"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 20:48:47 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in
PGA7e.14356$xL4.13659@attbi_s72::

If, in ten years and nearly 1000 hours of flying, I've never needed to
figure out my position by looking at the face of my VOR, as if I'd
suddenly
awakened in my plane and didn't have a clue where I was, what the hell is
it
doing on the written exam for Private Pilot?

Suppose you are navigating solely by GPS. What are you going to do in
the event the military chooses to disable the GPS system while you're
airborne (or a solar storm renders GPS unusable) and you find yourself
above an undercast? If the aircraft isn't equipped with ADF, and you
haven't been trained to use VOR navigation, you'd have to request a DF
steer from FSS, or if you're located in an area of ATC radar coverage,
vectors.

On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 17:07:50 GMT, "ShawnD2112"
wrote in
::

I think you just answered your own question, Larry.

In the Los Angeles area, pilots often fly over the vast Mojave Desert
enroute to their destinations. My experience has shown that ARTCC
radar coverage is limited below 8,000' over the Mojave, so radar
vectors may not be available. I have no idea of the coverage provided
by FSS for DF help.

Them's the same
actions I'd take if I was on top and the VOR went and packed up,

You wouldn't just fish your handheld GPS receiver out of your flight
bag, and continue on?

so how is a GPS packing up any different?

If you are an airman trained in VOR navigation, you don't need to rely
on radar nor DF for backup navigation while finding your way with GPS.