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Radio beacons: Difference between revisions
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Instead of relying on visual landmarks (roads, rivers, churches, towns) radio navigation relies on radio beacons. Radio beacons can be seen with the right equipment, from far away and independent of the weather. The position of radio beacons is clearly marked on navigation maps. Radio beacons are placed near airports, can be aligned with runways and can be placed in remote areas so to mark a route over them. | Instead of relying on visual landmarks (roads, rivers, churches, towns) radio navigation relies on radio beacons. Radio beacons can be seen with the right equipment, from far away and independent of the weather. The position of radio beacons is clearly marked on navigation maps. Radio beacons are placed near airports, can be aligned with runways and can be placed in remote areas so to mark a route over them. | ||
The time that a pilot had to fly with the yokes in it's hands all the time has long been passed. Our aircraft | The time that a pilot had to fly with the yokes in it's hands all the time has long been passed. Our aircraft have an autopilot and radio beacons are ideal for automated flight. With a NDB station we use the heading bug, with a VOR station we select the radial to use and the autopilot keeps us on that course. | ||
Some wise words about GPS. | Some wise words about GPS. | ||
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====Go from==== | ====Go from==== | ||
Starting from a runway or passing over a radio station we know where we are and where we want to go. We set the radio beacon in our equipment and we add or subtract 180 from the course we want to fly. The result is the position where the NDB should be on the compass rose or the radial we have to select from the VOR station. With a NDB we set the heading bug and with a VOR we pick the radial to fly. The big problem with this course it it's increasing inaccuracy. The wind will place us at a complete different point as expected. The radial of a VOR station should compensate for winds but with some winds you will discover how inaccurate a VOR radial can be. FROM navigation should be avoided but if needed it can work for a 100 miles or so. | Starting from a runway or passing over a radio station we know where we are and where we want to go. We set the radio beacon in our equipment and we add or subtract 180 from the course we want to fly. The result is the position where the NDB should be on the compass rose or the radial we have to select from the VOR station. With a NDB we set the heading bug and with a VOR we pick the radial to fly. The big problem with this course it it's increasing inaccuracy. The wind will place us at a complete different point as expected. The radial of a VOR station should compensate for winds but with some winds you will discover how inaccurate a VOR radial can be. FROM navigation should be avoided but if needed it can work for a 100 miles or so. | ||
====Go to==== | |||
As soon as we pick up a signal from a radio beacon we can easy navigate towards it. With a NDB we set the heading bug, with a VOR we select the radial. | |||
*A VOR radial will bring you with high accuracy in a straight line over the radio station. | |||
*Setting the heading bug on the bearing of the NDB once will not bring you there. The wind will blow you off course and you will see the bearing of the NDB drift slowly over the compass rose. If you bring the heading bug back each time you will have flown a long wide curve instead of a straight line. (image on wikipedia?) You should set the heading bug ''over'' the bearing of the NDB towards the wind direction so to compensate for the wind. It's a bit of a guess on how much that compensation should be. | |||
====Go inbetween==== | |||
===Planning=== | ===Planning=== | ||