By Charles Wood
VOR Navigation
Biography Charles Wood Charles Wood had planned to resume his private-pilot flying after retirement in 1992 but vision problems prevented that. He has been an enthusiastic flight-simmer since the days of FS95 and has authored two major websites, DC-3 Airways Virtual Airline and Flight Simulator Navigation. His other hobbies are making videos, both family oriented and related to Flight Simulation, and writing.
The ‘art’ of VOR Navigation Despite inroads from the GPS the VOR remains the backbone of aviation navigation. Flight-Sim pilots deprive themselves of much fun and satisfaction if they don’t well understand how to navigate with the VOR. This is the first of a two-part article that will explain how to competently fly with the VOR. This is not just book learning, though, but includes practice flights to improve your skills, ensure thorough understanding and increase your confidence in VOR navigation. The VHF Omni-directional Range, or VOR, operates within the 108.0 to 117.95 MHz VHF band and has been in service for over fifty years. The operating principle is simple. A ground-based VOR transmitter radiates two signals. One is a stationary reference signal which always points North. The second signal rotates around the transmitter. The aircraft’s VOR receiver simply measures the difference in time between the stationary reference signal (North) and the rotating signal received in your aircraft. With that information it can calculate which radial your aircraft is on. Radial, Radial, Radial … that term is always used with VORs so you best understand it. Radials are like the spokes on a wheel. They start at the center of the VOR and POINT OUTWARD. The VOR station transmits 360 radials, one for every degree. The VOR signal is at least accurate to one degree and usually much better. Note the very important detail that the North Radial from a VOR points toward Magnetic North. Since pilots fly magnetic headings it is important that the VOR radial correspond to the aircraft’s compass reading.
Mr. Charles Wood
Page 13
April 2009