Why are headings still magnetic?

Like AM radio, magnetic headings are still with us, even though
navigation in general has advanced by leaps and bounds. When will
true headings be used? The magnetic poles are in continuous motion;
the rotational poles are stable.

Eventually, the magnetic poles will move so far that every station and
aircraft everywhere will have to be recalibrated to account for it,
and all charts will have to be changed. And the poles occasionally
reverse, which would also be somewhat of a disaster for
magnetically-based aviation.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic schrieb:

When will true headings be used?

Never, I hope, as it would render the whisky compass as a reliable
navigation aid near to useless.

Eventually, the magnetic poles will move so far that every station and
aircraft everywhere will have to be recalibrated to account for it,
and all charts will have to be changed.

I'm hoping you fly with the newest maps.

And the poles occasionally reverse,

Occasionally... :-)))

Stefan

" Like AM radio, magnetic headings are still with us, even though
navigation in general has advanced by leaps and bounds. When will
true headings be used? The magnetic poles are in continuous motion;
the rotational poles are stable.

There is one, and ONLY one instrument in the aircraft that does not require
a power source or have a common catastrophic failure mode. The sucker will
work and get you home even after it has poured a few tablespoons of kerosene
all over the instrument panel.




Eventually, the magnetic poles will move so far that every station and
aircraft everywhere will have to be recalibrated to account for it,
and all charts will have to be changed. And the poles occasionally
reverse, which would also be somewhat of a disaster for
magnetically-based aviation.

Charts are in constant revision for magnetic pole movement. Runway numbers
are reassigned and painted on a regular basis. We can take a pole reversal
and in a week's time have a method of compensating for it.

Why are you posing these old chestnuts here? Can't you google on past
discussions on the matter(s)?

Jim

On Sat, 2 Sep 2006 11:31:55 -0700, "RST Engineering"
wrote:
There is one, and ONLY one instrument in the aircraft that does not require
a power source or have a common catastrophic failure mode. The sucker will
work and get you home even after it has poured a few tablespoons of kerosene
all over the instrument panel.

Although after losing the kerosene, it tends to jiggle around a bit
more... Been there, done that...

"Grumman-581" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 2 Sep 2006 11:31:55 -0700, "RST Engineering"
wrote:
There is one, and ONLY one instrument in the aircraft that does not
require
a power source or have a common catastrophic failure mode. The sucker
will
work and get you home even after it has poured a few tablespoons of
kerosene
all over the instrument panel.

Although after losing the kerosene, it tends to jiggle around a bit
more... Been there, done that...

Lose even more kerosene and it'll stop tracking. Done all of the above...

KB

RST Engineering writes:

Charts are in constant revision for magnetic pole movement. Runway numbers
are reassigned and painted on a regular basis. We can take a pole reversal
and in a week's time have a method of compensating for it.

I was wondering about that. Seems like the airports around me have
had the same runway numbers for quite a while, but maybe my memory is
poor, or maybe I'm in a lucky position with respect to the magnetic
pole.

Why are you posing these old chestnuts here? Can't you google on past
discussions on the matter(s)?

If you don't want to answer or participate, you don't have to.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
. ..


Although after losing the kerosene, it tends to jiggle around a bit
more... Been there, done that...

Lose even more kerosene and it'll stop tracking. Done all of the above...

Only if the turbulence is so bad that it jumps the needle off the pivot.
Otherwise, as stated, it just jiggles around a bit.

Done it more than once.

Jim

On Sat, 2 Sep 2006 15:05:55 -0400, "Kyle Boatright"
wrote:
Lose even more kerosene and it'll stop tracking. Done all of the above...

Not quite so sure about that on my compass... The best I could tell,
it had lost all of the kerosene by the time I got around to fixing it
*right*... I tried a couple of quick fixes prior to getting a repair
kit for it, but they ended up eventually leaking also...

Mxsmanic,

Huh? What's the problem with magnetic? Charts change all the time
because of many reasons. Oh, and the main advantage with magnetic
headings is that compasses tend to indicate them. You need more flying
experience...

And the poles occasionally
reverse,

Very occasionally.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Mxsmanic,

Seems like the airports around me have
had the same runway numbers for quite a while,


The direction has to change by up to 10 degrees for a change in
numbering.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)