ADF: Worth studying???

[UA-RESURRECTED]

How many people really use this anymore? VOR's seem much more useful and much more plentiful than NDB's. And even VOR's are getting "old".

I've already passed the written, so is it really worth it to brush up on ADF? Is it typically an issue durring the checkride?

 

[Way2Broke]

I use them all the time, please take pitty on my soul!

 

[gkrangers]

Private checkride?

It wouldnt hurt to know how to use it.

Tune the frequency, identify it, and the needle points toward the station. Very simple when used like that.

 

[pa31350pilot]

Yeah, the ADF is a good thing to know. You'll have questions pop up along the way if you keep taking written tests. Also, as you get into more advanced equipment, you'll start to see RMI's. Easy to use, and really helpful for shooting arc's and such. Hey, I also had a buddy flying 1900's up in the northeast for a while, and they used the ADF for approaches (yes NDB's!!!! scary, I know!) on a regular basis. They are going the way of the dinosaur, but since they are still here, figure the thing out. It's also good for listening to baseball now and football in the fall!! Great company on the long night stretches!

 

[wmuflyguy]

How many people really use this anymore? VOR's seem much more useful and much more plentiful than NDB's. And even VOR's are getting "old".

I've already passed the written, so is it really worth it to brush up on ADF? Is it typically an issue durring the checkride?

You will never know when you might need to use it. I hadn't messed with an NDB in a long time. Then during initial training I had to do a Raw data ndb hold. that was kind rough.

 

[Metro752]

NDBs, what?

 

[QuasarZ]

I never once used ndb's during my private or instrument training due to the planes being newer without adf's. Now i am working on my commercial and have yet to use one. I personally, wish that I would have learned how to use them. I know canada has a ton of ndb's, and less vor's. THey are like us but the other way around, ndb vor wise. To much information would never hurt. What will get ya will be when you are flying for a company or something and your vor's go out and all you have to use is the adf.
(sorry for the spelling erros, long day)

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

The time you are spending figuring out if you should know it or not is about the same amount of time needed to learn to use it. The latter is a known outcome...

Why accept a limitation? You may fly a plane that has one and now you can't shoot certain ILS's

 

[sky37d]

It's a valid question. I have been flying with a CFI, and he and I are going to do some instrument stuff. He questions whether or not to do NDB's because they are supposed to be phased out.

 

[minitour]

Turn towards the head.

Holds and approaches are pretty easy, honestly. Can they be made hard? Yeah, but so can ILSs and arcing approaches, etc.

Turn towards the head........that's all you need to know. ESPECIALLY if you have a movable card ADF. Fixed card requires a little more mental math, but you can still git 'r dun.

-mini

 

[5150]

20 years of airline flying and i've shot just 2 NDB approaches on the line..... and that was 10 years ago. You may need to know them for checkrides, but as far as actual airline flying, i doubt you will ever see one on the line. My airline does not even teach them anymore in the sim.

 

[LowlyPropCapt]

I use them plenty... Not to shoot approaches, we took them out of the ops specs sme time ago. For those of us who don't fly airplanes with EFIS and fancy moving maps, they are a nice situational awareness tool to complete the position picture.

Used to shoot lots of NDB approaches into EYW back in the day.

 

[Lead Sled]

AD what? Isn't an NDB approach some kind of emergency procedure?

 

[flatspin7]

I've been at XJT and CAL... XJT straight up isnt authorized to do NDB approaches... CAL doesnt even have ADFs in the 737NG, The older 737s still have them but they just overlay GPS and thats how they shoot the approach.

ADFs are good for listening to the ball game and finding a good oldies AM station! Not that anybody would actaully do such a thing in a airliner!

 

[MauleSkinner]

It's a valid question. I have been flying with a CFI, and he and I are going to do some instrument stuff. He questions whether or not to do NDB's because they are supposed to be phased out.

Ask him the date by which they're all going to be phased out...if you're going to do any flying before that, I'd learn 'em. If not, don't bother.

Fly safe!

David

 

[MauleSkinner]

Turn towards the head.

Holds and approaches are pretty easy, honestly. Can they be made hard? Yeah, but so can ILSs and arcing approaches, etc.

Turn towards the head........that's all you need to know. ESPECIALLY if you have a movable card ADF. Fixed card requires a little more mental math, but you can still git 'r dun.

-mini

ADF math is easy...I've NEVER done more than count tick marks from the nose of the airplane, subtract desired from actual tick marks, and double that for my correction. At 5 degrees per tick mark, you don't even have to use both hands

Fly safe!

David

 

[DGdaPilot]

Well don't come to the Caribbean if you can't use an ADF. Let's see: NDB/DME into St. Kitts for example. The weather is usually pretty good down here, but sometimes you'll get caught with your pants down.

 

[sky37d]

Ask him the date by which they're all going to be phased out...if you're going to do any flying before that, I'd learn 'em. If not, don't bother.

Fly safe!

David

Like a lot of people, I learned it some time ago, and my airplane has an ADF. The question is, for future proficiency, is it worthwhile spending any time finding and flying to an NDB approach, or skip it for the more conventional stuff.

 

[Fugawe]

Learn what it basically is and does. Then if you fly a plane with an ADF, learn the specifics for using it in that plane.

Works for any eqpt.

 

[Wankel7]

I work for a 135 and about a year ago NDBs were added back to the op specs.

I don't mind them we sometimes still shoot an NDB. And of course we use them as compass locators.

If I was still instructing I would make my student's know it. I think the understanding gained from being good with the ADF would help in other areas.

Wankel