On 22 Nov 2004 22:43:11 -0800, (smackey) wrote:

OK, I'm flying my local VOR-A which calls for an outbound heading of
252, then I'm suppoosed to turn 45 deg to 207 to begin the PT. But

If it calls for a heading of 252 then I fly a heading of 252, but if
it's a course I'll add the necessary wind correction.

there is a STRONG x-wind and I am already crabbed to about 215 to hold
the 252 outbound course. I assume I turn to something not quite

I use "Kentucky windage". I'm flying here, I want to go there, the
wind is from about there and maybe something like what ATC said (give
or take 20), so I'll point about here and see what I get.

When I flew the PTS we had something on the order of a 30 to 40 knot
90 degree cross wind. I didn't use any math. The DE asked me what
I'd use for a correction angle. I told him as we had a hefty wind from
our right I'd put in about a 30 degree angle and see how it tracked
and make corrections based on that. He asked me why thirty degrees
and I replied, "It seems about right for our speed, or do you want me
to take the time to calculate it." He told me to go ahead and try it
my way and we'd see how it went. It went fine.

No, it didn't go perfect but I was able to tell him where we were and
why we were there and what I was doing to correct it.

approaching 170 (45 deg from 215), just something inbetween in order
to sort of track 45 deg off the outbound course and fly a bit longer

You are turning more into the cross wind so it'll be less of a cross
wind and more of a head wind. As a guess I'd only use about half the
wind correction in the PT as on the outbound course. It depends on
your outbound speed, but I'd add about 20 seconds in my plane. The
wind is going to be sending your back toward the inbound by the time
you are half way through your 180 and you need to allow for that early
start back.

than 1 min so I don't get blown back through the inbound course when I
do the turn back toward the inbound course. It just seems weird to be
flying at almost 90 deg from the outbound course. Any opinions on
this?

That is your heading not your course. If your wind correction is
correct you will still be coming back in at 45 degrees to the outbound
regardless of where the nose is pointed. Besides, your correction was
to the left outbound so it's going to be to the right, inbound. IE,
if you held 20 degrees left (course minus 20) then inbound it going to
be course plus 20 or 027 + 20 for 47 degrees heading to intercept a 72
degree inbound course. Also the inbound wind correction is to the
right, or 72 plus 37 for a heading of 109 degrees.

Remember your wind correction angle in the procedure turn is going to
be less than it is on the outbound and inbound approach course as it
will be either more of a head wind, or tail wind. Don't forget you
are going to be coming back to the inbound course a *lot* faster than
you went out so lead the turn inbound more than for no wind (start the
turn sooner)

I've had ATC be *way* off on the winds and blew through the ILS
intercept at 180 MPH ground speed. (at least half my fault as my
situational awareness was about 5 miles behind) I didn't make that
mistake when I took the flight test.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com