Is it legal to fly IFR with one VOR?

[Joseph II]

Is it legal to fly IFR with only one VOR Receiver?

Your entire flight would be on victor airways, with the flight ending with a VOR approach. You have no DME, and the approach has at least one stepdown fix that needs to be identified by a cross radial from a second VOR. The stepdown fix cannot be identified by "Radar".

This is not a trick question.

Thanks

Joe

 

[Flywrite]

I would say this specific flight is not legal because maintaining course and identing the fix require two navs. Someone who wants to go dig, or is more current on CFIIing may say it is legal, but even so it's not smart.
Changing frequencies and OBS settings on a single nav during the approach is just asking for a potentially fatal error.

As far as your broader question of the legality of one VOR, yes it is legal. IFR with no VOR is legal as long as enroute/terminal nav can be accomplished by other means and airspace doesn't require it.

 

[Andy Neill]

Man! What was the Army thinking when it trained me to do intersection holding off of two NDBs or two VORs when I had only one ADF and VOR on board!!!

 

[Flywrite]

Yeah, we've all done it in training, I'm just saying doing it for real, on an approach isn't smart, even if legal. Just becaus you can do it doesnt mean you should.
As a general rule there is less stuff to hit while holding than while stepping down on an approach, making perfect course control a bit less important. Plus we can proably assume that if the fix cannot be IDd by radar, then there is no controller gently whispering words of encourangement when you go wandering off towards a mountain on the wrong radial.

 

[El Cid Av8or]

Yes, it is legal to fly with only one VOR receiver. You'll be a busy camper at times, but it's legal.

 

[flywithastick]

Legal for pt 91. I believe scheuled ops require two in some cases (studied up at one time for the ATP, just didn't take it).

I believe Joe just asked if it was *legal*.

 

[ILLINI]

Yes, it is indeed legal to fly with only one VOR. I once had a student that owned a Tampico with only one VOR (no standby flipflop radio to store a second freq.) and an ADF with no DME. It did infact make things a little more difficult and he was pretty busy during VOR approaches and intersection holds. I wouldn't recommend it, especially in hard IFR.

 

[Joseph II]

Thanks for all responces so far.

Here's what I'm getting in an argument with fellow co-workers..

According to part 91.205(d)(2): Two-way radio communications system and navigational equipment appropriate to the ground facilities to be used.

So we have one VOR system, I believe there would be no problem flying enroute with only one VOR. What I wrestle with is shooting the approach. Is safety compromised when you are swapping VOR frequencies, turning the OBS, identifiying the station at a mere 400' off the deck?

I *think* it would be less safe then flying the airway, but still legal. I can't find a regulation that says "Thou shalt not fly an approach using one VOR if cross raidals need to be identified".

What do you think?

 

[starchkr]

shooting that vor app. with only one indicator would be a piece of cake! Just put the VOR cross radial in your GPS and boom, you now know where your fix is without ever changing frequencies... man it's nice to always have those capabilities!!!!



You never said you didn't have a GPS on board, only that you had no DME.

 

[katanabob]

Technically, wouldn't flying with no VORs, no GPS, no nav whatsoever but an operable Comm be legal if the intended route was to be flown under radar vectors and the approach ASR/PAR?
Grant it, that's not real bright, BUT I have had conducted a flight before that ended up like this. (Electrical difficulties reduced my radio stack to a single comm while enroute)

 

[maverick_fp00]

If you are on a checkride in a plane that only has one NAV/COM would/could the examiner have you hold at an intersection? I know it's possible, I've done it.. it' just a bitch if you are used to GPS or 2 NAV/COMS.

Thanks