On 20 Aug 2003 04:33:13 -0700, (Snowbird)
wrote:

. . . One centers a radial, then turns the OBS to
deflect the needle 10 degrees, notes the time, and flies until the
needle centers. Note the time again.

1) I think you mean that you offset the OBS by ten degrees from what
it reads when the needle is centered. (The needle itself not being
conspicuously calibrated in degrees.)

2) Don't you then need to fly a course at right angles to the bearing
TO/FROM the station, in the direction that will intercept the new OBS
setting? For example, if your track coincided with the bearing TO the
station, the needle would only center when you were (nearly) over the
station. Your distance from the station would then be (essentially)
zero, regardless of flight time. (There's an even more trivial case
if you fly outbound on the radial -- you eventually fly off the
chart.)

I'm not an instructor, but my inclination would be to tell a student
to save this cute stuff for when he/she's bored on a long
cross-country. If you really need to know where you are, don't screw
around. Use multiple VOR stations and triangulate.

Don