Holding track

[stevron]

I seem to have a great deal of trouble holding a heading . The moment I look else where I drift off my heading in double quick time . Any suggestions?

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

In another thread a few minutes ago I think you said your autopilot couldn't control the heading either? Maybe its the airframe. What type are you flying? And do you have much flying experience?

 

 

[Ultralights]

when you look around, relax your grip on the stick, trust the trim to do its job, then when you look where your going again, you should find nothing has changed.

 

 

[metalman]

Relax ,I wouldn't have half as many hours logged if I could hold a heading ;-)

 

 

[Methusala]

Get an autopilot!

 

 

[billwoodmason]

It may help to pick a point on the horizon in line with your heading and fly to that point. It will smooth out small variations in track. I have found RAA aircraft compasses generally are not as stable as GA types and tend to dance around a bit ( ie Directional Gyros for example, often found in GA aircraft are much more stable and easier to hold on a constant heading). The main thing is practice, don't constantly sweat on the compass but look outside the cabin to that point on the horizon.

 

 

[Ultralights]

i have well over 1000 hrs, still find holding a perfect track a little hard sometimes. im happy if i can get about 10 deg or better for more than a few minutes.

 

 

[facthunter]

You are not on rails. You won't do it by watching the magnetic compass. A lot of them are not damped well and don't have a strong enough magnet. they respond to turning and acceleration errors.. In any case the earth's magnetic field is weak.

 

Pick a point a good distance away, and keep it in the same relation to the nose. If you have a good indicator of track, (like GPS or VOR) refer to the indication occasionally and adjust where your nose is to regain track. If you are IFR you then fly on instruments ( YOU won't be) and if you are navigating VFR refer to features, map read, refer to compass when steady, and backup with GPS etc if you have it. to confirm position. Nev

 

 

[boingk]

Ditto what facty said - pick a point and fly to it. Hell, we fly in relation to the ground when we're in the circuit don't we? I'd go mad if it weren't for this method of flying, most RAA compasses I've encountered are a little bit jumpy...

 

- boingk

 

 

[Phil Perry]

I seem to have a great deal of trouble holding a heading . The moment I look else where I drift off my heading in double quick time . Any suggestions?

Hi Stev,

 

I watched a programme on discovery the other night which filled me with horror,. . . . it was about the magnetic core of the Earth, and how magnetic influence varies all over the planet ( ! ) I really WOULDN'T worry too much about slavishly holding a heading, just regard your planned track as an "Average" heading ( that's what I've always done, unless the Inertial Nav system on the aircraft said otherwise [!] ) I've only got lost flying around Australia less than twenty times, so my system obviously works. The ONLY time you should be concerned with our heading / track is when you are either transiting THROUGH, or VERY CLOSE TO controlled airspace.

 

Be safe

 

Phil

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

I seem to have a great deal of trouble holding a heading . The moment I look else where I drift off my heading in double quick time . Any suggestions?

Check your rudder trim tab (assuming it is a fixed tab)! Is it set for cruise? If the aircraft is not trimmed correctly in the cruise for yaw, even with wings level you will drift off your heading, or need to fly wing low to maintain your heading.

 

 

[silvercity]

If the aircraft is not trimmed correctly in the cruise for yaw, even with wings level you will drift off your heading, or need to fly wing low to maintain your heading.

 

Can you please explain in more detail? ... I'm confused.

 

 

[turboplanner]

And if you leave it too long it'll start to yawn

 

 

[Eric McCandless]

You are not on rails. You won't do it by watching the magnetic compass. A lot of them are not damped well and don't have a strong enough magnet. they respond to turning and acceleration errors.. In any case the earth's magnetic field is weak.Pick a point a good distance away, and keep it in the same relation to the nose. If you have a good indicator of track, (like GPS or VOR) refer to the indication occasionally and adjust where your nose is to regain track. If you are IFR you then fly on instruments ( YOU won't be) and if you are navigating VFR refer to features, map read, refer to compass when steady, and backup with GPS etc if you have it. to confirm position. Nev

I find it very difficult to get a good heading reference with my compass as it seems to be very sensitive to aircraft movement due to turbulence (even mild) and also during climbing and descending (cheap Jabiru compass???). So I do try to pick a point on the horizon and fly towards that. However, with a 10 degree crosswind correction such as I had on a recent nav, if I were to fly toward that distant point, I would be flying an ellipitcal path off my intended track.

So instead, with say a 10 degree crosswind, I should not be steering towards that distant point, but using a 10 degree offset to the longitudinal axis, and thus effectively panning across that distant point to maintain a straight track? I haven't tried it, but what about using an aim point 10 degrees to the left or right of the longitudinal axis? Eric

 

 

[turboplanner]

This issue was solved on real aircraft by fitting a DG; fit one and all your problem will diminish substantially.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

The Royal Air Force. . . . used to teach something called "Off - Track" navigation, . . this means that you note WHICH SIDE of your track the wind is coming from,. . . and just fly the planned distance to the intended arrival point. You obviously Won't be over it, as you've drifted significantly, but you simply turn at right angles INTO the wind. . . and the destination will appear. hopefully. . . soon.

 

I truly hope that they don't teach this anymore, and I'm sure that they don't as this tale was recounted to me at Darwin airport the night before cyclone Tracy blew the town away, by a pom who had retired from the force some 20 years earlier. . .. . . . ie, some time ago !.

 

Not as much controlled airspace around then than there is lately, and with up to date technology, I've no doubt that the RAF have probably got some slightly better nav kit than they had back then . . . but it's classified, so who knows ?? I hope it's as good as my Garmin GPS 12. . . . .

 

 

[facthunter]

Eric . I did say in relation to the nose, meaning that you may NOT be pointing directly at it. You hold a constant offset so you track to the distant point. Same as if you are crabbing on final with a crosswind. Nev

 

 

[Phil Perry]

I KNEW what you meant Nev. . . . . . ( ! )

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Off Topic ( again, ) We've just had a guy land here 22:50 hrs. . . and we have got no runway lighting. . . .He's Eastern European, and asked if this was Nottingham Airport. . . . . . . ( ! ) How the heck he found it and LANDED in the dark, I do not know. . . . some kind of homebuilt, I'll have a look in the morning . . . we DO see some interesting things here. . . .!

 

( sorry about the thread drift ! ) Gotta find him a motel now, goodnight all.

 

Phil