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How To Navigate in CFS
with the Gryphon Navigation Window
By: Marv Howell, Colonel, USAF(RET)
aka
GZR_SACTARGETS and P51D User
marvh@home.com
GryphonAv@yahoo.com
Index
After I began to use the excellent "cfgEdit" program with CFS-II panels, I found that I could plug in all the navigation aids on one window and still allow good external views. Since that could also be on a toggle switch it was easy to remove it entirely (deselect) whenever you wanted to do that. The window I built has autopilot, Independent GPS, Programmed GPS, and ADF. Mostly due to Chuck Dome's hard work. I just plugged them in. In this exercise the programmed GPS for the Pacific is used. On the full WW panel both the Pacific and European programmed GPS are used. You can get them on this site as zip files. There is also an explanation of those panels with the zip files.
This exercise walks you through the use of all the Navigation Aids. It is not a "mission" that you load, but rather a practical use of the tools to fly a Round Robin from Port Moresby to Lae to Alexishafen and return to Port Moresby. Along the way it uses all of the instruments in some way. This tutorial will explain how to set up the various navigation aids and how they give you information about where in the world you are. It is illustrated with screenshots I took as I flew the cross-country flight.
To set this up there are some useful bits of information to start with.
What are the references I can use? There are ADF listings, Coordinate listings, and for some even maps and charts. These are good to have handy for planning. For this flight, here are the data points you will need.
LAE- S 06*43.83 E 146.59.93 ADF setting 221 (it is 159 NM from Port Moresby on a heading of about due North (360 degrees)
ALEXISHAFEN- S 05*04.85 E 145.47.89 ADF setting is 200, Heading about 345 from LAE.
PORT MORESBY- S 09*22.49 E 147*13.20 ADF setting is 236
Heading about 150 from ALEXISHAFEN.
PRE-TAKE OFF. Start your engine and set the brakes. MS only allows a short amount of battery power. If you don’t start your engine and you take too much time setting up your nav equipment, you may not be able to start your engine! You will have to back out to get a fresh battery and you will lose whatever you had set in the Nav window.
First you must open up the navigation window. The "ADF" button on the panel will do that. Now you see that the autopilot is across the top with the ADF bearing indicator and frequency selector below that. Immediately to the right of the ADF is the independent GPS. You make all the settings there. Below that is the pre-programmed Pacific GPS.
Do the easy things first. Set 221 in the ADF, and use the arrow keys on the preprogrammed GPS to find LAE. Now set the coordinates in the independent GPS.
Look at the preprogrammed GPS bearing line- It is showing the relative bearing to the point you have selected (LAE). Note that it is a "relative" bearing- it is relative to the nose of your airplane. By looking at the current aircraft heading we can estimate the heading to the point
Now look at the Independent GPS- it does not give us any heading info at all. Instead the pointer shows which direction to turn to center the pointer. With the pointer centered we are flying toward the point we have set in as coordinates. If the pointer is left of center turn left and vice versa.
The ADF ranges are relatively short in the Pacific (About 150 NM) so the ADF bearing may not show anything. If the station is out of range, the ADF needle will point at W (090). If you have the ident turned on, you will not hear any Morse code signals until you are in range of the station.
Now setup the autopilot. Don't turn it on, just set it up. Put in the approximate heading, the altitude you want to fly, and the vertical speed (VS) you want to use for climb-out. Don't bother setting the speed; you will control that with your throttle. Immediately after you get the gear up or at anytime after that you can turn the autopilot on, turn the heading and Alt on and you will fly whatever you have set.
The screenshot below shows the pre-takeoff settings you should have.
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You can see the Coordinates are set in the independent GPS and our point is significantly left of our present heading of approximately 132 degrees. Although the ADF is set to LAE the needle is pointing to W (so the station is not in range). The pre-programmed GPS indicates a relative bearing of about 120 degrees to the left of our present heading {132-120= 12)-approximate heading to LAE of 012- lets just use 360 as a rough guess} Both of the GPS tell us it is 159 NM to LAE. I am choosing to make the climb to clear the mountains in steps up. So I selected 3000 feet as the initial level off altitude and a very shallow 550 ft per minute as the VS or climb rate.
OK- We are all set! Pour on the coal and let's launch. WATCH OUT FOR THE DAMN TRUCK !!!!
First Leg: To Lae (using the GPS)
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After we engage the autopilot, it will look something like this (above). We are in a climb, turning to the heading and I already set a higher altitude and VS-because looking at the pipper I could see I would not clear the mountains. Also note that the ADF has acquired the NDB at LAE and it shows the heading to get there is 350 degrees. Also note that the two GPS are indicating a small turn to the left. Adjust that with the heading on the autopilot.
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This(above) shows a couple of changes. VS was increased and altitude Increased because I could see I would not clear the mountains and a higher VS was needed because they were coming up fast. You could of course, just kick off the altitude hold and make the climb manually.
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The above illustrates either wind or instrument drift. (Or sloppy flying) Notice that all our heading pointers have drifted left. Reset the heading on the Autopilot to correct.
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You can call up the MS map (above) to see your progress. Here we are about ½ way to LAE.
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What do you know-We got there. Here is an overhead window showing LAE. Note the GPS says we are 0.3 NM away and the ADF needle swings rapidly when you pass the NDB at the base.
Second Leg: To Alexishafen (using the ADF)
Next we want to go to Alexishafen . But we are only going to use the ADF. Either turn off or ignore the GPS. Set in the NDB Frequency (200) and check the bearing on the ADF (315). Set 315 in the Autopilot and relax. We won't have any range information to Alexishafen, but we know it is less than 150 miles because that is the maximum range of the NDB. (Since the GPS is on it tells us it is 110 nm). We will "home" the beacon until we get a visual on the base and we see the needle swing rapidly.
click for large view
click for large view
We can also consult the MS Map to check our progress. And as shown below, If we have a chart we could find our position on the chart from the On-screen coordinates.
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OK- so we drone along and check our progress. Finally we get close enough to make visual contact with the base. Maybe with heavy clouds we would not see it this soon or even at all. Doesn't make any difference, the NDB is dragging us into the base we just follow the heading on the ADF.
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We continue to home the NDB with the ADF until we get a needle swing as shown below on our arrival at Alexishafen.
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Third Leg: Return to Port Moresby (using "Dead Reckoning")
The next leg is back home to Port Moresby. We know we are way outside the range of the ADF- so how do we get there? We start with a "Dead Reckoning" position.
We know we started out North and pretty much have flown Northerly headings since then. So Moresby must be South of us. So we can turn to 180 degrees as an initial cut while we get squared away. The screen below shows the rough-cut setup.
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Now for some refinements to what we started with. The pre-programmed GPS is telling us our heading is about 10-15 degrees left. We set in the coordinates for Port Moresby in the independent GPS and it will also tell us which way to turn and the distance. We can also check the MS Map (Below) and eyeball to see we are headed in the right direction.
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The next thing that will be useful is to acquire the ADF at Port Moresby. We have it set up and now we watch for the Needle to swing from W (no signal) to a heading toward the station and listen for the Morse Code Identifier. By watching the GPS we will know when we are about 150 NM out and should hear it soon after we pass that point. That is shown below. If you want to be a purist, there is a Morse code setup available at the RAF 662 Website. But these are "locked" with that frequency tuned in you will get the correct code. It does make for nice atmosphere.
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Well, Looking good, on track, good GPS and ADF readings. Fat, Dumb and Happy!
Oh yeah we are at an altitude of 15M. Better think about a letdown and approach. Guess a letdown to 10M should be safe about 30 NM from home. Just set the new altitude and VS and watch the scenery.
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Humm- maybe should have started sooner. Not a problem. Set up for 4M and a higher VS and should be just fine. Don't forget to adjust the throttle to avoid overspeed and if you are in visible moisture might be good to turn on Carb Heat and Pitot heat.
OK- Base in sight, just ride it on down.
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HOME SWEET HOME!
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Where did we go and what did we do? The MS Map of the entire route.
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Safe at home! Watch out for that Damn Truck that runs back and forth across the runway!
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Hope you enjoyed the tour. I tried to show all of the Navigation aids and the basics of how to use them. There are more complex techniques for doing things like a two bearing fix from NDBs, A Let-down and approach by NDB and even a way to determine range from the station. Those will be other lessons to think about. If you have any comments or questions-Email me at:
marvh@home.com
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