Navigation using Dash-7

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Rune Jensen

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Today 5:06 PM
Hi!

I am a new member here and so far all my flights has been done using the ATR-72. Now I was thinking about taking a flight with the Dash-7 wich I guess has no FMC. However the flightplans given for the Dash-routes are using airways. How do you follow them with no FMC on board?

Are you using VOR to VOR instead?
 
Good old style radio navigation :) Based on raw data: VOR radials, NDB bearings and DME tracking. Use not only of terminal, but also of enroute charts makes this a blast and it's very rewarding. Here's a great set of tutorials to get you up to speed with radio navigation: http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/

VOR to VOR is a very misleading term in simulator context. In reality it was used, and still is, by aircraft that don't have the ability to track a radial reliably and/or don't have DME (think Boeing Stratocruiser or Beechcraft 18 with their original instrument panels). All aircraft produced after the 1950s already have DME and some kind of HSI, making the original "VOR-to-VOR" flying obsolete. In the modern sense VOR to VOR means flying airways that are based on VOR radials or NDB beraings, which most lower airways are. Contrary to the general flightsim notion it does not imply criss-crossing the airspace direct between any VOR's you want.
 
Rune Jensen said:
Thanks for answer and a very useful link. Think I will have a lot of fun with the Dash :)
Click to expand...

I'm sure you will :) Milton Shupe's model is very nice for a freeware and the flight dynamics are excellent. Systems are default, but it has custom-made gauges and good VC. Overall it's one of my favourite freeware aircraft and good choice to learn and practice traditional navigation.
 
Yes this tutorial is great. I worked through the whole book with all flights. It was cool how to fly only with NDB navigation, knowing exactly where I am and how to find the field with only NDB on board and then the NDB approaches 8) - then the next step and much easier and much more precise the VOR navigation and VOR DME approaches. Going through this tutorial is going through the history of aviation.
Cheers Tom :fly: :fly: :fly:
 
It's really fun to fly old style navigation and then after become proficient you can use free software like VASFMC or PLANG to help you for navigation just ion case you are lazy to organize your flight.
 
Thanks for this find. That brings me to the idea, that in FS9 are a lot of mission that are unflown until today....

One of them is the flight from the east to the west coast with a Airmail. With my new trimwheel it shouldn't be a problem to hold the old Curtiss Jenny on the same altitude....

On upcoming weekend I will try to plan the route for a VFR Vatsim Event....

By the way, has anybody flown the Lindbergh thing from NY to Paris? That could be a funny thing the next CTP Event :lol:
 
I agree with Svilen and others saying that old style navigation is BY FAR more rewarding than entering data in a computer / FMC which then flies the bird for you... This is becoming an issue also in real life! See for example:
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Having said that, and considering 1) that there is clearly a small group of Air-Childers who love small planes / traditional navigation and 2) that we have also real pilots / controllers in our ranks, I wonder if we could develop a small wing training together on as-close-as-it-gets 'manual' flying. I found at least another virtual aeroclub which does that: ( http://www.cixvfrclub.org.uk )but of course would be happy to have that possibility in my preferred virtual airline... any hopes?

Incidentally, I started my real life air training to get my PPL-A :rofl: - I owe this to Air-Child which made me develop a taste for flying! The only little problem is that living in Germany I must take the course in German... ;) we'll see if I pass the exam in spring...
Ciao!
 
I'd recommend to see the "Children of magenta" movie (to find on youtube). It's the lecture given by senior aviation instructor about threats of total addition to FMC and automation during flight.

Bogus
 
Also on related note, the FAA
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2 days ago, expressing concern about manual handling and issuing a recommendation to airlines to encourage and improve basic hand-flying skills and raw data usage among their pilots. As one of the commenters on avherald says: "I wish we were this wise in the EU...."
 
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