Flying IFR with Garmins

Do you define them between two airway points (one behind you) or do
you have to direct to the next fix and just guess how far off the
airway you are?

Robert,

Download my book at www.cockpitgps.com. It's free. Start at GPS Route
Planning, then the Navigation section, then the Route Intercepts Section.
Even though my examples do not use a 296, they are still applicable.

John Bell

(Robert M. Gary) wrote in
om:

I just recently decided to buy our first Garmin GPS (296). I had not
in the past because they were so far behind on providing terrain. They
fixed that with the 296. However, the one outstanding item missing on
the 296 are airways. On my Skymap IIIc I can easily fly an airway by
putting the white course line on the pink airway line. Airways are
pretty common in the West where airways provide routes around
restricted airspace and around busy areas (like LAX) so ATC often
gives you airways rather than a million vectors (our airways are not
straight, they turn like roads).

So how do you Garmin guys easily fly along an airway graphically?

-Robert

Why not use a VOR receiver for airway navigation? Using a GPS for airway
navigation kind of seems backwards.

"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
. 158...
(Robert M. Gary) wrote in
om:

I just recently decided to buy our first Garmin GPS (296). I had not
in the past because they were so far behind on providing terrain. They
fixed that with the 296. However, the one outstanding item missing on
the 296 are airways. On my Skymap IIIc I can easily fly an airway by
putting the white course line on the pink airway line. Airways are
pretty common in the West where airways provide routes around
restricted airspace and around busy areas (like LAX) so ATC often
gives you airways rather than a million vectors (our airways are not
straight, they turn like roads).

So how do you Garmin guys easily fly along an airway graphically?

-Robert

Why not use a VOR receiver for airway navigation? Using a GPS for airway
navigation kind of seems backwards.

Because you can enter a full flight plan and follow it, rather than fiddling
with the VOR receivers every 15 minutes.

Michael

"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message


Why not use a VOR receiver for airway navigation? Using a GPS for airway
navigation kind of seems backwards.

Have you tried it? Putting a flightplan in the GPS and then flying the line
on the moving map eliminates having to worry about crosswind correction.
None of this flying a heading for awhile and seeing how that works. Then
adjusting that heading constantly for constantly changing conditions. With
a GPS you don't need a DG to fly an airway.

Newps wrote:


"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message


Why not use a VOR receiver for airway navigation? Using a GPS for
airway navigation kind of seems backwards.

Have you tried it? Putting a flightplan in the GPS and then flying the
line on the moving map eliminates having to worry about crosswind
correction. None of this flying a heading for awhile and seeing how that
works. Then
adjusting that heading constantly for constantly changing conditions.
With a GPS you don't need a DG to fly an airway.

Unless you're happy with S turning your way along, this is only true if
you've the GPS providing track information. A 172S I used to fly had an
MFD plugged into the GPS. It provided not just the flight plan on the map,
but also a line indicating the path the flight would take if no changes
were made. Put that line over the course line, and details like heading,
deviation, and such become pretty trivial.

Alternatively, just match desired track with actual track (starting from a
zero OBS deflection, of course {8^).

That damned MFD really spoiled me, in fact. I was S turning for a while
when I stopped flying that airplane laugh.

On the 430s I fly now, there are only four fields in which information can
be displayed. I use "next waypoint", distance to next waypoint", "desired
track", and "ground speed". I had to give up "actual track", sadly.

- Andrew

"Michael 182" wrote in message news:li4Ac.64896$Sw.58611@attbi_s51...
"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
. 158...
(Robert M. Gary) wrote in
om:

I just recently decided to buy our first Garmin GPS (296). I had not
in the past because they were so far behind on providing terrain. They
fixed that with the 296. However, the one outstanding item missing on
the 296 are airways. On my Skymap IIIc I can easily fly an airway by
putting the white course line on the pink airway line. Airways are
pretty common in the West where airways provide routes around
restricted airspace and around busy areas (like LAX) so ATC often
gives you airways rather than a million vectors (our airways are not
straight, they turn like roads).

So how do you Garmin guys easily fly along an airway graphically?

-Robert

Why not use a VOR receiver for airway navigation? Using a GPS for airway
navigation kind of seems backwards.

Because you can enter a full flight plan and follow it, rather than fiddling
with the VOR receivers every 15 minutes.

Michael

And you don't have to try to figure out the correction angle while
trying to stay on the airway while you are getting bounced around in
the clouds in busy airspace. Also, you don't need to change the VOR
everytime the airway turns. You easily see that on a GPS.

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...

And you don't have to try to figure out the correction angle while
trying to stay on the airway while you are getting bounced around in
the clouds in busy airspace.

There's nothing to stop you using the VOR for course guidance but using the
GPS track readout to ensure that your track matches the VOR radial. Forgive
me if that's very obvious, but I'm always surprised at how many pilots don't
use that aspect of the GPS to take the hard work out of tracking
conventional navaids (particularly on the ILS).

Julian Scarfe

I agree that this is a great technique. In fact I never use NAV mode on
my autopilot, I just tweak the heading until the track matches what it
should
be (and keep an eye on it obviously). Much better than the autopilot
zigzagging its way down the airways.

John

"Julian Scarfe" wrote in message
news:yMbBc.15$9D3.5@newsfe6-win...
"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...

And you don't have to try to figure out the correction angle while
trying to stay on the airway while you are getting bounced around in
the clouds in busy airspace.

There's nothing to stop you using the VOR for course guidance but using
the
GPS track readout to ensure that your track matches the VOR radial.
Forgive
me if that's very obvious, but I'm always surprised at how many pilots
don't
use that aspect of the GPS to take the hard work out of tracking
conventional navaids (particularly on the ILS).

Julian Scarfe

How do you do that with the 296? How do you program in a radial to fly
to? I don't even see radials on the VORs when I look at it. I haven't
been able to find anything on this in the manual.

There's nothing to stop you using the VOR for course guidance but using the
GPS track readout to ensure that your track matches the VOR radial. Forgive
me if that's very obvious, but I'm always surprised at how many pilots don't
use that aspect of the GPS to take the hard work out of tracking
conventional navaids (particularly on the ILS).

Julian Scarfe

Andrew Sarangan wrote:

(Robert M. Gary) wrote in
om:


I just recently decided to buy our first Garmin GPS (296). I had not
in the past because they were so far behind on providing terrain. They
fixed that with the 296. However, the one outstanding item missing on
the 296 are airways. On my Skymap IIIc I can easily fly an airway by
putting the white course line on the pink airway line. Airways are
pretty common in the West where airways provide routes around
restricted airspace and around busy areas (like LAX) so ATC often
gives you airways rather than a million vectors (our airways are not
straight, they turn like roads).

So how do you Garmin guys easily fly along an airway graphically?

-Robert


Why not use a VOR receiver for airway navigation? Using a GPS for airway
navigation kind of seems backwards.

I don't know if any VOR system that can accept a programmed flight plan
and then sequence through it automatically! I often fly VORs and
airways even with an IFR GPS. It often adds less than 5% to the
distance and it is nice to have the VORs as instant backup if needed.
However, the flight plan sequencing of the GPS is still nice.


Matt