bearing from or bearing to

[say again]

So...you're flying your FMS, and you're issued a hold "east of the NDB on the 090 bearing"..now what?

You've still got to set up your FMS hold on the proper "bearing".

It's just like plugging in a radial of a VOR. It makes it so much easier, and takes all the guess work out if it. So yes, you still have to set up the FMS, but it beats sitting there and trying and figure out bearings and all that other BS!!!!:beer:

 

[F16fixer]

David from new ulm, is that you?

So...you're flying your FMS, and you're issued a hold "east of the NDB on the 090 bearing"..now what?

You've still got to set up your FMS hold on the proper "bearing".

 

[minitour]

No, I'm afraid that bearings on the ADF are "To" in general use.

So when you track outbound on the NDB 3 OUN Approach (just an example...sorry can't get the plate to linky)...are you not on the 200 bearing from the station?

This is just the way I was taught and I'm not saying you're wrong...I'd just like to clarify.

-mini

 

[Donsa320]

So when you track outbound on the NDB 3 OUN Approach (just an example...sorry can't get the plate to linky)...are you not on the 200 bearing from the station?

This is just the way I was taught and I'm not saying you're wrong...I'd just like to clarify.

-mini

Yes you are and if you have a fully functioning RMI card you could read that directly under the tail of the ADF needle.
With a fixed card the mental gymnastics are increased. But if you only consider the head of the ADF needle it will always tell you 2 things. Whether you are on track... or... which way to turn to get back to track if you place the airplane on the desired track heading. That works inbound or outbound and I've seen a turn in the wrong direction many times after crossing the station when the attention shifts to the tail of the needle. Arg!

In the A-320 only the tail of the ADF needle is displayed going away from the station along with a partial RMI display in the mode we used for the ADF approaches. It was a bear deciding which way to correct going away from the station at first. Of course smart money would just fly the map and back it up with the ADF but not on a checkride.

However, whatever works for you is fine.

DC

 

[minitour]

No, I'm afraid that bearings on the ADF are "To" in general use.

Yes you are and if you have a fully functioning RMI card you could read that directly under the tail of the ADF needle.

So....which is it? Are all bearings to or do you have to and from?

Also, you don't necessarily need an RMI (although those are fun)...you could just be using a straight movable card ADF or (as you already mentioned) a fixed card ADF.

But I'm still confused...is it all bearings are TO the station or you can track a bearing FROM a station or TO a station.....

Maybe I should just go FROM this thread and TO the fridge and get a beer FROM the fridge and put it in TO my belly :beer:

-mini

 

[Tinstaafl]

It depends on your frame of reference w.r.t. the direction your trying to measure.

Your position from the NDB is a Bearing FROM. At the same time the direction needed to get to the station is a Bearing TO. They're two sides of the same coin.

Generally a Bearing FROM is used to describe your position w.r.t. somewhere else whilst a Bearing TO is used to describe somewhere else's position w.r.t. yourself.

 

[A Squared]

The answer is:

Listen carefully to what the controller says and ask for clarification if he doesn't say "to" or "from"

 

[Donsa320]

So....which is it? Are all bearings to or do you have to and from?

Also, you don't necessarily need an RMI (although those are fun)...you could just be using a straight movable card ADF or (as you already mentioned) a fixed card ADF.

But I'm still confused...is it all bearings are TO the station or you can track a bearing FROM a station or TO a station.....

Maybe I should just go FROM this thread and TO the fridge and get a beer FROM the fridge and put it in TO my belly :beer:

-mini

Well, I thought the original question was: are ADF bearings generally referred to as "TO" or "From"? And my answer is "TO". That is the way they are charted. How you fly them is your option.

DC

 

[A Squared]

And my answer is "TO". That is the way they are charted.

Not true at all. They are charted both ways Just a cursory glance through my jepps results in both "to" and "from"

 

[bafanguy]

No, I'm afraid that bearings on the ADF are "To" in general use.
.

We found it best to refer to ADF bearings as "To" and VOR Radials as radiating out "From" to avoid confusion, having grown up with both.

Best
DC

Donsa,

When I first saw the question asked, my reaction was the same as yours....bearings are "TO". I think this may be what those of us of a "certain age" were taught; it's clearly what I remember.

My 1963 copy of "Air Navigation" by the US Navy Hydrographic Office says, "Note that the bearing of a radio station is the reciprocal of the direction of propagation of the radio wave." I think this is a roundabout way of saying "TO", i.e., the signal comes from the station measured as 270, the bearing is 090 ?

I looked in "Weems & Zweng" and found no definitive statement.

However, the AIM, "Pilot/Controller Glossary" states "...to or from any point...". And the "FAA Instrument Flying Handbook" says, "A bearing is simply the direction of a straight line between the aircraft and station, or vice-versa."

As you said earlier, just don't let there be any confusion bewteen you and the controller as to what the clearance is.