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The ATPSS can also be used for detecting traffic and as a backup attitude indicator. Under good conditions, it can even be used to locate ground targets! Pretty versatile, and draws little power.

The ASI won't register the low speeds used for taxying. Fortunately, the aircraft is equipped with an Advanced Taxi Power Setting Synchroniser (ATPSS) device. This gives the pilot visual feedback on the power setting used and and the resulting speed trends. It is easy to miss at first, but if you look closely you can see it above the lower cockpit frame. It is transparent and made from plexi glass.

Around here, it is stated in the charts. That's not the case all over though, AFAIK. For example, I don't think they distinguish between CVOR and DVOR in US sectionals. Technically, both variations (and subvariations - there are quite a few!) must both adhere to the same standards so you really do not need to know the difference to use them. In actual reality, a DVOR typically performs better than the standards to such a degree that the difference is clearly noticeable in the cockpit, and thus it is at least interesting to know as you will then know what to expect to see when using the facility. If you want to find out, I suggest going to the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). In the enroute (ENR) section, there should be a listing of navaids where it probably states whether a given VOR is a CVOR or DVOR. Cheers, Fred

You have two signals, one amplitude modulated (AM) and one frequency modulated (FM) at 30 Hz. One is the reference and is the same phase in every direction, while the other varies phase depending on your direction from the facility. They are the same phase when due north (magnetic north) of the facility. When due south, they are phase shifted 180 degrees from each other. The direction is sensed by the aircraft receiver through comparing the phase of the reference signal with the phase of the shifting signal. Initially, a rotating antenna AM modulated one signal with direction dependent phasing while the FM phase was the same in every direction. In a Doppler VOR, you rotate the transmitting antenna electronically through switching the signal between a number of antennas arranged in a circle, thus creating FM through doppler shift. The AM signal becomes the reference, while the FM phase varies with direction. As the aircraft receiver only cares about the relative phase of the two signals, it doesn't know the difference. Of course the FM signal phase change with direction change has to be the opposite of the AM signal phase change in a conventional VOR (CVOR). The DVOR is far less susceptible to distorted signals, which is why CVORs are becoming pretty rare these days. I'll probably explain this better after a night's sleep and morning coffee. :) Cheers, Fred

The directional part of a TACAN operates on a completely different principle from the directional part of a VOR. Same function, but the similarity pretty much ends there.

Sure, but that goes below my guesstimate threshold, and are a few too many figures to remember... especially considering that I usually plod along a wee bit slower. :) Have to concur with the lazy bit though, so I go a different route:

Currently they are showing your deviation from the glide path and localizer centerline of the ILS, acting as a repeater of the real localizer course deviation (CDI) indicator on the HSI (main needle center part) and GP CDI caret on the lefthand side of the attitude indicator. They should be giving you steering commands, i e tell you if you need to pitch up or down and bank more or less to intercept the ILS GP/LOC. Leave'em stowed for now and fly using the proper CDIs. Cheers, Fred

Are you positive that it is indeed a combined TACAN and VOR? A TACAN and a VOR are different navaids. They share the DME part though, which means a VOR/DME frequently lists the frequency in the "84X" format as well. Cheers, Fred

Rechecking the spread sheet, it appears that anyone can save changes made. Interesting, that google spreadsheets thingamojing. Anyway, it would appear that the spreadsheet is no longer bugged as the changes I thought I made locally appear to have been saved globally... perhaps some kind of access control would be a good idea. If I can screw it up at will without knowing it, who knows what someone more knowledgeable in screwing things up can do? :D Cheers, Fred

Or use ded reckoning and clock the distance. Time in hours = distance/speed Time in minutes = distance/speed*60 If you want to be exact, the true air speed (ground speed with no wind) is your indicated air speed with 2% adder per thousands of feet of altitude. There's probably a GS reading somewhere in the CDU as well. Wind will affect this, probably to a complexity beyond what most sim pilots are willing to get involved with - but do ask, if I am mistaken. More fun than fiddling around with the electronic gizmos for sure! Cheers, Fred

He's referring to the added fuselage tank in the D. With the fuselage tank full, the aircraft was borderline unstable in pitch and needed care when manoeuvring. It became very sensitive on the elevator, and prone to overcontrolling. Snap roll is something else, even if it is done through (partially) stalling the aircraft.

That spreadsheet is bugged. It would appear to be using imperial miles rather than nautical miles, and even then it is not quite on the mark. Edit: Ditto for the meters/miles conversions. It is using 1600 meters per mile, when it is 1852 meters per nautical mile. 320 ft/nm is the calculation you need to make.

150 + 180 = 320? Hmmm... might want to redo that one? :) 8*3.6/1.852=15.55 knots. Not sure where you got 0.51?

In aviation, wind is "always"* given as the direction the wind is blowing from. *) In quotes, as there's always some backwards place which insist on doing things differently from the rest of the world, giving pressure information in different units or what not... :)

We've been over this before, and this is still not correct for the A-10. Fan speed is what tells you the amount of thrust you have. The best indication for power varies from powerplant to powerplant and from aircraft installation to aircraft installation, and from the A-10A dash one I once again quote: Go by the book, it is free to download and read. Cheers, Fred

If i was to venture a guess as to offset, I'd say it is the lateral and vertical offset from a datum point on the aircraft of the store as hung on a pylon. Releasing stores from an aircraft is a science of its own. Lots of effort go into making sure the stores will separate safely.

Addition: 6400 mils for a complete circle, rather than the 6283 or whatever which would really give 1 m per mil at 1000 m distance. This since 6400 can be divided by four easily, whereas 6300 is harder to deal with in that respect.

You should have said 'grid zone'. ;) 37T and 38T = grid zones. GG, KN etc = grid squares. First character of the grid square designator should be all you need to determine if it is 37T or 38T. Before H in the alphabet - it's 37T. After H - it's 38T.

Added the Google Earth visualization of the MGRS found by Warthogger and linked in another thread to the original post. Cheers, Fred

Not... trim on a slider... surely?! :helpsmilie: If you get the joke, you are in as dire need of professional help as I am. ;)

1) Have fun! 2) Have fun! If you fail at 1 or 2, try not to beat yourself up about it. Depending on your background, the learning curve can be steep. Just remember that it is normal to find a platform in your learning, where no progress seems to be made, just prior to a break throuh. Ignore the little voice telling you you'll never be able to sort out left crosswinds or whatever, and remember to relax and 3) Have fun! and it'll sort itself eventually. ;) If you're the reading kind, the theory will not be a problem. If not, it can seem daunting, but remember: You're reading about aircraft. That's fun, even if done ten o'clock at night the day before an exam on air law. ;)

MN035567 or MN355067 - whichever is closest to your present position. It is two groups of three, and a leading zero has been dropped from one group.

Bear in mind that the referenced thread stems from the beta period, when the A/S was effectively inoperative.

Interestingly, VASI (and AVASI) installations were deleted from the ICAO documents governing the allowable visual approach aids already in 1995. If you go by the Book, i e what goes outside of the U.S., it's either T-VASI, AT-VASI, PAPI or APAPI. An AT-VASI is a normally white wing bar turning red when you are well below the approach path, three fly-up lights in front of the wing bar and three fly-down lights behind the wingbar. The fly-up/fly-down lights illuminate white one by one as you go above/below the glide slope, with the fly-up lights turning red along with the wing bar when you go well below. T-VASIs are the same, but with identical installations on either side of the runway. APAPIs are PAPIs with just two light units, showing above/below approach path. I'd hate to have to adjust the units of a T-VASI. That's a lot of sectors and units to get right, and the tolerances are rather delicate. I only ever see PAPIs in my part of the world, and the odd APAPI. I know of a couple of PLASIs as well, but I never go there so I have yet to see them. (More than you want to know, courtesy of the FAA, found here)

North Cape. Fjords and mountains, frozen barren plains - and something very different from what we have.