When was the last time you used your ADF?

On 06/07/06 15:39, Robert M. Gary wrote:
Its recently been added as a resquirement for the ILS 02 for KSAC. For
decades we've been flying that approach w/o ADF, apparently the FAA has
recently decided that ADFs are important.

Well, you have to wonder how many airplanes that fly that approach
actually have a working ADF (not even counting GPS as a substitute).

Even if they have one, I wonder what percentage of pilots actually
use it (on this approach) for anything other than to detect passage
of the outer marker...


-Robert


wrote:
Hello all,

I'm just curious as to when the last time was that you used your ADF
for actual navigation? Are NDBs common in the US? It seems as though
every little airport has an ILS!

-dr




--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA

A couple of years ago the FAA commissioned a new ILS to KGYI (Grayson
County Airport in TX). It included an ADF. There were two more ILS
approaches in the area that did not have ADF requirements and they were
added. For the life of me I do not understand why. for KGYI there were
several ways to locate the FAF.

Ross
KSWI

Robert M. Gary wrote:

Its recently been added as a resquirement for the ILS 02 for KSAC. For
decades we've been flying that approach w/o ADF, apparently the FAA has
recently decided that ADFs are important.

-Robert


wrote:

Hello all,

I'm just curious as to when the last time was that you used your ADF
for actual navigation? Are NDBs common in the US? It seems as though
every little airport has an ILS!

-dr

writes:

I'm just curious as to when the last time was that you used your ADF
for actual navigation? Are NDBs common in the US? It seems as though
every little airport has an ILS!

The more important first question is how many have a
/working/ ADF installed.

On Wed, 7 Jun 2006 15:59:32 PST,
(Everett M. Greene) wrote:

writes:

I'm just curious as to when the last time was that you used your ADF
for actual navigation? Are NDBs common in the US? It seems as though
every little airport has an ILS!

The more important first question is how many have a
/working/ ADF installed.

I do and I use it. It gets used more as a back up position check for
situational awareness, but we do have one NDB only approach about 20
miles from here.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Rog,
I actually used the ADF in Fat Albert flying IFR a week ago... A line
of nasty stuff was blowing off Lake Erie right at Port Clinton and the
area was IMC... I wanted to air file direct from Toledo, Oh to Akron,
Oh and the Akron VOR reception was unreliable (temperature inversion)
at that time... I was filed as /A... The enroute controller inquired
if I had enroute IFR GPS... I replied negative, but I did have an
ADF... Bang, I was cleared "TOL (vor) direct AK (ndb)"... So, score
one for the old technology... That said the moving map GPS rode shotgun
for the ADF receiver until we were back to VMC..
The biggest problem with ADF reception anymore is the lousy programming
available on the AM stations...

denny

.... and all the stations carrying Rush refuse to play on a radio inside
something with a left wing. {;-)


Jim




The biggest problem with ADF reception anymore is the lousy programming
available on the AM stations...

denny

On 8 Jun 2006 07:37:07 -0700, "Denny" wrote:


Rog,
I actually used the ADF in Fat Albert flying IFR a week ago... A line
of nasty stuff was blowing off Lake Erie right at Port Clinton and the
area was IMC... I wanted to air file direct from Toledo, Oh to Akron,
Oh and the Akron VOR reception was unreliable (temperature inversion)
at that time... I was filed as /A... The enroute controller inquired
if I had enroute IFR GPS... I replied negative, but I did have an
ADF... Bang, I was cleared "TOL (vor) direct AK (ndb)"... So, score
one for the old technology... That said the moving map GPS rode shotgun
for the ADF receiver until we were back to VMC..
The biggest problem with ADF reception anymore is the lousy programming
available on the AM stations...

Instead of taking those long, diagonal airways across Lake Michigan I
typically file 3BS -D LDM (NDB) -D MTW(VOR) -D OSH
That takes me across the narrowest portion (~50 miles) of the lake and
from 10,000 I'm within gliding distance (Plus a comfortable margin) of
a shoreline all the way.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com


denny

In article ,
Roger wrote:

On 8 Jun 2006 07:37:07 -0700, "Denny" wrote:


Rog,
I actually used the ADF in Fat Albert flying IFR a week ago... A line
of nasty stuff was blowing off Lake Erie right at Port Clinton and the
area was IMC... I wanted to air file direct from Toledo, Oh to Akron,
Oh and the Akron VOR reception was unreliable (temperature inversion)
at that time... I was filed as /A... The enroute controller inquired
if I had enroute IFR GPS... I replied negative, but I did have an
ADF... Bang, I was cleared "TOL (vor) direct AK (ndb)"... So, score
one for the old technology... That said the moving map GPS rode shotgun
for the ADF receiver until we were back to VMC..
The biggest problem with ADF reception anymore is the lousy programming
available on the AM stations...

Instead of taking those long, diagonal airways across Lake Michigan I
typically file 3BS -D LDM (NDB) -D MTW(VOR) -D OSH
That takes me across the narrowest portion (~50 miles) of the lake and
from 10,000 I'm within gliding distance (Plus a comfortable margin) of
a shoreline all the way.

Interresting... 25 years ago when I did my instrument training, my
instructor told me Michigan was the only place he knew of in the lower
US where one could file and fly an IFR flight plan completely by NDB's.

wrote:
Hello all,

I'm just curious as to when the last time was that you used your ADF
for actual navigation? Are NDBs common in the US? It seems as though
every little airport has an ILS!

-dr


I flew a practice NDB approach at MIV (Millville NJ) a couple weeks ago,
just to prove that I could still do it. My safety pilot watched me
carefully on his own handheld GPS. I deliberately made sure my panel
GPS wasn't configured to watch the NDB or ground track. By the way,
Rainbow NDB is off-field, so speed control, wind correction, and timed
approaches are everything. The procedure turn went OK, but I arrived at
the airport about 30 seconds sooner than my estimated ground speed would
have suggested.

I don't mind NDB approaches. It's the crummy receivers that bother me.
I even did a partial panel NDB approach on my check ride some ten
years ago. And no, there was no LORAN or GPS on-board to suggest a
ground track.

That said, I won't do an NDB approach in IMC. I use the ADF receiver
with GPS overlaid NDB approaches, for LOM identification, for a cross
fix while flying on airways, and to assist with finding airports
(especially at destinations I am not familiar with).

I'd use it to listen to the MW AM broadcast band, but frankly the
programming on most stations is quite lacking.


Jake Brodsky
Cessna Cardinal N30946 @ FME

I've never used one and only learned how in theory for the tests. Been
flying since 1970 and IFR certified around 1999.

wrote:
Hello all,

I'm just curious as to when the last time was that you used your ADF
for actual navigation? Are NDBs common in the US? It seems as though
every little airport has an ILS!

-dr