Russian Airfield diagrams

[159th_Viper]

You are correct in your assumptions: The SIM appears to be accounting twice for the MagVar as opposed to once, ie values are at present True Heading - MagVar - MagVar = Magnetic Heading as opposed to True Heading - MagVar = Magnetic Heading. In addition, some runways in the ME are on the true heading as opposed to the magnetic heading, Anapa being but one example I have tracked to date.

 

Ok I will step through the other airfields and see what the go is.

 

The above statement seems to be true of all runways In-SIM barring three, being Beslan, M'Vody and Tbilisi-Lochini, who all have the error plus an error of an additional one degree. Do you confirm these figures/do they correlate with yours?

 

I am currently tracking down Real World headings of AB's and will post figures as soon as complete.

Edited April 8, 2012 by 159th_Viper

[159th_Viper]

In order to finalize numbers, I need a wee bit of assistance. I cannot seem to find the Real World charts for the following Aerodromes:

 

1 - Tbilisi-Soganlug

 

2 - Tbilisi-Vaziani

 

3 - Kobuleti

 

4 - Senaki-Kolkhi

 

5 - Mozdok

 

6 - Sukhumi

 

7 - Gudauta

 

8 - Majkop

 

9 - Krasnodar-Central

 

10 - Krymsk

 

11 - Gelendzhik

 

12 - Novo

 

Do you/anyone else perhaps have direct links to the applicable charts?

[IvanK]

Novo no longer exists so you wont find any charts.

 

I have just done some testing.

 

My Assumptions. Mag Var for the entire Map region is 6 degrees East.

My heading interpretation on the HUD/HSI is to within +- 1 degree.

+- 1 degree is an acceptable tolerance IMO.

 

I have just visited every single airfield/Runway in the Sim. All exhibit a similar error (+- 1 degree). In all cases the displayed HUD/HSI heading is 6 degrees less than the ME Ruler tool measured heading.

 

To me that confirms a Global error related to Mag Var. The ME runway Magnetic headings appear to be correct to the real world data I was able to source.

 

My hunch is that in cockpit the Sim from a coding point of view uses True Heading then applies a correction to make the HUD and HSI display Magnetic heading. This makes sense as this is how its done in real world Nav Sytems.

 

Since the error is constant both in magnitude and direction could it be that a simple coding typo has resulted in the In cockpit variation being applied as Westerly rather than correctly as an Easterly variation ? ... i.e in the simplest of terms a + or - has been swapped around in the code.

 

In short the HUD/HSI runway heading should be the same as the ME heading.

 

I will try a chase up some real world headings also for the airfields you are seeking. Might need to wait until Tuesday or Wed this week.

Edited April 8, 2012 by IvanK

[159th_Viper]

To me that confirms a Global error related to Mag Var. The ME runway Magnetic headings appear to be correct to the real world data I was able to source....

 

Aye - agreed.

 

The only spanner currently in the works is that In-SIM and in the ME, Anapa runway is on true bearing as measured with the ruler as opposed to magnetic bearing, which is contrary to the other runways that are aligned on the magnetic bearing, hence the request for the other charts.

 

Thank you for looking into that - appreciated.

[159th_Viper]

Herewith list with ICAO/IATA codes if that'll help - I cannot seem to track down charts at all.

 

1 - Tbilisi-Soganlug - UG24

 

2 - Tbilisi-Vaziani - UG27

 

3 - Kobuleti - GE-00

 

4 - Senaki-Kolkhi - GE-00

 

5 - Mozdok - RU-01

 

6 - Sukhumi - UG55/SUI

 

7 - Gudauta - UG0U

 

8 - Majkop - URKM

 

9 - Krasnodar-Central - RU-00

 

10 - Krymsk - RU-00

 

11 - Gelendzhik - URKG/GDZ

[IvanK]

True headings can be determined through Googlemaps and Google earth. Using a 3rd party tool that allows calculation then map display between 2 points. I have used this to determine Rwy headings on small airstrips in Australia.

 

Here is the site:

 

http://www.movable-type.co.uk/scripts/latlong.html

 

This is the sort of output you get the Mag bit is my manual text entry. The tool provides TRUE:

 

 

All you do is determine the lat and long of each runway threshold in Googlemaps then put them in the tool and calculate then view on googlemaps to verify its correct alignment.

 

 

I will work through the airfields you need and post the values.

Edited April 9, 2012 by IvanK

[IvanK]

Here are all the airfields you queried plus Anapa as a Free bonus. Headings are all true from Point 1 to Point 2. Since its a great Circle there is both a Start and end heading. Not really relevant over the distances we are talking about though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/5505/krascentral.jpg

 

 

 

Anapa is weird. In Game the ME Ruler tool gives a value of 041 and the HUD/HSI heading gives 035.

Anapa physical orientation is wrong imo on the map. Figures above give Real World orientation of 042T (i.e. 036Mag)

 

 

Overall the issue is that in the Sim the HUD/HSI heading is incorrect. It is showing as if a Mag Var value of 6 deg West has been applied by the Sim.

The ME appears to be correctly displaying Magnetic heading.

Anapa orientation is physically incorrect in the scenery. Its error is 6 degrees.

 

QUICK FIX IMO

Check the code in the Sim that applies Mag Var to determine current HUD/HSI magnetic heading I think its a typo and is using a westerly correction rather than an Easterly correction.

 

"Variation East Magnetic least"

"Variation West Magnetic Best"

Edited April 9, 2012 by IvanK

[159th_Viper]

Excellent work M8 - really appreciated :)

[HiJack]

Great work there Ivan!

[159th_Viper]

OK - with all the info obtained, my results are as follows: There appear to be 3 categories of error.

 

1 - AB's affected by westerly correction instead of easterly correction

Batumi

Tbilisi-Soganlug

Kutaisi

Nalchik

M'Vody

Tbilisi-Vaziani

Kobuleti

Mozdok

Sukhumi

Krasnodar-Pash

Krymsk

 

2 - AB's aligned to true heading in ME (orientation physically incorrect by value of MagVar)

Anapa

Senaki-Kohlki

Gudauta

Krasnodar-Central

 

3 - AB's with heading deviations/errors (not attributable to MagVar)

Sochi-Adler 3 degrees

Beslan 2 degrees

Tbilisi-Lochini 4 degrees

Majkop 4 degrees

Gelendzhik 10 degrees

Novo 10 degrees

 

 

Will bump this up along the food-chain. Thanx again IvanK for your assistance herein.

[IvanK]

Happy to help..... look forward to the fix :)

 

So Heading calculation in the HUD and HSI is correct but the airfields themselves have been oriented incorrectly on the map by varying amounts as detailed in your list ?

Edited April 9, 2012 by IvanK

[Luigi Gorgonzola]

Maybe sligtly easier to use:

 

http://www.the-airport-guide.com/

 

All you have to know is the aerodrome code.

[159th_Viper]

So Heading calculation in the HUD and HSI is correct but the airfields themselves have been oriented incorrectly on the map by varying amounts as detailed in your list ?

 

No. Vast majority of bases is, as you said, faulty, with magnetic declination apparently been applied twice.

 

That is of course assuming that all bases are aligned on the magnetic heading. In some instances, bases are aligned on the True heading and as a consequence the CDU/HSI reading is correct (Senaki-Kolkhi).

 

In other instances there seems to be no correlation at all between True, Magentic and In-SIM headings (Majkop).

[159th_Viper]

Maybe sligtly easier to use:

 

http://www.the-airport-guide.com/

 

All you have to know is the aerodrome code.

 

Ta.

 

Tried that - no charts available for aerodromes I was after :)

[Luigi Gorgonzola]

Ta.

 

Tried that - no charts available for aerodromes I was after :)

Yup, no charts :( But headings and other data at least ;)

 

It seems as if MIL and most of the regional CIV aerodrome data of eastern europe is being kept in the dark.

[IvanK]

It only has Rwy designators .. i.e heading to the closest 10 degrees we need exact Runway heading to the nearest degree.

 

As to the issue itself and a fix. I presume that would entail actually changing the Runway orientation in the scenery ? If so thats a biggy.

Edited April 9, 2012 by IvanK

[Serg23]

Looks like Geledgik shown as old runway.

 

Since 2006 it has been reconstructed dramaticaly.

 

Its only one way (from sea side) run way.

[ALDEGA]

The new runway in Gelendzhik is much longer and has a different heading ...

 

satellite picture

runway

runway

runway

parking area

aerial shot

tower

[159th_Viper]

The new runway in Gelendzhik is much longer and has a different heading ...

 

Current SIM RW has an error of 10 degrees.

[IvanK]

Have these airport Heading anomalies been corrected in DCS World ?

[Nate--IRL--]

I haven't checked but I don't think so - they have been catalogued though IIRC.

 

Nate

[Sierra99]

Way cool! Has anyone tried flying the actual published SiDs and Arrivals?

[Sierra99]

Way cool! Has anyone tried flying the actual published SiDs and Arrivals?