Quote:



Just don't file for a patent  

The MSFS C172 has a standard ADF gauge, with that useless compass card (it just adds too much to the pilot's workload, to be reaching over and adjusting the compass card to match the gyro EVERY time you change heading.. and the BAD thing is that if you start to depend on the compass card and forget to adjust it (while ATC is babbling 1000 words per minute, you're bouncing around in the clouds, switching com frequencies and trying to remember the heading and altitude ATC just asked for) you'll get into trouble in a hurry)...

And yes.. an RMI has a compass card that adjusts automatically. It's almost like a backup directional gyro. Most RMIs have two needles. One for the ADF, and one for a VOR. The downside to an RMI is that it reduces a VOR to an NDB (all it does is "point" to the VOR station). If you're trying to track an exact radial (like flying a VOR approach) with an RMI, you'll have to do it like you would an NDB (just like we're talking about in this thread). An RMI does not allow for exact radial selection and has no CDI needle to keep centered..

Now using a VOR gauge AND an RMI to track a radial can be helpful. You'd have a CDI to keep you on the radial, and the RMI needle to remind you where the VOR is, relative to your heading.. which would be a nice little reminder to the amount of correction you're holding (and give you a heads up when the wind shifted, or changed velocity)...

But most important of all .. HOW 'BOUT THEM PACKERS !  

Yeah, can you tell that the question where you had to determine your position with two RMI needles was the one I spent the most time on on the IR written?   Oh well, I passed and learned a bit of a lesson.


Brett_Henderson wrote on Jan 14^th, 2008 at 7:36am:

Go da' Packers.

Just thought I would jump in here with a little tip that might be helpful. I like to set the compass card on the ADF to 360. That way, it is easier to read how many degrees of deflection you have on the ADF. This makes it very easy to make wind corrections especially if you have a tough time visualising the ADF needle on the DG, and it makes it easier to turn onto a specific course to or from the NDB.

For example, say you are flying the same NDB approach that Brett used earlier. You fly outbound on the 095 course for 2 minutes and turn left to 050. Then, fly out for one minute and turn to 230. Now, Instead of trying to superimpose the ADF needle onto the DG you can just wait until the ADF needle is deflected to the right 45*, and you turn to 275 to track the NDB inbound. This 45* deflection is really easy to see if the compass card is set to 360.

I hope this tip helps out some people that may have trouble with NDB flying. I know that I used to always set the compass card to my heading, but my instructor told me to try just setting the card to 360 and it has made flying NDBs so much easier.  

Brett_Henderson wrote on Feb 10^th, 2008 at 10:10am:


This is very true. I have been learning to fly for a little over a year now at a university flight school. None of the new Warriors that they bought have ADFs in them, and none of the instructors teach how to really fly using NDBs. Luckily, I got one of the few really experienced instructors for my instrument training who knows the value of knowing how to fly NDBs.

On a side note, speaking of university flight programs, most of these programs are very good at turning out a large number of pilots, but they don't turn out many aviators. These programs are good at getting you the ratings and flight time you need to start flying with an airline, and for the most part, they do it cheaply, but sometimes it seems like their only goal is to get as many students through the program as possible. This isn't to say that university flight programs are not a good way to learn to fly, but instead, I am trying to encourage anyone that does go into one of these programs to try flying some hours with a very experienced instructor. This may mean even going outside of your flight school to do it, but just try to. A lot of times, you can learn more from a CFI with 20 years in 1 hour than you will in 5 hours with a CFI at a university who is just trying to build their hours before they move onto an airline.  

Sorry bout the rant, but I think that was a little piece of advice that could be helpful to someone.

Quote:


Even at the height of their popularity;  when the stations were well maintained, and radio guys new how to finesse that extra bit of accuracy out of the ADF receiver/antennas.. they were still pretty rough, accuracy wise.  BUT they always did make great fix references (see my avatar text), and could help you avoid BIG targets (like airspace), in the days before GPS.

I wish MSFS would build some innacuracy and inconsistency into NDB use