"RjL" wrote in message


Geez - what could be simpler than tracking an airway by VOR navigation? Is
following the little magenta line really easier than "needle left, fly
left"

Portable GPS can back up but not replace a VOR receiver on airways.

However, yes, a backup GPS can make things quite a bit easier at times.
One example is when you are close to the VOR station and the VOR needle is
highly sensitive. Another example is to help establish a crab angle when
flying an airway with a signficant crosswind aloft. Yet another example is
for situational awareness with respect to weather or alternate landing
sites. There are dozens more ways a portable GPS can be quite helpful to
an IFR pilot as a backup navigational device.


--------------------
Richard Kaplan

www.flyimc.com