A couple questions I could google but feel like conversations help retain

W

wannagofishing

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Jan 9, 2012
Messages
18
Display Name
Display name:
John D
What is the purpose of TACAN and DME with regard to VORs? What exactly do they do and how? Seems like VORs are VORs when it comes to navigating.

Also, where and how do you determine if a VOR is terminal, low or high? In the A/FD? What about the sectional? Are they usually one of the three with exceptions?

What is LORAN?

For the life of me my CFI said it backwards once and I simply cannot remember the difference of 122.0 and 122.2. Which is FSS? What's the difference between the two?

Thanks everyone!

PS my check ride is scheduled for 2/3
 
wannagofishing said:
What is the purpose of TACAN and DME with regard to VORs? What exactly do they do and how? Seems like VORs are VORs when it comes to navigating.
Click to expand...

A TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation system) is a military version of a VOR/DME combination. It is more accurate than the civilian VOR/DME but that accuracy is not useful to you unless you have military equipment in your plane.

Also, where and how do you determine if a VOR is terminal, low or high? In the A/FD? What about the sectional? Are they usually one of the three with exceptions?
Click to expand...

Yes, in the A/FD. Not on the sectional. No, they are NOT usually one of the three kinds... that's the complete list of what they can be, so they are always one of the three.

What is LORAN?
Click to expand...

Long Range Navigation system. A now obsolete navigation system that has been closed down. Much hand wringing on the decision to close LORAN as it provided a good ground-based backup to the satellite-based GPS system, and that capability is now lost. Regardless of how fast the government could bring LORAN back on the air in an emergency, most everyone has removed the on-board LORAN receivers so that in an emergency nobody could use the signal any more.

For the life of me my CFI said it backwards once and I simply cannot remember the difference of 122.0 and 122.2. Which is FSS? What's the difference between the two?
Click to expand...

Conveniently located on the back page of the Sectional (when folded) is a box labeled Communication Boxes. The legend says
Heavy line box indicates Flight Service Station (FSS). Frequencies 121.5, 122.2, 243.0 and 255.4 are available at many FSSs and are not shown above the box. All other frequencies are shown.
Click to expand...

So now you know that 122.2 is a FSS freq., and you know where to look if you forget.

-Skip
 
Last edited:
wannagofishing said:
PS my check ride is scheduled for 2/3
Click to expand...
If that's true, and you still have all these questions, you would be wise to grab your copy of the FAR/AIM, turn to the part with the list of AIM sections and FAR's to read for each level of ceritificate/rating, and read all the ones for Private Pilot -- thoroughly. Then come back here with any questions you have, because it appears your instructor is a bit remiss on preparing you for the practical test.
 
Last edited:
Skip Miller said:
A TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation system) is a military version of a VOR/DME combination. It is more accurate than the civilian VOR/DME but that accuracy is not useful to you unless you have military equipment in your plane.



Yes, in the A/FD. Not on the sectional. No, they are NOT usually one of the three kinds... that's the complete list of what they can be, so they are always one of the three.



Long Range Navigation system. A now obsolete navigation system that has been closed down. Much hand wringing on the decision to close LORAN as it provided a good ground-based backup to the satellite-based GPS system, and that capability is now lost. Regardless of how fast the government could bring LORAN back on the air in an emergency, most everyone has removed the on-board LORAN receivers so that in an emergency nobody could use the signal any more.



Conveniently located on the back page of the Sectional (when folded) is a box labeled Communication Boxes. The legend says


So now you know that 122.2 is a FSS freq., and you know where to look if you forget.

-Skip
Click to expand...

122.0 is also an FSS frequency, but it is a dedicated position within the facility. The specialist who persons (?) that position is not equipped to handle anything but weather information...no flight plans, for example.

Bob Gardner
 
Thanks! Well, these are some of the very few I keep learning and/or forgetting. I got a 95% on my practical test, but these were some of the lingering questions as my wife was quizzing me from Haynes oral exam guide book... Which I haven't studied yet.

Lots to know and I've retained a lot more that I've been able to discuss or use practically. (ex probably ready about Loran but bc not used, didn't remember as well)
 
122.0 is Flight Watch (EFAS), which as Bob mentioned, is a specific position in FSS which provides enroute weather updates.
 
bobmrg said:
122.0 is also an FSS frequency, but it is a dedicated position within the facility. The specialist who persons (?) that position is not equipped to handle anything but weather information...no flight plans, for example.

Bob Gardner
Click to expand...

They'll also take PIREPs which are pretty light these days.
 
So if you don't have an RCO (I do) would you use 122.0 or 122.2 to open a flight plan airborne?

And what does and how does DME work?
 
Ron Levy said:
If that's true, and you still have all these questions, you would be wise to grab your copy of the FAR/AIM, turn to the part with the list of AIM sections and FAR's to read for each level of ceritificate/rating, and read all the ones for Private Pilot -- thoroughly. Then come back here with any questions you have, because it appears your instructor is a bit remiss on preparing you for the practical test.
Click to expand...

Whatever Ron - the student knows areas he is deficient and asked some questions. Looks like a good effort to me and your comment regarding the flight instructor is BS. A private pilot candidate is bound to have a weakness or two.
 
wannagofishing said:
So if you don't have an RCO (I do) would you use 122.0 or 122.2 to open a flight plan airborne?
Click to expand...

Well, ya prolly don't want to call Flight Watch to open a flight plan. Use whatever frequency is available for FSS which may be 122.2. Look at the VOR notation and see which frequency to use.

That said, I've used 122.0 to get help when I couldn't get a response from FSS (which may have been my fault). At other times, I've used FSS for weather updates when I couldn't get a response on 122.0

wannagofishing said:
And what does and how does DME work?
Click to expand...

DME is magic. It tells us how far we are from a VOR by measuring the time for signals to arrive. Very handy around a Bravo airspace. Useful at other times too.
 
wannagofishing said:
So if you don't have an RCO (I do) would you use 122.0 or 122.2 to open a flight plan airborne?

And what does and how does DME work?
Click to expand...

Read what I said about flight plans in post #4.

Bob
 
Clark1961 said:
DME is magic.
Click to expand...

Clark1961 said:
It tells us how far we are from a VOR by measuring the time for signals to arrive.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say it's magic, but for anybody who's ever tried to measure the speed of light, I'd say it's cool.

It is a timer capable of making measurements with such speed that it can time a radio signal traveling at the speed of light for a distance as short as a mile, or even less.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top