On Sat, 09 Jul 2005 20:47:41 -0600, Newps wrote:

You have a digital readout that gives exact distance. The controller
looks at the little space between you and the VOR symbol on the radar
scope. That symbol, a circle, is about a mile in diameter. The
controller looks at that space and he came up with 3 miles. He was off
a mile. No big deal.

Newps,

Thanks for your reply.

It may not be too big a deal from the ATC side, but one mile would be a big
deal for a spam can like myself.

As you know, some approaches require DME and if my equipment happens to be
one mile off, then I may have problems if I was down to minimums and didn't
see the airport because I was one mile short. Missed at MBO is just short
of crossing mid field.

Since my DG had gone south on me, I was even more concerned after passing
the initial approach fix that maybe I could not rely on the DME since he
"reverified" my distance from the VOR as 3 miles when I was reading 4.

I realize that I was operating under VFR, so in my specific circumstances
for today, it's no big deal, but had I been IMC, it would be more critical
to know that my DME is working correctly.

Seems that with airplanes, more then one part seems to go south at the same
time.....

Allen