Polar flight: compass swaps ends when?

[Crossky]

I'm an RJ guy, only gone 4-6 days at a time, and to Canada sometimes, two time zones only.

So the question came to me for you fellas who fly the polar routes: When does your wet compass and electronic compass swap ends from N to S or vice-versa when flying these polar routes? Does it happen gradually or quickly? In my limited knowledge you guys fly specified NAV routes point to point. I that intertial and GPS based or how?

I guess you would expect your compass to swap ends anytime you fly a polar route when the latitude lines you're crossing will start changing in the opposite direction. Or when you cross one of the poles at a line perpendicular to your course.

Thanks for the info. Now I can go back to cable TV on the overnight.

 

[stupidpilot]

If you are flying polar routes you are using INS. So will swap right over the geographic North Pole. The Whiskey compass won't swap until you pass over the magnetic North Pole. Even then it should happen very slowly. It is currently in the vicinity of 82.7N 114.4W. And it continues to wander North. The lies of magnetic flux are perpendicular to the earth's surface at the mag North Pole. Therefore the compass will actually try to point downwards toward the pole. So the swap should be slow.

Does this help?

 

[Crossky]

If you are flying polar routes you are using INS. So will swap right over the geographic North Pole. The Whiskey compass won't swap until you pass over the magnetic North Pole. Even then it should happen very slowly. It is currently in the vicinity of 82.7N 114.4W. And it continues to wander North. The lies of magnetic flux are perpendicular to the earth's surface at the mag North Pole. Therefore the compass will actually try to point downwards toward the pole. So the swap should be slow.

Does this help?

Yea it does, thanks. Preciate it.

Now for another global type question. Why does the orbital track of the space shuttle or other space vehicles show on the map like a sine wave? thanks.

 

[flyburg]

Dude....


draw a circle on a globe, then cut it in half and flatten it, just like a picture of the globe in an atlas and see what the circle turns out like.

 

[Metro752]

you have a compass that works?

 

[Crossky]

Dude....


draw a circle on a globe, then cut it in half and flatten it, just like a picture of the globe in an atlas and see what the circle turns out like.

Dude....

thanks.

Can I borrow your globe?