NDBs
In Australia most RAAF bases had a high powered NDB. Darwin had a good one that was (is?) useful for getting the ATIS on the ground at Elcho Island or, at a pinch, Ambon. One wet season in the 80's I was able to learn that the weather in Darwin was pretty bad and the ILS had been struck by lightning - thanks to the NDB.
Join Date: Feb 2009
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well ....i like em..... but I cut my teeth fly hercules aircraft from the early sixties all over South America, Europe and Africa.... ya damn well better have been able to use an NDB for approaches and enroute.....
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Even in times with gps and fms i still use them, especially for an approach, to have situational awareness. So i hope that they will stay for a while.
But i guess an adf is like a woman: every second it changes its opinion
But i guess an adf is like a woman: every second it changes its opinion
After leaving the RAF I briefly flew an Aztec, part based at a grass field in the NE of England. The pundit was a home made perspex box containing a jumble of recycled green discharge tubes.
They also enterprisingly operated an MF transmitter, into the legality of which I refrained from prying. Together with cross cuts from a conveniently located VOR it made a very decent approach aid which, of course, I never used whilst on public transport operations.
What am I getting at? Well whilst the NDB has its limits, of which all instrument rated pilots should be aware, it is a cheap and easy navaid to install and use.
I must say, when I started flying a few years ago I thought that, by the turn of the century, NDBs and HF radio would be things of the past.
They also enterprisingly operated an MF transmitter, into the legality of which I refrained from prying. Together with cross cuts from a conveniently located VOR it made a very decent approach aid which, of course, I never used whilst on public transport operations.
What am I getting at? Well whilst the NDB has its limits, of which all instrument rated pilots should be aware, it is a cheap and easy navaid to install and use.
I must say, when I started flying a few years ago I thought that, by the turn of the century, NDBs and HF radio would be things of the past.
Which just goes to show that it all depends on what sort of operation you are employed on. In my world, NDB approaches exist, but if we use them, it's very rare and we wouldn't do it unless the FMC says that it's accuracy is 'HIGH', probably derived from the GPS element of the Multi Mode Receiver. So it essence, it's a RNAV approach. In fact, if there isn't an RNAV overlay published for the approach we wouldn't be doing it as the approach wouldn't be in the FMC database. We have to have the needle displayed, but it could just be the head of the needle superimposed on the NAV display. Essentially, we are doing the approach onto a position which happens to have the beacon there and for which there is a published procedure. It's effectively no different to the GPS/RNAV approaches we do into some of our destinations.
And on the Airbus, we would probably fly a 'Managed Approach' which to all intents and purposes is very similar to a Flight Directed ILS. It's very easy - and very safe. Which in this day and age is what air transport is all about.
And on the Airbus, we would probably fly a 'Managed Approach' which to all intents and purposes is very similar to a Flight Directed ILS. It's very easy - and very safe. Which in this day and age is what air transport is all about.
