North Up vs. Track Up

Zero1Niner

Zero1Niner

Well-Known Member
If this has been discussed here before, sorry, but I wanted to here what your thoughts are on North up vs. Track up on GPS. I was instinctively drawn toward North Up, but my examiner for my CFII ride was really strongly in favor of track up.

Which do you use and why?
 
North up because track up just doesn't look right. Oddly enough, I always hold my sectional track up.
 
Whatever feels right and gives you the better situational awareness.

I use track up. "Turn left" makes more sense to my little brain than "turn south." For others, north up makes more intuitive sense.

Go with what works for you.
 
MidlifeFlyer said:
"Turn left" makes more sense to my little brain than "turn south." For others, north up makes more intuitive sense.
Click to expand...

Very interesting that you mention this. Personally, I think its really wise to engrain the idea of getting students to think in terms of cardinal directions, and not thinking in terms of 'right' and 'left'. Seems that the end result would be much better SA.
 
My DPE for the instrument ride almost insisted on track up, and for the same reason MidlifeFlyer stated. Some of the 172s I flew had an MFD in them in addition to the KLN94. In those I always put track Up on the MFD, and North Up on the KLN. With just one presentation I tend to use North Up most the time.
 
One of my buddies teaches north up because what you see on the GPS mirrors the approach plate. He is fairly adamant about it but I'm still not a fan. I use track up because it seems to be the same information with one less processing step.
 
I like track up, my boss has two 430's in his 421 and uses track up on top and north up on bottom. I liked that too, but do whatever "feels" better to you.
 
Prior to GPS, EGPWS and EFIS days, and I am dating myself here, Radar was the primary terrain avoidance system in addition to WX avoidance. Most radar systems could only give a sector scan from the nose radome of the A/C. Hence HDG up. Most older pilots were trained with this type of equipment
Like most ground radar, some radars on a few military aircraft have a 360 degree scanning radar and associated PPI. When tied to an INS they provide the option of North up, which in some case provides more SA and radar fixing capabilities.

When the GPS came out with moving maps, the avionics companies have both options. Learn to use both. Both have their good points.

I am guessing that DPEs here were Old Skool and feel that it is better SA.

At least this is my theory...
 
Zero1Niner said:
Very interesting that you mention this. Personally, I think its really wise to engrain the idea of getting students to think in terms of cardinal directions, and not thinking in terms of 'right' and 'left'. Seems that the end result would be much better SA.
Click to expand...
Personally, I think it's really wise to understand that different people process things differently and ingrain the idea of getting students to think in terms of what will give them, not me, better situational awareness.
 
Track or HDG up. I fly with a North up guy and every time we switch legs we switch the map.

IMO, it makes no difference what you use as long as you like it and you know how to use it.
 
Track up is what we do in the EFIS planes I've flown. We use North Up by default when we scan through a route. Other than that, underway, track up. Nothing written, just what it common practice.

I turn the map track up too until I'm real familiar with the route/area...
 
I tend to use track up, but like it was stated before, I'll go into north up to verify my route. Although I hold the sectional north up, I don't have any problem translating the track-up to what I see on the sectional and comparing.

Then again, at 94 hours I'm not exactly an authority....
 
Track up. On many aircraft you can't even get many of the features with "North up", it is really just meant to be a planning tool. I am somewhat surprised anybody would do anything different. I know of NO airline or military that teaches to fly with "North up" as a general rule. Not one. General Aviation does not have the quality control that the airlines or military have, so you get all sorts of weird things that haven't been well thought out. I think this is one of them.
 
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