Page 33 - PDF_Flip_Book

Chapter 11 - Radio Navigation: The Frequency Flyer Program
11-17

The VOR Orienter

I’ve always looked for the easiest way to do things—minimum ener-
gy expended for maximum gain is my motto. Of course some people
are just plain lazy. A bachelor friend of mine is very much like that. If a
button falls off his jacket, he’ll sew up the hole. If he spills liquid on his
kitchen floor, he handles the problem organically—he lets it evaporate.
Well, the little device you see here will allow you to discover the answer
to VOR problems with minimum energy. It’s called a VOR orienter.
Practice drawing it exactly as it’s pictured. When you’re taking an
aeronautical knowledge exam, draw the orienter on a small 2 inch by 2
inch square sheet of paper. Place the orienter over the VOR referenced
in the test. Face the arrow on the orienter in the direction set by the
OBS. Now you can easily answer any question about VOR orientation.
For example, on a flight from Findme International airport to Ubhere
Municipal airport, the 340 degree radial identifies the halfway point of
the journey as shown in the accompanying figure.

Assume your VOR receiver is
tuned to the LCB VOR and the OBS is
set to 340 degrees. If you have a right
needle with a FROM indication, have
you crossed the halfway point of your
flight?
To solve the problem, simply place
your VOR orienter over the LCB VOR
and face it to a heading of 340
degrees, as shown by the dashed
lines. The four quadrants of the VOR
orienter represent the VOR indications
for airplanes in each of those four
quadrants. Find the quadrant on the
orienter with a right needle and a
FROM indication. This shows you
where you are in relation to the select-
ed course. From the looks of it, your
airplane hasn’t crossed the halfway
point. The VOR orienter isn’t practical
for use in flight, but makes perfect
sense for aeronautical knowledge
exams.
The same navigational problem
also turns up on exams phrased this
way: “While on a flight from Findme
International to Ubhere Municipal air-
port, what will your VOR indicate if you
haven’t crossed the halfway point as
defined by the 340 degree radial from
LCB VOR?” Set your orienter up the
same way you did previously. Look at
the side of the orienter to the left of the
halfway point (to the left of the 340
degree radial). It shows a right needle
with a FROM indication. If you had
crossed the halfway point, you’d have
a left needle with a FROM indication.