MART Vol. II MO/MP - NESA - Civil Air Patrol

The display in the north plane would show the same indication if it wereheading 360° or 030°, since in any case the 0° course from the station is still tothe right. Likewise, the south plane would have the same indications regardlessof the direction it’s pointed. At any given point in space, the VOR display alwaysgives the same indication regardless of the direction the airplane is pointing.VOR can be used like ADF to determine a position in relation to a selectedstation, and the process is considerably simpler due to the directional nature ofthe VOR signals. Rotate the course select knob slowly until the CDI is centeredwith a FROM indication, and look beneath the reciprocal course pointer for theradial. You can draw that radial as a line of position from the station's symbol onthe sectional chart. Even better, if you can receive two stations you can establishposition with very good accuracy by drawing the two radials: where they cross iswhere you are (this is often referred to as a "cross-radial").Each VOR station on the chart has a surrounding compass ring alreadyoriented towards magnetic north. Therefore, it isn’t necessary to correct formagnetic variation. The use of the printed compass circle surrounding the stationon the chart eliminates the need for using the plotter's protractor as well. Use anystraight edge to draw the radial by connecting the station symbol with a pencil linethrough the appropriate radial along the circle. The radial drawn on the chartshows direction, but does not indicate distance from the station. But, you can getan accurate position “fix” by repeating the procedure with another VOR.Using VOR has several advantages over using ADF. The directional natureof the VOR transmissions makes them easier to use for navigation than the nondirectionalsignal from a NDB. Signals from VORs are also much less susceptibleto interference from thunderstorms and static electricity produced by weatherphenomena. The directional signals from VORs also make it much easier tocorrect for crosswinds. Like ADF, VOR is limited by signal blockage from highterrain and obstructions or during flight at very low altitudes. Finally, if the VORequipment has failed you will know it.In order to use a VOR for instrument flight, the receiver must be functionallychecked every thirty days (or prior to any instrument flight). This check must beperformed by an instrument rated pilot and logged in the aircraft's flight logbook.5.5.3 Distance Measuring Equipment (DME)Finding bearing or direction to a station solves only one piece of thenavigation puzzle. Knowing the distance to the station is the final piece to thepuzzle that allows fliers to navigate more precisely. You can use the cross-radialmethod discussed previously to obtain your distance from the stations, but aneven easier method is provided by distance measuring equipment (DME).DME continuously measures the distance of the aircraft from a DME groundunit that is usually co-located with the VOR transmitter (then called a VORTAC).The system consists of a ground-based receiver/transmitter combination called atransponder, and an airborne component called an interrogator. The interrogatoremits a pulse or signal, which is received by the ground-based transponder. Thetransponder then transmits a reply signal to the interrogator. The aircraft's DMEequipment measures the elapsed time between the transmission of theinterrogator's signal and the reception of the transponder's reply and converts thattime measurement into a distance.This measurement is the actual, straight-line distance from the ground unit tothe aircraft, and is called slant range (Figure 5-9). This distance is continuously80