Bearing and Course, differences?

On Aug 31, 2:11 am, Dallas wrote:
On 30 Aug 2007 05:00:02 GMT, Allen Smith wrote:

Can somebody give me easy examples to understand? My next flight
lesson is scheduled for next week...

First, Bob Gardner's post is very clear and correct.


So you are saying that there is not such thing as a magnetic bearing
to a station, which is the direction of travel needed to go directly
to a station (referenced to the magnetic north)?

If I took a magnetic bearing to a lighthouse, buoy, or daymark and followed
that bearing, I would either hit the buoy or run aground. This reminds me of
the old joke "Captain: "What's your course, helmsman?" Helmsman: "Dead
ahead, sir!"

Bob

"Guillermo" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Aug 31, 2:11 am, Dallas wrote:
On 30 Aug 2007 05:00:02 GMT, Allen Smith wrote:

Can somebody give me easy examples to understand? My next flight
lesson is scheduled for next week...

First, Bob Gardner's post is very clear and correct.


So you are saying that there is not such thing as a magnetic bearing
to a station, which is the direction of travel needed to go directly
to a station (referenced to the magnetic north)?

"Bob Gardner" wrote:
If I took a magnetic bearing to a lighthouse, buoy, or daymark and followed
that bearing, I would either hit the buoy or run aground.

Only on a flat Earth :-)

This reminds me of
the old joke "Captain: "What's your course, helmsman?" Helmsman: "Dead
ahead, sir!"

Another old joke:

It's a dark night and the lookout on a ship sees a light ahead. The
captain gets on the radio and calls, "Vessel located at XXX, alter your
course to starboard!".

The call comes back, "I'm sorry sir, you please alter your course".

This angers the captain, who yells into the radio, "Look here, I'm a
captain in the U. S. Navy and I order you to change your course to avoid
us!"

The response is, "Understood, sir. I'm a seaman third class, and suggest
you change your course".

The captain thunders, "I'm in command of a Battleship! Now alter your
course!!!"

The seaman third class responds, "Yes sir, I'm in command of a lighthouse".

On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:29:06 -0700, Guillermo wrote:

So you are saying that there is not such thing as a magnetic bearing
to a station,

Actually, I'm guilty of trying to get into Allen Smith's head and sort
things out in a more logical manner for him.

He's lumped the terms "course" and "bearing" into the same basket and he's
trying to somehow link their definitions.

I was trying to draw the distinction for him that the term "course" is most
commonly found under the subject heading of dead reckoning and "bearing" is
found under the subject heading of instrument navigation. If he could
break them apart they would be easier to understand.


--
Dallas

Allen Smith wrote:
Hey guys,
I am a presolo guy, about 11 hours now and getting close to solo.
While studying tonight I couldn\'t really figure out the difference
between magnetic/true course and magnetic/true bearing.

So as far as I understand it, bearing is a referenced heading to
somewhere you want to go, for example: I am flying on heading of 060
heading and to and the VOR is on a 090 bearing (Heading of 090
required to fly direct)

Course is an intended flight line, so if I plan to fly from a to b
(with a heading of 090 to b) My course throughout the flight would
be 090, even if I am 30 miles off course, the course would be 090
while the bearing would change, correct?

Can somebody give me easy examples to understand? My next flight
lesson is scheduled for next week...

You seem to be making it more complicated than it is.

"Course" (true or magnetic)is the direction you want to go, to get to
your destination.

"Track" is the direction you actually go. Because of winds or
inattention to the compass, it not be the same as your intended course.

"Bearing" is simply the direction from one point to another. It can be
expressed as magnetic, or true, or relative. You do NOT necessarily
want to go there.

For example, you may plan to fly a magnetic COURSE of 060 until Mount
Granite is exactly off your right wing --a relative bearing of 090-- at
a planned distance of ten miles; at that point you change your course to
080 magnetic, to fly directly to your destination.

vince norris

Allen Smith wrote in
:

Hey guys,
I am a presolo guy, about 11 hours now and getting close to solo.
While studying tonight I couldn\'t really figure out the difference
between magnetic/true course and magnetic/true bearing.


Great news!

As you can see by the millions of diverse responses to this thread, nobody
really knows what the difference is, so don't sweat it!

Go solo!