Understanding 'Radials'

[yawsteryup]

Hello hi, can someone please explain radials to me? It looked so straightforward (like it should follow the ticks of a compass, from 1 to 90 to 180 to 360), but apparently I don't understand it bc I keep getting these questions wrong.

 

[kadras]

Radials are the direction lines from 0 to 359, based on magnetic north. Please give an example of a specific problem so we can help.

 

[yawsteryup]

Here is the question.

 

[yawsteryup]

Here is the corresponding part of the map:

 

[yawsteryup]

Sorry here is a clearer version of the map:

 

[yawsteryup]

I would have thought an 009 radial would be much further to the East, i.e., several more tics down the line, but the tower in question (454 stacks) appears to be at 1 degree, at least to me. I must be missing something.

 

[Former Member]

I would have thought an 009 radial would be much further to the East, i.e., several more tics down the line, but the tower in question (454 stacks) appears to be at 1 degree, at least to me. I must be missing something.

Small line on the radial = 5°

Large line = 10°

Stacks are in between 5° and 10°

 

[kadras]

You'd think that for the question they would have used a better location on the map where the radial marks aren't obscured. As you follow the circle around you can see the shorter 15° and longer 20° lines. The 30° has a 3 above it for 3(0) and the marked 034 radial.

 

[Former Member]

You'd think that for the question they would have used a better location on the map where the radial marks aren't obscured. As you follow the circle around you can see the shorter 15° and longer 20° lines. The 30° has a 3 above it for 3(0) and the marked 034 radial.

Ah, the world of sectionals! It was always fun when in the air trying to decipher or identify something that was obscured. Made me a better pilot (not) lol

 

[747P4]

Hello hi, can someone please explain radials to me? It looked so straightforward (like it should follow the ticks of a compass, from 1 to 90 to 180 to 360), but apparently I don't understand it bc I keep getting these questions wrong.

Think of a hub in the middle of a bike wheel. "Radials" start at the center of the hub and "radiate" outwards in degrees from the hub. VOR navigation facilities (on the ground) apply the same principle so aircraft can determine their position in the air in relationship tot he ground.

A VOR ground station sends out an omnidirectional master signal, and a highly directional second signal is propagated by a phased antenna array and rotates clockwise in space 30 times a second. This signal is timed so that its phase (compared to the master) varies as the secondary signal rotates, and this phase difference is the same as the angular direction of the 'spinning' signal, (so that when the signal is being sent 90 degrees clockwise from north, the signal is 90 degrees out of phase with the master). By comparing the phase of the secondary signal with the master, the angle (bearing) to the aircraft from the station can be determined. This line of position is called the "radial" from the VOR. The intersection of radials from two different VOR stations can be used to fix the position of the aircraft, as in earlier radio direction finding (RDF) systems.

 

[yawsteryup]

Awesome, that's a huge help! I see it now. I'm taking the test on Monday, and yikes, there's some tricky stuff. I'm doing a combination of (reading the 'sUAS Study Guide & Part 107, using an App called Remote Pilot, and taking practice tests online). There are still a handful of questions I don't understand even after doing google searches. Is it kosher/cool to keep asking questions on the forum?? Thanks everyone for the help!

 

[Former Member]

@yawsteryup do you understand?

That blue 001° line is misleading because it has nothing to do with the actual radial itself, so maybe thats why you got mislead. It serves another purpose, but not in this question.

 

[yawsteryup]

You'd think that for the question they would have used a better location on the map where the radial marks aren't obscured. As you follow the circle around you can see the shorter 15° and longer 20° lines. The 30° has a 3 above it for 3(0) and the marked 034 radial.

SUPER HELPFUL! THANKS kadras!!!

 

[Former Member]

Awesome, that's a huge help! I see it now. I'm taking the test on Monday, and yikes, there's some tricky stuff. I'm doing a combination of (reading the 'sUAS Study Guide & Part 107, using an App called Remote Pilot, and taking practice tests online). There are still a handful of questions I don't understand even after doing google searches. Is it kosher/cool to keep asking questions on the forum?? Thanks everyone for the help!

Bring it on! I think they are more fun than the dumb questions I ask on the forum

 

[Former Member]

Awesome, that's a huge help! I see it now. I'm taking the test on Monday, and yikes, there's some tricky stuff. I'm doing a combination of (reading the 'sUAS Study Guide & Part 107, using an App called Remote Pilot, and taking practice tests online). There are still a handful of questions I don't understand even after doing google searches. Is it kosher/cool to keep asking questions on the forum?? Thanks everyone for the help!

When in doubt, check choice "C" and you will have a 33% chance of getting the question right.

 

[yawsteryup]

Think of a hub in the middle of a bike wheel. "Radials" start at the center of the hub and "radiate" outwards in degrees from the hub. VOR navigation facilities (on the ground) apply the same principle so aircraft can determine their position in the air in relationship tot he ground.

A VOR ground station sends out an omnidirectional master signal, and a highly directional second signal is propagated by a phased antenna array and rotates clockwise in space 30 times a second. This signal is timed so that its phase (compared to the master) varies as the secondary signal rotates, and this phase difference is the same as the angular direction of the 'spinning' signal, (so that when the signal is being sent 90 degrees clockwise from north, the signal is 90 degrees out of phase with the master). By comparing the phase of the secondary signal with the master, the angle (bearing) to the aircraft from the station can be determined. This line of position is called the "radial" from the VOR. The intersection of radials from two different VOR stations can be used to fix the position of the aircraft, as in earlier radio direction finding (RDF) systems.

wowww, this is like one step removed from rocket science

 

[Former Member]

wowww, this is like one step removed from rocket science

Pilots are smarter than scientists. We have to fly, scientists just sit at desks.