Question

Your VOR TO/FROM indicator isn't working. How would you determine if you were going TO or FROM a station?

Options:
A) Set 10 degrees either side (e.g., Go from 090 to 080 at the top. Note where CDI moves. If it moves left, you are going FROM, if right you are going TO).
B) Check the magnetic heading on your compass; if it decreases, you are going FROM, if it increases, you are going TO.
C) Monitor the GPS coordinates; if they are decreasing, you are going FROM, if increasing, you are going TO.
D) Estimate based on the wind direction; if the wind is from the station, you are going TO, if it's towards the station, you are going FROM.

Answer 1

To determine direction without a working TO/FROM indicator, you twist the VOR and observe the CDI movement; left indicates FROM, and right indicates TO. A compass needle stays stable when flying along the equator across the meridian. Understanding bearings is critical for precise navigation.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine if you're going TO or FROM a VOR station without a working TO/FROM indicator, you would follow a process to observe changes in the Course Deviation Indicator (CDI). Suppose you are on a heading of 090 and you twist the VOR to 080. If the CDI moves to the left, your position relative to the VOR station is such that you are going FROM the station since the CDI deflects towards the desired course that you need to correct to. If the CDI moves to the right, you would be going TO the station since the VOR is indicating that your desired course lies to the right. It is important to note that the compass itself won't directly indicate whether you're going TO or FROM the VOR station, as it only indicates your aircraft's magnetic heading. Furthermore, the GPS coordinates may provide directional trends that suggest an increase or decrease towards the station, but this option presupposed equipment not inherent in the VOR system itself.

Concerning how a compass will behave if you're flying due west along the equator and cross the prime meridian, the direction that the north pole of the compass needle points will remain to your right if the Earth's magnetic north pole and geographic north pole are assumed to be the same. This stability is because, despite the long-distance travel, you are still travelling along the equator, keeping the orientation of the compass needle constant relative to the Earth's magnetic field.

Understanding the concept of bearings is also critical in navigation. A bearing is the direction from a fixed point, typically expressed in degrees with respect to the North in a clockwise direction. For example, a bearing of 110° means that the direction is 110 degrees clockwise from North. These bearings help in defining precise directional intentions and can complement the usage of a compass.