Inst. pod compass

[Dirtydog]

How many people still have a compass on there gyro?
Or do you have both GPS and a compass?

I was thinking about buying a GPS I have a Garmin 550 but this for the open road. I know it would work but lots of times it is zoomed in to close to tell what is around you. But I was looking a a garmin 196 or 296 I belive is what the numbers are, I might be wrong.

 

[jcarleto]

I'm "old school." I have a GPS, but rarely fly with it in the gyro. I rely on good prep and landmark recognition for most of my cross-country flights in the gyro. The compass is useful for that. I have, as most do, a VOR built into my hand-held radio, and can use that if needed. When I do carry a GPS in the gyro, I rarely look at it and use it mainly as a source ground speed information.

I think that is because I know the local area really well from flying over it for years in fixed-wing aircraft. I do use GPS in the FW for long flights out of the area.

Lots of people don't use a compass anymore. Most of these never had to navigate with one as a sole navigation instrument, and probably couldn't manage. Still more have a compass and don't use it because the installation is terrible and the thing spins uselessly from the moment the engine starts until it is shut off. I think you could count on one hand the number who have a current compass card.

My recommendation is for you to use a GPS. It is easier, and unless you have time and practice with a compass, it really won't help you a lot. It still is best to do a proper flight prep and look at your route on a map to collect landmarks, rather than just punching in coordinates and hoping your batteries hold out and you don't suffer a malfunction enroute.

The most pathetic thing I have ever heard was a "pilot" whose GPS died in the middle of a flight, leaving him hopelessly lost and calling for help on the radio in a panic. No idea how to go forward or back. I feel reasonably certain that happens all the time.

 

[Resasi]

Yes got a compass.

My GPS is a wrist mounted Garmin Foretrex 201

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=257&ra=true#foretrex201

Its cheap light and versatile. Ideal for single seat out in the open minimal operations. Does the job within a tight budget without capability overkill.

I echo Jon's comments. Have a map handy, know the area, or prep well before getting airborne. Do not rely on the GPS.

 

[Vance]

I find a compass has value.

I find a compass has value.

I have been instructed to turn to a heading several times at both class C and class D airports.

I have found that the compass is useful if the runway numbers are difficult to read so I can properly announce my location and intentions.

I have a vertical card compass that has a proper correction card.

I find that I am often pointed in a different direction than my heading. With practice it is not hard to compensate.

When I am lost I want to know as soon as possible so I can begin the process of finding where I am.

I need all the help I can get navigating over unfamiliar territory so I use a GPS and always have a current chart marked up with my route.

I find value in a flight plan with check points every 5 minutes to ten minutes depending on what I am flying over.

I want to have the patterns, altitudes and radio frequencies of my alternate and destination airports.

Thank you, Vance

 

[MichaelBurton]

The compass is required equipment for powered flight with standard airwothiness. I would consider this list to be minimum equipment for an aircraft FAR 91.205 (b)

I have found that the more complex the equipment is the more often it fails to work. GPS has outages and can be blocked or turned off by the GOVT.

 

[RotoPlane]

Yes got a compass.

My GPS is a wrist mounted Garmin Foretrex 201

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=257&ra=true#foretrex201

Its cheap light and versatile. Ideal for single seat out in the open minimal operations. Does the job within a tight budget without capability overkill.

I echo Jon's comments. Have a map handy, know the area, or prep well before getting airborne. Do not rely on the GPS.

Thank you Leigh....that sounds ideal for use with a UL gyro. I'm going to check it out in my hand.

 

[ckurz7000]

I would never consider flying without a compass for much the same reasons Vance has already cited:

(1) You're required to carry one.

(2) You have to be able to accept headings given to you by ATC when flying in "their" airspace.

(3) The difference between bearing and heading gives me a sense of what the wind is doing at my altitude.

(4) When the GPS goes belly up, I can still navigate to wherever I need to go.

(5) Relying on the GPS overly much will lead to sloppy preflighting and degrade your navigational skills.

-- Chris.

 

[gyroplanes]

EAB aircraft are not required to have a compass. Exception would be an IFR EAB. Ironically, if you do have a compass you are required to have a compass correction card.

 

[MichaelBurton]

EAB aircraft are not required to have a compass. Exception would be an IFR EAB. Ironically, if you do have a compass you are required to have a compass correction card.

Thanks for making that clear I thought that stating that it was for "standard airwothiness" was clear but perhaps not.

 

[scottessex]

Dog, go to a truck stop and get one of those compasses that mounts on the dash, you'll be good, If you get really lost you should be low enough to read the water towers.

 

[Resasi]

Thanks for confirming that Tom, suspected it, but now I know. Our little cheapo doesn't have compensators but we'll be doing a card.

 

[dingbat]

Gps

Gps

Hi All,

Got this one from ebay £45-00+postage

The CAA Charts £295-00. + Shock
so Cheap is not always a good option! I purchased this for my Q.C.CH.II so i can put it in the gyro (when i get it through the T SEC)








G.

LAA.PRA.BRA.....................

 

[lanichol]

Hi All,

Got this one from ebay £45-00+postage

The CAA Charts £295-00. + Shock
so Cheap is not always a good option! I purchased this for my Q.C.CH.II so i can put it in the gyro (when i get it through the T SEC)

Is this charts on a DVD that you download to a GPS or a hand held? Could you be more specific?

 

[PW_Plack]

Vertical card compasses are more expensive than the (sometimes uselessly spinning) ball-in-whiskey style, but they actually work better with vibration.

 

[dingbat]

gps

gps

Hi Larry,

The charts i have come in the form of 3 GB SD Cards (4) in total which covers all UK airspace the unit is a tom tom fixes to the windsreen of the car and its removable also.. you can get the road maps these are cheap! but the air maps... wow!
it is a brilliant tool... speaking... moving map! (screen size 5inch x 4inch)
Hope this helps!







G.
LAA.PRA.BRA............lane:

 

[WaspAir]

Vertical card compasses are more expensive than the (sometimes uselessly spinning) ball-in-whiskey style, but they actually work better with vibration.

And they're one heck of a lot less mental effort to interpret, too. You're more likely to read your situation correctly with a vertical card, especially if things get stressful and distracting (bad weather, etc.).

 

[Paul_Zurawski]

I installed a vertical card compass on my gyro. It is fairly accurate on N-S and E-W headings.

 

[Dirtydog]

I think after all this I will buy a Military pocket compass to carry with me since I know how to use it and put the small GPS on the bird to help me out. Like the Idea of the small on from the truck Scottie........

I was worries about the way the pod shakes.... I have to find a way to make it more stable while in flight.

 

[RockyMeLad]

Yo Dog,

Any magnetic type metal in proximity to a compass can and usually will have an impact. Thus the need for "adjustments" on typical aircraft compasses. Equally important is the "correction card", as few installations can be adjusted perfectly. It might be prudent to work up a correction card even for the military compass used as you set in the bird with everything running. You might be surprised how far off it can be for some directions.

I recently put a Falcon pedestal compass on top of my pod, but still seldom look at it. It's too easy to use a map and visual clues out here where you can see for a hundred miles. I had an el cheapo car compass for years, even with the correction card wasn't much better than 5 degrees, but it worked.

I have a mount that straps to my leg for the GPS, but typically use it only to test changes that might affect climb rate or ground speed, etc.

 

[Resasi]

Chris, you airborne now? You sly dog you didn't tell us.

We put our pod on with left over metal from our engine mounts. Very sturdy, no shake at all.

That helps because our pitot tube is also our grab handle. I can lift the front wheel off the ground with Stuart in the seat using the pitot tube.