Dhansham - Pilot's Notebook : VOR

Heading and Bearing

Answer South

VOR operates from 108.0 to 117.95 just above the frequency range of an FM radio.

Tune in the Frequency of Grand Canyon VOR 1119.0MHz on nav Radio
Listen to morse code and validate it
turn obs knob until yuo have FROM Flag, and then center the needle.
Report to Instructor "we are on the RADIAL 310 FROM Grand Canyon VOR"

Correct with Bracketing eg 20 deg to left or right and when intercept then decrease turn by 1/2 of 20 deg or 10 deg

Receiver operates in enroute, Terminal and approach modes and full deflection of needle changes in each mode.

Beyond 30 miles Enroute Mode 10 nautical miles (full deflection is 5Nautical Miles
Within 30 miles of departure /or arrival it works in Terminal Mode 10 nautical miles (full deflection is 5Nautical Miles
Approach Mode - 5 nautical miles.

Draw a straight line from VOR on 310 RADIAL on Sectional Chart
Check your DME say 25 Nautical Miles from Grand Canyon VOR
Draw a 25 Nautical Mile Circle
BOOM you are there!!

Instructor: Fly us from present position to Peach Spring VOR

Student: Tune in to the Peach Spring VOR 112.0MHz

Turn the OBS knob until you have a TO Flag indication

Center the Needle

Turn the aircraft to the Heading 190 as shown on VOR

Ignore Winds for a Second

If you are flying FORM the station or away from the VOR, you are flying on a RADIAL (radials radiates from the station)

If you are flying TO the station or towards the VOR, you are flying a Course TO the Station, or Inbound Radian, (the CDI is a COURSE Deviation Indicator) on a Bearing

Radial From VOR
Fly TO VOR
Wind Correction - Angle

F - Find Frequency (from Sectional etc)
E - Enter Frequency (On NAV)
A - Activate (Make Frequency active on NAV radio)
V - Verify - (Verify Morse Code)
S - Select VOR (fly to VOR)

What is a VOR?

VOR = Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range Station (VOR)

Oriented to Magnetic North

What are the Components of VOR

Radio Navigation Aid - Antenna, Receiver, VOR Indicator

Principle of Operation of VOR

1. Ground Station Send out directional signal 360 deg 30 times every second

2. A second reference signal is send out everytime the the rotating signal passes 360 degrees

3. Aircraft VOR compairs the 2 signals and uses the difference of the 2 signal to calculate the Bearing or Radial the aircraft is FROM the VOR station

4. The VOR reciever and use the signal to indicate the bearing TO the station.

VOR help determine your bearing TO or FROM a Station but not do not give you any indication on which DIRECTION your aircrat is Pointing.

VOR Indicator in the aircaft has 4 parts :

1. Course Index (N E S W)

2. OBS Knob

3. Course Deviation Indication Needle

4. TO/FROM Indicator

The spinner Tail = TO; Center = VOR; Head = From

If you want to fly TO the station

Turn the OBS Knob until you have a TO indication and the Course Deviation Indication Needle is Centered.
Turn your aircraft unit it is pointing to the same direction show by the VOR Course Index.
As long as the Heading Indicatior and the Course Index agree AND you keep the Needle center, you will fly right to the VOR station.
When you pass the station, the TO flag will flip to FROM

How to Read VOR to know where the aircraft is located.

Example 1

Given Info on VOR

1. Course Deviation Needle is deflected to Right

- Aircraft is on the Left (shaded in Yellow)

2. TO Flag is showing

- Aircraft is on the TAIL side of the Radial

This means the aircraft is on the botton left quadrant

3. Course Index is 21 =210 deg

We need to turn the diagram so that it aligns with the 210 as it is indicated with the Course Index

Rotate to match Course Index 210 deg

- which means the aircraft is somewhere EAST of VOR

Example 2

Given Info on VOR

1. Course Deviation Needle is Center

- Aircraft is on the RADIAL however which side? (shaded in Yellow)

2. FROM Flag is showing

- Aircraft is on the Radial Side HEAD side of the Radial

This means the aircraft is on the TOP half of the Radial

3. Course Index is 21 =210 deg

We need to turn the diagram so that it aligns with the 210 as it is indicated with the Course Index

Have to Rotate the Radial so that it matches the Course Index of 210 deg

- Which means the airplane is in the South-SouthWest of the VOR

Bearing is my position in relationship to something else. It does not care what heading you are flying. It is the course you need to fly to the station. It is the course to the VOR Station.