by PhantomTweak » Sun Mar 16, 2014 1:35 pm
The only way, if I understand what you're asking, for your method to work is to time legs and turns to ensure your position relative to the airport is correct.
I don't think you quite realize the limitations of navigating by compass alone, whether a whiskey compass or from the GPS. Yes, the line along 017° extends to infinty. BUT: there are also any number of parallel 017° lines in the world.
For example: sitting on the runway, you are pointed at 017°. Now, take off, and fly due South (180°) for 60 seconds. Now turn to 017°. According to your theory, you should be lined back up on the runway, am I correct? Pause the sim, and open the map. Look at your position thereon. Yes, you are pointed at 017°, but the runway is nowhere NEAR your 017° heading line, is it? Nope. Your heading line may be parallel to the runway, but not along the runway.
You need to make sure you time the length of the leg you make along the runway heading before you turn to, let's say, 107°. this is 90° from the runway. Now, make sure the turn you make to 107° is at a constat rate of turn. Lets say a standard 2 min turn. That means it takes 2 min to turn a full 360°, and most turn-and-bank indicators (the "ball) have a standard rate turn marking of some sort, whether degree of bank, or bank required for a standard rate turn (the needle atop the "ball" area), as do Artificial Horizions (those little marks either side of 0 on the top of the AH). Then time this leg. Make sure that at exactly 1 minute (60 seconds), you make another standard rate turn to 197°, or the reverse of the runway heading. Now fly exactly the same amount of time you flew along the runway heading during takeoff prior to you first turn, plus 30 seconds. Now make another turn to 287°, again, for one min. Again, a 90°, standard rate turn. Finally, one last standard turn to 017°, and bingo! you are on final to the runway, 30 seconds out! This is a fairly standard excersize that instructors will drill students in over and over again.
NOW: look at the map again, follow your course (the long red line behind the aircraft symbol). You will see why, at any point along your flight, simply turning to 017° will NOT line you up on the runway.
Knowing where you are in the world, relative to where you came from, want to go, other traffic, etc, is called Situational Awareness, or having a "clue" as the military pilots say. You absolutely must maintain this awareness, in all 4 dimensions (that includes Time as one dimension, for you are always so many minutes, seconds, hours etc to or from all the points mentioned above) at all times. This is critical not only to being a good pilot, but a remaining LIVING pilot! THAT is why they stress it so hard in flight school.
I know that was long and kinda involved but it's a vital part of flying! When you fly a normal pattern around an airport, this is exactly what you are doing. All the fancy navigational instruments in the world are merely there to help YOU maintain your situational awareness better. I hope it helped you out a little bit...
Pat☺
Have fun, fly high, far, and free!
Pat
2S7, Chiloquin OR
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