NDB Approaches

I've had to fly NDB approaches during training at at least two 121 carriers (can't remember the other one). I'm told Southernjets MD-88 crews fly them for real into at least one Florida destination.
 
MikeD said:
Fixed card NDB does required SA and a good crosscheck, but isn't impossible IMO...just a little more workload. RMI....now you're good to go.
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It almost seems like it is easier to use a fixed card with NDBs. That way you are not constantly turning it whenever you change your heading, and you cant forget to turn it and confuse yourself. To each, his own I guess.
 
youngflyer said:
It almost seems like it is easier to use a fixed card with NDBs. That way you are not constantly turning it whenever you change your heading, and you cant forget to turn it and confuse yourself. To each, his own I guess.
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Once you try the RMI, you almost get spoiled. On the RMI, the card "turns" already, as it's slaved. And some HSIs have an RMI function incorporated.
 
youngflyer said:
It almost seems like it is easier to use a fixed card with NDBs. That way you are not constantly turning it whenever you change your heading, and you cant forget to turn it and confuse yourself. To each, his own I guess.
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I agree completely. I never spin the compass card in an ADF. More workload for little gain. Easier for me to see the ADF for what it is...a device to show the a bearing relative to the nose of the aircraft.

Mike you are spot on about the RMI, though. NDB work with an RMI is just about as easy as radio navigation can work for me.
 
MikeD said:
What you were describing before was homing, if I read it correctly. It wasn't the being below MDA that necessarily killed that crew, it was homing vs tracking with an NDB, not having the minimum number of NDBs required for the approach in the first place, and executing the missed in the wrong direction.

Btw, I edited my initial post since when I reviewed it, it came across as somewhat negative, which wasn't my intent.
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No biggie.

I can accept fair correction. (I'm also a charter member of the KYOA Club ;))
 
Mike H said:
No biggie.

I can accept fair correction. (I'm also a charter member of the KYOA Club ;))
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Thats cool. Yeah, that T-43 crew made a number of errors, unfortunately. The being off course laterally and improper missed appears to be what killed them moreso than the MDA bust, if I had to rank order the primary errors in terms of most to a-little-less-than-most serious.

Either way, lots of good learning to come out of that one. Especially the tertiary factors concerning unit culture of that squadron, etc.
 
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