"Swinging" the Compass

[facthunter]

Done plenty of it. . First thing you do when setting out is sight an on track fix and check your planned wind against the actual one. To do this you fly on the compass basically. The angle between track made good and the heading is drift. You have to fly an accurate heading.   Nev

[onetrack]

I'll wager Jim Knight wished he'd done more to check his compass in his Wackett VH-BEC in 1962, after he ran out of fuel and landed in the desert of Northern South Australia, and died there.

[RFguy]

3 hours ago, facthunter said:

Done plenty of it. . First thing you do when setting out is sight an on track fix and check your planned wind against the actual one. To do this you fly on the compass basically. The angle between track made good and the heading is drift. You have to fly an accurate heading.   Nev

yeah, all my cross country work a couple of years ago  (Rob Glenn) I had to establish and verify  outbound track within a few nm, (which I would have from map track)  then establish a short time later , determine drift - what the actual wind was compared to the forecast wind , and then update my wizz wheel wind vector calc , rub out that wind dot, , and then do that again 30 min later.. again and again,  and over that time, updating my ground speed and heading  from time speed distance  en route. It was quite a busy time. (and then a diversion would be thrown in) 

I think all 'old school' people did it this way, it is how I was taught.  I think this only happens when taught private, rather than mass flying schools these days.

[Old Koreelah]

We have become dangerously dependent on digital technology controlled by foreign interests.

Elon Musk switched off his satellite system to stop it being used by Ukraine and America can control who uses GPS.

Before my next long trip, I plan to brush up my wizz-wheel and compass skills.

[spacesailor]

Don't rely on the OLD compass , you could pass over an ' anomaly ' . 

And do they last forever ! . Without a periodic ' oil-change ' . LoL

spacesailor

[skippydiesel]

4 hours ago, Old Koreelah said:

We have become dangerously dependent on digital technology controlled by foreign interests.

Elon Musk switched off his satellite system to stop it being used by Ukraine and America can control who uses GPS.

Before my next long trip, I plan to brush up my wizz-wheel and compass skills.

Hi OK,

I must confess my "wizz-wheel" skills have not been practised in quite some time, so would now be unfit for the dynamic environment of the cockpit. 

 

I use a hybrid of new & old - I still plan my flight on a map, draw in the track but use OzRunways to generate the information that gets noted thereon.

I fly with the map(s) open & continually cross check with OzRunways.

As part of my routine, I periodically note heading (on the map) and note my whiskey compass reading compared with the Dynon/GPS.

I find the  Dynon/GPS keeps me on track but the map enhances my wider perception/view (have abetter understanding of where I am, rather than just accepting the EFB knows where it is). Its easy to see mid distant features on the map, that are off the screen, which also enhances the experience and may help with "placing" other aircraft when I hear a call.

I have always flown IFR (I Follow Roads & other significant geographic features) so am comfortable with ticking off each landmark/waypoint as they come/go.

[Jabiru7252]

When I started flying the fun part was creating a plan and flying it. I thought the whizz-wheel was a cool piece of kit. And using it in front of your (non-pilot) passengers made you appear just that little bit smarter than the average bear.

[facthunter]

Pilots are supposed to be smart despite the antics of some who usually get sorted out. On your own in the middle of the night can be a high workload. The more preparation you do preflight the less likelihood of error. Using Google map to VISIT the destination  beforehand has helped me a few times.   Fly OFF the usual track . Nev

[RossK]

17 hours ago, RFguy said:

 

I think all 'old school' people did it this way, it is how I was taught.  I think this only happens when taught private, rather than mass flying schools these days.

Lilydale teach the old school way, pencil, chart, whizz wheel. No EFB until you've got your certificate or licence.

I do use the EFB predominantly now, but I use the flight plan to set my heading and the Chart to verify what I see on the ground matches where I'm supposed to be. The magenta line may get a cursory look, but it's not how I navigate with the EFB.

 

I've been caught out once with a EFIS showing a compass heading 20 deg off course, I didn't verify it with the old school compass either. Took off from Lilydale headed to Caulfield Race course to track the VFR route west, set heading using the EFIS and merrily flew along, aiming at the big green patch I could see ahead. No need for checks, it's 15 minutes, how far wrong can you get in 15 minutes? 

Instructor evetually asked, "do you know where you are?" In that voice that instructors have when you've done something wrong, and they want you to realise it.

"I think that's Caulfield, but now I'm not sure" I reply.

"Well, it isn't" he replies!

insert long pause here

"You'll want to turn hard right now, before you bust into Moorabbins Class D" he says 😲

So that Nav was done and we go back to Lilydale to debrief my multiple errors 😒

It was an excellent lesson to learn with an Instructor next to me.

 

On topic - my point is, having an accurate compass is particularly helpful. I've had to use it 3 times so far when either the EFIS or DG has decided to have the day off.

Edited October 10, 2023 by RossK

[Carbon Canary]

Anyone bought a northern hemisphere aircraft with a northern hemisphere compass ? What did you do ?

[onetrack]

The answer to this problem is on the Professors webpage, below. Before you read it, click on "See the question here", to get a laugh.

 

https://www.spsnational.org/the-sps-observer/spring-summer/2016/compass-confusion-answers#:~:text=If a north hemisphere compass,the base of the compass.

[Carbon Canary]

Good thing I only follow breadcrumbs.

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, Carbon Canary said:

Anyone bought a northern hemisphere aircraft with a northern hemisphere compass ? What did you do ?

Take it to the same bloke who does your instrument calibrations and he'll set it for the southern hemisphere declination. That check was SOPs when putting an aircraft imported from the north onto the Aussie Register.

[Bruce Tuncks]

There was a type of compass called a bohli, which was banned in nationals gliding competitions. Apparently a good pilot could thermal up in the clouds if he used one properly.

 

[onetrack]

The Bohli compass ....

 

http://www.hkavionics.com/Bohli_man/ba_kompi_e4.pdf

[facthunter]

This has been extensively discussed a long way back IF I recall correctly.  Nev