Track Up or Track North?

Track Up, Track North, Depends, Don't Care?

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flav8r

flav8r

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David
Track Up or North Up?

With the recent option addition to FF the debate of Track Up versus North Up has come up again.

Which is your preference and why?

This is merely a survey to see what the majority prefer and the reasons why.
 
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I use track-up because that's what I got used to in the A-6, RF-4, and F-111 long before there were mapping displays in light aircraft. I know several former B-52 navigators who prefer north-up since that's what they had in the Buff back then and that's what they learned to read. Consider it a Law of Primacy issue -- you're likely to be more comforatable with what you learned first.

That said, most of my instrument trainees seem to do better with track-up, but some do better with north-up. Guess it's a matter of "whatever works for you."
 
Track up under 50 mile scale range, track north over 50 mile scale range. That way I can orient myself to where I am in the country or state. The RV-10 moves so fast it's hard to keep up. ;)



Kidding! Geez! Take a pill! :rofl:

Going flying later bye.
 
I don't believe there is such a thing as "Track North", except while a Track Up person happens to be flying north. I believe the term is North Up (which I prefer, by the way).

Wells
 
W. Stewart said:
I don't believe there is such a thing as "Track North", except while a Track Up person happens to be flying north. I believe the term is North Up (which I prefer, by the way).

Wells
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I think he meant "North Up" and that is just a tpyo. I also like North Up but it might be because I am an old guy. I wonder if the younger guys prefer track up (not sure why I think that).
 
It's easier to fly the MLOD in track up mode. But I prefer north up (when I use a GPS) because it helps with the bigger picture - what direction am I going.
 
I flew north up in the 172SP for quite a while...it helped me understand the relationship of my position to the orientation of the airport I was approaching. Once I got that all sorted out, it was a simple transition to track up...which I fly now.
 
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alfadog said:
I think he meant "North Up" and that is just a tpyo. I also like North Up but it might be because I am an old guy. I wonder if the younger guys prefer track up (not sure why I think that).
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You are absolutely correct, at 7am this morning I didn't realize that I had typed Track North instead of North Up. :blush:

I wish there was a way to modify the poll but I think most respondents got the point even with my typo.

For the record I prefer North Up since it gives me a quicker sense of SA at a quick glance.
 
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On raster-based charts like Foreflight and Garmin Pilot, I prefer north up so that the chart appears correct.

On vector-based systems, like the G1000, I prefer track up.
 
Anymouse said:
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That's exactly how I feel about your response.
I can not for the life of me figure out why you felt the need to respond to this question if you had nothing of value to add to it.
If you don't want to answer the question, move on.
The question is not a static one and it may not have been answered previously to my complete satisfaction.
 
I use track up. Track North has always felt unnatural to me. I also do not have a great sense of direction when driving a car. I wonder if there is some relationship between he two. My ex girlfriend liked North up on the car GPS and had a good sense of direction. That is just two data points, though.
 
I like track up because when I am moving forward; my direction is always in front of me whether I am going N. S. E. or W. I want the arrow to point in the direction I am going.
 
I used to like North up so I could maintain orientation with the rest of the world; but after awhile, it was just more natural to do the "Follow your Nose" orientation, so I switched to Track Up and kept it that way
 
oldShar said:
I used to like North up so I could maintain orientation with the rest of the world; but after awhile, it was just more natural to do the "Follow your Nose" orientation, so I switched to Track Up and kept it that way
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I am north-up for this reason as well -- plus I can keep an eye/cross-ref on charts if needed.

I wish North up would dynamically position my airplane so that it shows the maximum amount of forward track available. For example, if I am travelling East, I wish that the map stay North Up, but my airplane icon be on the left side of the screen, instead of the center, showing maximum amount of "forward map" available.
 
Re: Track Up or North Up?

flav8r said:
With the recent option addition to FF the debate of Track Up versus North Up has come up again.
Click to expand...

I just saw the new FF release. Since I have a track up map display on my panel, I'll probably keep my FF iPad operating in north up. That makes switching between map displays and say, taxi diagrams or approach procs, a non disruptive act.

Fast moving RV10 with GRTs....
 
I actually use both. On the g1000 I use track up and on ff I use north up. I like to have my ipad in my lap when I am on any flights over a hour when I am in territory I'm not completely familiar with. There are some things that are easier to reference on ff such as moa's and airspace especially around class b. They seem to compliment each other. Most of my flying seems to be in 400 to 1200 nm trips.
 
I started off with car gps, which is track up, so that's my preference. I think from now on this is what we will be seeing. Agree with GEICO on north up over 50nm as well. Wish my Bendix King had a soothing British voice giving me turn-by-turn!
 
flav8r said:
That's exactly how I feel about your response.
I can not for the life of me figure out why you felt the need to respond to this question if you had nothing of value to add to it.
If you don't want to answer the question, move on.
The question is not a static one and it may not have been answered previously to my complete satisfaction.
Click to expand...

butthurt2.jpg



:D
 
Anyone had their mind changed because of all the excellent replies here? :dunno:
 
North up = left brain (me)

Track up = right brain

at least that's been my experience with locals.
 
Track up for me........... I am too dumb for North up....:goofy:
 
I learned north up when I first learned to fly in a C-150 back in the seventies.

In my military training, high altitude was north up. It's easier to make radar plots or celestial readings in north up.

Low level navigation in B-52 or B-1, were strip charts on each leg, best in track up to get the most data on the strip. The radar could be selected to north or track, which ever you desired.

So it matters not to me, north or track. But it is easier to read the printing in north up.
 
North up since I am a paper map guy from the dark ages.

Cheers
 
Momma always said, Tim Metzinger is a very smart man.

That's all I got to say about that.

Doh! That's not right. I need to say there should be an option for "depends on the hardware".
 
For strictly mapping purposes, I can use either. Add traffic and weather, I prefer track up.
 
Track up for en-route then north up for approach, then the GPS, FF, or whatever will match the approach plate.
 
Track up. The plane has a BK 89B. When it was replaced with another, the default was North Up. I had to go to the book to figure out where to change it. My portable is Track Up as well.
I think it is easier to find things. You get ATC calling traffic (@ your 1 o'clock) you know where to look. Same deal with Track Up.
PS: The auto GPS is Track Up. Easier to find that right turn when *****'n Betty calls it out.
 
On planes I use North up. On boats I use track up. Here is why: on a bost you are often turning to dodge land, shallow water or to make it around a buoy. So its nice to see things on the map as they look out of the windshield. On a plane I am more than likely following the magenta line. Following the line is easy in any configuration. What I find helpful about north up is when people start announcing directions. " north of the field", " to your east" etc. of course the controllers use positions of the clock for traffic, but pilots tend to use the compass direction. So north up allows me to have better situational awareness, one less thing to figure out.
 
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