and the UK AIP, the NDB/NDB/DME approach to 03 at EGTC that uses WCO is still published, and the only NOTAM at that location is of BVLOS drones to 800ft. So it should work, notwithstanding recent experiences !
G
G
Many, many operators from nearby airfields use(d) WCO to teach basic ADF skills, as well as simulating NDB approaches if chosen carefully. Thus saving students the cost of getting to approaches further afield, not to mention the frequent problem of being unable to book those approaches. If it's withdrawn it will be even harder to book elsewhere.................
Many, many operators from nearby airfields use(d) WCO to teach basic ADF skills, as well as simulating NDB approaches if chosen carefully. Thus saving students the cost of getting to approaches further afield, not to mention the frequent problem of being unable to book those approaches. If it's withdrawn it will be even harder to book elsewhere.................
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Yes when we started operations on the 'North' sector of Farnborough LARS in 2008, it was immediately apparent how 'popular' WCO was with traffic out of Oxford, Denham and Wycombe, both with traffic seen on radar and many of them calling us up so we could supply generic information to people operating there.
NDB's are a thing of the past, as we read here. Why should anyone wish to practice the associated procedures? Or they should still be required in the various skills tests, of course.
Plenty of airfields in the UK still have local NDBs in use with holds and procedures based on them. Whilst they are all but gone in most countries that have modernised to RNP approaches, I'm afraid that here in dear old Blighty we'll be training for the hold well after I hang my headset up.
The NDB is relatively cheap to install and maintain so practical for small airfields to retain. Once the artificially high demands for approved GPS approaches become affordable then they will have little use other than for a few.
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NDBs are useful GPS waypoints….. 
NB: Aircraft ADF was definitely working as could ID and track both HEN and CHT.