Just landed my first complete free flight

[RudeandRude]

Looking at the sectional.. (using a napkin as my straight edge), it looks like it would be the 215 radial from CMK.. and the 101 radial from SAX (VOR off to the west).

So after I reach the bridge, I should head towards the CMK VOR until I intercept the 215?

[Brett_Henderson]

Looking at the sectional.. (using a napkin as my straight edge), it looks like it would be the 215 radial from CMK.. and the 101 radial from SAX (VOR off to the west).

So after I reach the bridge, I should head towards the CMK VOR until I intercept the 215?

kind of..

[RudeandRude]

Apparently the SkyVector site doesnt work completely in Safari.  When I entered the flight plan in Firefox it told me the exact proper headings.  

This brings up a new question.  I can plug in my flight plan on SkyVector and go directly from KSWF to the TZ Bridge and then to KHPN without the use of any VOR because it tells me the proper headings.

BUT...is that realistic?  SHOULD I be flying from HSWF to the VOR, to the bridge and then back towards the VOR until I intercept the proper heading using the tutorial in Part 5 of Flight School?  Would that be the proper way to go?

[Brett_Henderson]

[quote]Apparently the SkyVector site doesnt work completely in Safari.

[Brett_Henderson]

Just a note:

[Brett_Henderson]

Or...  imagine that even on a short leg, that some bad weather and poor visibility move in. For the sake of sim training.. we'll skip the real-world procedures for a VFR pilot who finds himself flying in instrument conditions.. and just focus on how knowing how to get to the radial intersection will save your butt, when you can't see 2 miles ahead of you  8-)

[RudeandRude]

wow, i really crapped the bed on this flight.  I thought I understood VOR and last night I was able to keep the line pretty easily, but tonight it was like I forgot everything I learned about VOR.  I couldn't even intercept the CMX radial coming from KSWF.  

Here was my planned trip and the headings that SkyVector gave me:

Depart KSWF towards CMX VOR (134 radial according to SkyVector)
From CMX VOR to Nyack (247 radial)
Nyack to TZ Bridge (137 radial)
TZ Bridge to KHPN (106)

The reason I wanted to fly over the CMX VOR was just to use it as a landmark and a test to see if I could find it.  Well, I didn't.  I couldnt get on the 134 radial at all.  In fact, I completely forgot what the heck to do once I was up there.  I blanked.  I had my OBS set to 134 and my heading set to 134 but I could never get the needle on the VOR to line up.  Not even close.  I basically abandoned all plans and just went towards the Hudson.

Thankfully finding the Tappan Zee Bridge was easy because all I had to do was look for the Hudson River.  I found it and then found the airport by asking for directions.  But had their been any visibility problems I would have just flown around aimlessly.  The last 45 minutes were a complete waste.  I went from sheer exhilaration last night to complete befuddlement tonight.  

One thing I'm having trouble with is that my plane is pulling left BIG TIME.  Even when I'm on the runway taxi-ing it's pulling left like my rudder is turned.  Any idea why it would do this?

[N2744X]

BTW, I fly out of Stewart, and my Twin Cessna is based at Orange County, and Stewarts Identifier is SWF not SFW

[Slotback]

RudeandRude.... Radials are radial...outbound. They come FROM the VOR.

So, if you're to the WEST of a VOR and you want to intercept radial 270 yete still enter 270 into OBS... one of two things would happen... you'll be flying AWAY from the VOR heading 270... or everything will be reversed.

If you get a radial and you want to fly TO it, subract or add 180 off it ,and that's your INBOUND course.

[RudeandRude]

BTW, I fly out of Stewart, and my Twin Cessna is based at Orange County, and Stewarts Identifier is SWF not SFW

eehhhh that doesnt really matter, does it?  

[RudeandRude]

[quote]RudeandRude.... Radials are radial...outbound. They come FROM the VOR.

So, if you're to the WEST of a VOR and you want to intercept radial 270 yete still enter 270 into OBS... one of two things would happen... you'll be flying AWAY from the VOR heading 270... or everything will be reversed.

If you get a radial and you want to fly TO it, subract or add 180 off it ,and that's your INBOUND course.

[Keep It Simple]

BTW, I fly out of Stewart, and my Twin Cessna is based at Orange County, and Stewarts Identifier is SWF not SFW

eehhhh that doesnt really matter, does it?

[TSC.]

[quote]Also, until I find out why my plane is pulling left I pretty much can't do anything.

[Brett_Henderson]

Ok... we'll slow down. Don't get aggravated. VOR navigation is hard to get your head around, even for experienced pilots.... but once it clicks, it makes perfect sense and you'll have this uncontrollable urge to teach others

[beaky]

I checked out the Skyvector.com site and its pretty darn cool.  It's just a little overwhelming.  So much information on a chart and I can only understand half of it.  

If you drag the view over to the left on one of those skyvector sharts, you will see a legend that defines all the markings, etc.

But you may want to start with a sectional that is not quite as cluttered as the New York chart!

I'd like to try out flying from Stewart Airport (SWF) and finding a local landmark around here like the Tappan Zee Bridge and then landing at Westchester (HPN)

In case anybody wants to see what I'm talking about...the Tappan Zee bridge is the Hudson River crossing between Nyack and Tarrytown (GPS 41.07/-73.882).  It should be easy to find once you locate SWF.  Just go south and then slightly east until you see the Hudson River.

What would be the proper way to plan this flight?  Would i still head to the Carmel VOR and then estimate the heading out to the Tappan Zee Bridge?  (Looks like it would be about 240), and then just guess the heading again to HPN?

You can do it any way you want, but having flown (RL) in that neck of the woods for years without ever using GPS and rarely using VORs, I think you're making a lot of work for yourself for such a short flight. That should be a straight shot, and there are so many vidsual landmarks it's a no-brainer.

 Without a chart, you could just use Flight Planner to plot a direct course and use that heading. Note some landmark at or near the river, and make sure you hit that mark as you cross the river. If you miss it, that means you're drifting and need to change heading slightly to compensate.

Tip: the Bear Mountain Bridge, north of the TZ, would actually be a better landmark...it's about where you would cross the river flying direct from SWF to HPN.
 Mind the restricted airspace over West Point, though.

I've never actually landed at HPN in RL, but between the river itself and the big lake NW of HPN, it's darn easy to find when flying direct from SWF.
I would get the ATIS and call HPN tower once I was passing Croton Point, which is that spit of land on the east bank, north of the TZ Bridge.
the TZ Bridge or the city of Tarrytown might make a better reporting point in RL, but you'll end up going out of your way to use those.