VOR and reverse sensing

On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 10:06:10 -0400, "Ron Natalie"
wrote:


"Robert Perkins" wrote in message ...


Not if you use the VOR as an instrument to help you with magnetic
headings, relying on the compass or DH for that data, rather than as a
command instrument.

You're going to sit there spinning the needle all the time to figure out what
radial you are on.

No, you're going to spin the needle once until you've centered it and
the thing says "FROM". Then you know what radial you're on, and you
can use the needle to choose headings to intercept the radial.

Regarding position, it's true that one VOR won't tell you your exact
position. But if you combine pilotage from a chart with the relative
position data ("southeast of the station", "west of the station",
whatever.), you will have your position.

And in ANY case, what prevents the one-VOR-equipped pilot from flying
a standard-rate turn and tuning first one VOR for a fix, and then a
second for another fix, thus establishing his position very
accurately?

Gawrsh, maybe I really ought to go get that instrument rating... ;-)

Then you're going to look at the compass to figure out
if you are left or right of the course and turn that way, and then continually
recenter the needle to see what change that made?

No! That's madness. I'm not going to recenter the needle at all; I'm
going to fly a heading for two minutes and take a second reading from
the VOR, and not ever use the needle to steer the airplane unless I'm
flying right to the station.

Rob

Robert Perkins writes:

Regarding position, it's true that one VOR won't tell you your exact
position. But if you combine pilotage from a chart with the relative
position data ("southeast of the station", "west of the station",
whatever.), you will have your position.

You get an approximate position fix from a single VOR transmitter by
flying perpendicular to the radial and timing how long it takes you to
get to a different radial (say, 10 degrees off). It's not all that
practical or accurate in real-life, of course, but it does sort-of
work.

Apologies in advance if I've missed the point of the thread and
duplicated a previous posting.


All the best,


David

--
David Megginson, , http://www.megginson.com/