"ndb? That Son Of A Bi**h!"

[Rook]

That's a quote from that Flying Tiger crew that hit the mountain in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia sometime in the 80's. I hate to rehash that tragedy, but seeing how most of us in the airline enviornment hardly use NDB approaches (I've only shot the NDB into SBN in IMC)this is a question for pilots flying glass cockpits. I remember the tried and true method of Parelling the course, noting the deflection and doubling it and when your correction equals the deflection you're on course. When flying to the station you turn towards the head of the needle and when flying away from the station you turn away from the tail of the needle but is there any rules of thumb that are even simpler then this? Any comments are welcome and thanks in advance.

Rook
600' AGL Autopilot on.
'WHEW!'

 

[midlifeflyer]

I'd stick with the tried and true paralleling. When you parallel the course, the needle (1) always points to the course line and (2) tells you how much correction you need.

I'd go a step further. When tracking an NDB bearing inbound or outbound (but =especially= outbound), periodically turn so that your heading equals the course as a cross-check, even if you =think= that your correction angle is perfect.

And =always= make sure that your DG hasn't precessed. Especially on an outbound course, even a 5º error in your DG can make a big difference on where you are.

 

[Rook]

Thanks Mike.

I think that a lot of us Make the NDB a lot harder then it really needs to be. When I was doing my CFII training, my instructor told me "The NDB is so Easy that you make it hard on yourself. The needle ALWAYS points to the station." Appreciate the input.

Rook

 

[Mr. Cole]

Hey Rook, is that Mark from G-Force in your avatar?

Dave

 

[Rook]

It sure is. That was my favorite show when I was a kid. I've been a big fan of Anime ever since. Thanks for noticing.

Rook
600' AGL Autopilot on.
'WHEW!'

 

[Rook]

oops

sorry Mark in my reply to you I called you Mike. Guess it's true...Pilots hate to read.

Rook

 

[midlifeflyer]

Re: oops

sorry Mark in my reply to you I called you Mike. Guess it's true...Pilots hate to read.

I've been called worse things. =Much= worse!

 

[TonyC]

...this is a question for pilots flying glass cockpits.


When flying ... blah, blah, blah... but is there any rules of thumb that are even simpler then this?

Yepp. Follow the magenta line.

 

[Ralgha]

The needle ALWAYS points to the station.

Hah, no it doesn't. I've watched it point as much as 20 degrees away from the station, this with an ADF that has been tested over and over again and proclaimed to be "as good as new".

 

[The_Russian]

Trust your feelings.....

The FAA method for tracking and intercepting NDB courses and bearings is by far the best way to navigate on the NDB. The formulas specified in the Intrument flying handbook are tried and true. Read chapter 7 in the IFH and you will be amazed by how accurate the NDB really is.

It's my favorite navaid! Especially with an RMI.

Ralgha,

A couple of things may be happening in your situation. First the ADF wiring may not be shielded causing interference from the voltage created by the alternator. Try turning the alternator off and see how the needle reads within five miles from the station. If that changes nothing it could be that particular NDB. The natural errors of the NDB could be at fault. Or just the quality of the maintenence of that particular NDB may be poor. For example, PRAIZ which is a compass locator at KFXE is difficult to recieve from 5nm away in most aircraft. However, RUBIN a compass locator at PBI, can be recieved easily on the ramp at FXE which is over 25nm away. The reception of RUBIN is also very accurate, while PRAIZ which is 7nm from FXE cannot be recieved at all from the ground. PRAIZ also sits next to a large power grid which could be the cause.

If an NDB is part of the enroute structure it is most likely to be very well maintained. If it is part of an approach, local funding may limit repairs in most cases.

Good Luck.

LET THE AM WAVES GUIDE YOU TO YOUR DESTINATION COMRADES!