When was the last time you used your ADF?

wrote:
Hello all,

I'm just curious as to when the last time was that you used your ADF
for actual navigation? Are NDBs common in the US? It seems as though
every little airport has an ILS!

-dr


I flew a practice NDB approach at MIV (Millville NJ) a couple weeks ago,
just to prove that I could still do it. My safety pilot watched me
carefully on his own handheld GPS. I deliberately made sure my panel
GPS wasn't configured to watch the NDB or ground track. By the way,
Rainbow NDB is off-field, so speed control, wind correction, and timed
approaches are everything. The procedure turn went OK, but I arrived at
the airport about 30 seconds sooner than my estimated ground speed would
have suggested.

I don't mind NDB approaches. It's the crummy receivers that bother me.
I even did a partial panel NDB approach on my check ride some ten
years ago. And no, there was no LORAN or GPS on-board to suggest a
ground track.

That said, I won't do an NDB approach in IMC. I use the ADF receiver
with GPS overlaid NDB approaches, for LOM identification, for a cross
fix while flying on airways, and to assist with finding airports
(especially at destinations I am not familiar with).

I'd use it to listen to the MW AM broadcast band, but frankly the
programming on most stations is quite lacking.


Jake Brodsky
Cessna Cardinal N30946 @ FME