( ((((( .

((
1he ADl or Automatic Direction linder is a naigation in-
strument that is widely used by pilots in typical light aircrat. In
general, pilots are introduced to the ADl, its unction and its
use when they begin their cross country naigation training. As
the pilot progresses in his lying ratings, he becomes more a-
miliar with the aluable unctionality this instrument proides in
both VlR and Instrument llight Rules lying.
\hen I was new to light simulation some years ago, each
new instrument I discoered and learned to use made my time
spent in ront o the simulator more and more enjoyable. Part
o the un o light simulation is discoering and learning how
to use those instruments on the light simulator cockpit panel.
In this particular article, you're going to ind out about the
basic unctions o the ADl and I'll be presenting some simple
exercises or you to do using Microsot llight Simulator 95 or
V5.1 as a way o introducing you to how the ADl unctions.
1hese will be simple lessons but will proide you with a good
grounding or subsequent more adanced lessons on the ADl.
AF Bascs
1he ADl is a ery basic instrument. In its simplest orm it is
a needle on a stationary compass card that points to an NDB
station ,Non Directional Beacon,.
As simple as the ADl may be in its design and unction it is
used by the pilot in light or at least ie dierent purposes:
1. Position lixing i.e. determining the aircrat's position
2. Lnroute naigation
3. Instrument approaches
4. Holding
5. Indication on the commencement point o a more sophis-
ticated instrument approach
1he irst two items are used by a pilot in both VlR and IlR con-
ditions and the latter three items are exclusiely used in IlR light.
1he important point to remember here is that the ADl is the
instrument in the aircrat and the NDB is the beacon on the
ground that it points to.
7he Non rectona Beacon
1he NDB is the station on the ground that emits the signal
that the ADl tunes to. Its signal is emitted in all directions so it
doesn't matter where the aircrat's position is relatie to the sta-
tion, the ADl will still pick up its signal.
7he Anatomy 0f 7he AF
1he diagram shown illustrates the anatomy o the ADl. As
you can see the ADl consists o a needle that has a head and a
tail and it is laid oer and rotates around a ixed ,non-rotatable,
compass rose. 1his particular type is called a ixed card ADl.
1he purpose o the discussion we are about to go into is
teach you ADl basics as a grounding or a uture lesson which
will be an introduction to using the ADl or enroute naiga-
tion. Beore you can een begin lessons on using the ADl to
naigate cross country, you must be shown and understand the
basics o how the instrument works.
Basc Functon
1he ADl, when tuned to the NDB, will point to the NDB
station. 1he direction it is pointing is relatie to the heading
,nose, o the aircrat. So in interpreting the ADl the nose o
the aircrat is 0 and the direction o the arrow pointing to the
NDB is relatie to this 0 ,nose, heading.
1he NDB is tuned using the ADl na radio which is the ra-
dio on your stack with the three digits. 1o tune an NDB simply
dial up its requency and the ADl needle will, i in radio range,
point towards it. NDB signals can normally be receied or
around 50 nautical miles but it is dependent upon your altitude
and the power the NDB station is generating. A particular NDB
known as a locator and is used to help a pilot on a precision ILS
approach usually only has a range o around 20-30 miles simply
because that is all that is required or the locator to sere its
unction.
Reer to the diagram on the next page. It shows seeral exam-
ples o the ADl indication in seeral dierent aircrat positions
relatie to an NDB. As you can see rom the diagram, i you
want to head directly towards an NDB just put the arrow on the
nose i.e. change the aircrat's heading so that the ADl is point-
ing straight ahead. I you ly or long enough you will ly di-
rectly towards and oer the NDB.
SkiII LeveI: Basic
*O 4>AHJ .AHH=H
(((. . .((

Staton Passage
llying oer the top o any naigation aid is known as station
passage. \ou know when you'e reached station passage when
the ADl needle lips. Remember the ADl's needle is always
pointing towards the NDB station. \hen you're approaching
the station it is in ront o you and ater you pass oer it the
NDB station is now behind you. 1he ADl still always points to it.
An xercse 0sng Mcrosoft Fght Smuator
In this exercise, where going to do a bit o lying around and oer
an NDB in Chicago known as LRMIN. LRMIN is about 15 nm
rom Meigs ield which is where you are going to be departing rom.
Load your llight Simulator now and i Meigs is not your de-
ault start location, place yoursel at Runway 36 at Meigs. 1oday
we're going to be lying in VlR conditions with zero wind.
\ind takes ADl theory to a whole new leel and or now we
just want to learn the basics o operation and see how the ADl
behaes.
Beore we continue it is important to note that Microsot
llight Simulator doesn't hae the ADl gauge isible on the
main instrument panel. 1o actiate it you need to press the
Shit-1ab combination. Press Shit-1ab now. \ou'll see that
VOR 2 has now been replaced with the ADl.
1ake note o the direction o the ADl. It is pointing straight
up because it is not tuned to a NDB.
Now use your mouse to tune the ADl radio. \ou want to se-
lect 332 as the requncy. As soon as you'e selected 332 look at
your ADl. Note that the needle is now pointing at around 230.
It is tuned to LRMIN and is now pointing to the LRMIN
NDB. 1o get to LRMIN, all you really need to do is to take o
and ollow the needle.
\e`re not going to ly directly to LRMIN though. \e're ini-
tially going to do our exercises around the station to study the
behaiour o the NDB.
\hat we are going to do today is depart Meigs to the west on
the crosswind leg and ly towards LRMIN as we climb to 4,000
t. On our way, we'll oerly Chicago Midway which will be the
starting point o our exercise. tva, tbe aiagrav ov tbe vet age.
lor our exercise we're going to ly a square pattern around
LRMIN and watch the ADl needle behae as we turn onto
each leg. Ater that you're going to learn to recognise station
passage and ly directly towards and oer the top o LRMIN
and watch the needle lip as we get station passage. Ater that you'll
be ree to ly on your own oer and around the na-aid and experi-
ment as you please in order to understand the instrument more. 1he
only real way to learn anything is to practice it yoursel.
\hen you're ready let's start our take o roll. Remember
we're departing on a let crosswind i.e. we're going to make a
let turn ater departure. So gently apply ull power and get this
bird o the ground. \hen you're at 500 eet turn let heading
20 and continue the climb. Keep your eye on the ADl and
note that you turn let the ADl needle turns too. \ou'll be
heading just to the let o Sear's tower. Continue the climb to
2000 eet and maintain a heading o 20 degrees. \hen you
reach 2,000, you're going to head directly towards LRMIN.
\ou'll note that beore you do that the ADl needle is pointing
to the let o centre. Now, while maintaining 2000 eet turn let
until the ADl needle is on the nose i.e. pointing to 0 on the
card. \ou are now heading direct to LRMIN. Midway will be on
Ncte that the AD| a|ways pcints tc the ND8 staticn. 7he heacing tc the staticn is re|ative tc the pcsiticn cf the heacing cf the aircraft.
7he AD| cn the ||ight Simu|atcr instrument pane|
. ((((( .((
your nose so it means we are going to be
oerlying it. \our heading at about this
time should be 220 and the needle
should be on the nose. Make smaII aa-
justments to your heaaing to get it on
the nose ana then maintain the heaa-
ing that keeps it there. \hen you'e es-
tablished a heading now continue your
climb to 4000 eet. \hen you get to 4,000
set your autopilot to altitude hold. \e want
to concentrate on the ADl today.
\hen you're oer the top o Midway,
LRMIN should still be on the nose.
1urn right heading 20. \ou'll note that
the ADl needle is now to the let read-
ing about 305. Continue on this head-
ing or about 3 minutes. As you continue
lying note that the needle is slowly turn-
ing anticlockwise. 1hat is because your
aircrat's position is changing and there-
ore the heading to the station is chang-
ing. \hen the ADl needle gets to about
240 then turn let again onto a heading
o 180 degrees. 1ake note as you take up
each new heading that the ADl needle
swings switly as our heading relatie to
the station is also changing switly. \hen
you roll out the ADl needle will indicate
around 320. Continue heading 180 and
again note that the ADl needle slowly
rotating anticlockwise. Again our posi-
tion relatie to the NDB is changing and
so is the angle to the NDB relatie to
our nose. \hen the ADl is 240, turn
let heading 90 degrees and continue
again or about 3 minutes until the ADl
reaches 240 and inally turn onto a
northerly heading. Our square pattern
will be complete when the ADl needle
points to 240. As you turn onto north
you'll note that Midway is just to the
right.
Staton Passaage
\ou're now going to head directly
towards the NDB station and ly oer
the top. \our heading will be approxi-
mately 230. Make whateer correction
you need to keep the needle indicating
zero. As you approach the NDB sta-
tion notice that the needle is more sen-
sitie. \hen this happens you're ery
close to station passage so be ready to
see the needle lip. As you pass oer
the needle will lip and now point to
180 because the station is now behind
you. Continue out or a ew minutes
and turn back in towards the station to
see it again.
\hile we're up here spend about 20
minutes lying around the NDB station.
\ou know where the station is so keep
this in your mental picture as you ex-
periment or yoursel as much as you
need to until you eel you understand
the basics.
Let`s inish o with an idea o
what's to come in uture lessons.
\hen you'e inished your practice,
perorm one more leg oer the aid and
when you get station passage turn on
to a heading o 040. Midway should
be on your nose. Maintain a heading
o 040. \hat you hae just done is
departed the NDB on the 040 track
and this is something we`ll be coering
in in a uture article i.e. tracks to and
rom an NDB station, a major aspect
o the ADl you'll need to understand
or enroute naigation.
Ater you pass Midway, continue on a
heading o 040 until you hae Meigs
isual. A1C clears you to enter a long
base or Runway 36 when isual. Begin
your descent to pattern altitude ,1600 t,
and when in a good position or base
turn right heading 090 \ou`re number
one and clear to land.
So there you hae it. 1he basics o the
Automatic Direction linder.
Ponts 7o Remember
All you need to remember is that the
ADl always points to the NDB station
and it's always relatie to the position o
the heading o your aircrat. 1o ly di-
rectly to the NDB just put the needle on
the nose.
\hen you hae some spare time, do
some more o what you'e learned to-
day. 1he more you do it the more amil-
iar you will become and the more ready
you'll be to adance to the next leel in
our lessons on the ADl coming up in a
uture issue o Computer Pilot. 3