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ADF: Worth studying???

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UA-RESURRECTED

Does this mean I failed?
Joined
Nov 3, 2005
Posts
126
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?
 
I use them all the time, please take pitty on my soul!
 
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.
 
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!
 
UA-RESURRECTED said:
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.
 
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)
 
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
 
Last edited:
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.
 
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
 

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