Do Any of You Still use NDB's

[Citationkid]

I was wondering when the last time any of you pilots flew an NDB approch. I've never flown one! Are they being phased out?

 

[mainah]

According to the FAA, they were supposed to have been phased out by 1974. However, they are still here. Haven't shot an NDB approach in months but they are still alive and well.

 

[H25BCPTN]

I fly NDB's every six months, training.


Fly Safe

 

[Salty Dog]

Last Saturday. I fly them fairly often. As long as it's the only approach to a lot of airports surrounding major metro areas, I can't see getting rid of them until GPS is more universal/less expensive.

They're not that hard and w/out the NDB receiver how else would you get Rush Limbaugh/Hank Williams in the air? A $5000 panel mount CD player? Sure, if your mom lets me borrow her plane...

 

[Hawker rider]

I must say that I'm actually surprised how often I still use them in actual flight. Sometimes ATC would prefer for us to fly an NDb in stead off another published approach because the other approach messes up their traffic flow to another airport. I had that going into a little airport off PHX a little while ago, for the GPS they had to reroute all the traffic going into PHX before they could authorize us.

Off course some of the airports in Mexico and Canada, you have to shoot an NDB approach, and if you're not very familiar with the airports, like me most of the time, it's a lot easier to shoot a published approach then to make something up yourself by doing a dangerous visual.

I have to admit that I cheat though! I have approach-approved GPS in my lear24's and I just make a waypoint of the NDb and then use the actual ndb as a backup, so i know that I'm going in the right direction LOL

M

 

[B190Captain]

I fly one every six months during profficiency check but on the flight line it's very rare.

I remember in Key West it was heavy rain and low clouds and we were the only dorks out there shooting the NDB while everyone else is getting in with the the ASR. Well anyway, that is not the case now as we are authorized for the ASR.

 

[SkySpray]

Hi Citationkid, I don't fly NDB's too often these days (or any approach for that matter.. bummer of being lAAid-off). However, I was an ATR Captain for Eagle out of San Juan, and there are several airports down there where an NDB approach is your only option. Just off the top of my head, Beef Island, Anguilla, Dominica, and St. Kitts come to mind, and I think there are a couple more. I'd say that I probably did more non-precisions than precisions while I was down there. I guess it just depends on what part of the world you're flying in.

 

[BeachBum]

I've flown several. A lot of airports don't have anything but NDB or GPS approaches. And with the approach certified gps's still so **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** expensive, that basically leaves you with NDB. They might be old, but they work. Plus, they are more fun. They require some navigation instead of just following some highlighted line on the 5 inch color screen of your $20,000 gps.

 

[Beechnut]

I flew a full NDB approach (with PT and all) in a CRJ into Edmonton Alberta last winter. I use to shoot NDB's all the time going into the home airport of my last job in Missouri.

S.

 

[avbug]

The NDB is far from dead. It's a viable and useful navigational tool. For those who don't fly the NDB often, but use the RMI flying a VOR approach, what's the difference. It works out the same, is flown the same, is displayed in the cockpit the same, and uses the exact same skills. Understanding the NDB is inherent to understanding basic navigational skills.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

In Mexico, they basically don't use NDBs for approaches. They use almost exclusively VORs. I know of one NDB which is used in Mexico for enroute navigation, but you rarely get an airway using that navaid.

In Canada, they use NDBs a lot more. There is one in Sarnia (S. Ontario) that is on an airway-we had that yesterday, but luckily were given direct because we didn't have to use it. I've flown here a little over a year, and have watched the other guy fly 2 NDBs (both in ONtario), but I've never flown one. We do them in the sim.

NDBs are to be phase out at a higher rate than VORs in the airspace modernization plan.

Some airlines, I believe FedEx is one, don't train on them anymore.

Cliff
DTW

 

[flx757]

Some airlines, I believe FedEx is one, don't train on them anymore.

AirTran (at least on the 717) is another. We don't even have ADF receivers installed in the 717s, so obviously, NDB approaches are not approved.

Now, on the DC-9s...well, that's another story.

 

[bigD]

My home airport only has NDB and GPS approaches, so when I'm renting a plane without an IFR GPS (which is often), I have to fly the NDB approach to get in when it's IFR. Which granted, with the weather what it is around here, isn't often. Looking in my logbook, I've done 5 actual NDB approaches in the last 12 months (i.e. not training).

 

[troyzohner]

Other than training/recurrency i never did an actual NDB approach. However when shooting the ILS or other approach I have used the NDB as the OM in a plane without market beacons. Also on a flight from Front Royal VA FRR to Shenedoah Regional SHD Washington center had me fly direct OM which is an NDB and shoot the ILS approach own navigation. I know i have flown some airports with only NDB approaches but VFR conditions prevailed and approach wasnt necessary. Flipping through approach plates i see several airports that have just an NDB and maybe a GPS approach. I'm know i havent flown to many IRF approved GPS equipped planes whilst renting so i guess its good to know how to fly the NDB if your flying light GA aircraft with potential IFR conditions looming. When necessary to keep IFR currency going, I usually sneak in an NDB just so i dont foget it complely. So maybe the NDB approaches arent that common everywhere but i have used the NDB in real world flying nonetheless.

 

[de727ups]

No NDB's

We were just informed that NDB approaches are no longer legal to fly in our IFR GPS equipped 727's. We have the equipment to fly them but I think the company doesn't want to continue spending the time to keep up trained on them. We do GPS approaches now.

My IFR training aircraft doesn't have an NDB in it...it has an approach approved GPS. If the student wants to learn NDB's, I can teach them in the ground trainer.

 

[airgator]

I actually had an instrument instructor that didn't want to teach me to fly NDB approaches because I wouldn't need it for the checkride. Same thing with DME. I dropped him and got another much better instructor. Although NDB's aren't used much in the US, they are still all over the rest of the world and used very often.

 

[avbug]

ATPcliff,

The last time I flew to mexico (two months ago), I flew an NDB approach.

 

[iaflyer]

This thread got me thinking - so I browsed thru my logbook. In the last three years, I've had to shoot 4 NDB approaches.

Not too many. Of course, we get one or two at each PC check.

Some of our airplanes have two ADF receivers! (But only 4 out of 13 airplanes have IFR certified GPSes.)

iaflyer

 

[sky37d]

Unfortunately, Yes.
LDM and CLI only have NDB's, and I end up going there frequently. I think that there may be GPS's at LDM, but no approach GPS in my plane.
I heard they were going to be phased out, but if you look at the standard equipment in a brand new C-90, as well as many other planes, it includes an ADF.

 

[Anaconda]

about 2 - 3 months ago we were cleared for the ndb 9 into SAV around midnight. full approach no less, in the crj. wind did not favor landing on 36, although i guess we could have if asked. ceiling wasn't that low either. not to much of a challenge with the crj automation.