DME readout

rotateandfly · Post by **rotateandfly** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:41 am

Howdy,

I'm preparing a x-country for tomorrow that Im flying copilot on a 152. Ive gotten used to flying with a GPS however tomorrow all there is is the landscape and a couple of VORs. Since Im not tracking direct to one VOR, id still like to use it to determine my exact position. Now heres my question,

how many NM is 1 DME?

Once i know that i can figure out some checkpoints. and if im on or off-course.

flaps40 · Post by **flaps40** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:01 am

Please tell me you are kidding.

heavymetal · Post by **heavymetal** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:02 am

Depends on how high above ground you are. DME reads slant range to or from the station so depending on your distance above ground you will have to consult Pythagoras (you remember high school Trig I hope) to get an exact ratio between Nautical miles and DME. In a 152 I can't see it making that much of a difference though so the DME readout should be close enough to not worry about.

Even if you are 6000' AGL (1nm) the difference between your ground distance and DME distance and furtherst theoretical reception distance from the station (95nm) the difference is only 1%.

rotateandfly · Post by **rotateandfly** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:12 am

that's what I thought, thanks!

Sadly enough i remember pythagoras.

thanks again!

Wasn't Me · Post by **Wasn't Me** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 1:08 pm

Nice troll !!

oldtimer · Post by **oldtimer** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 1:33 pm

Take your DME, multiply by 1.15 to convert to miles and then by 1.6 to convert to kilometers and then get in your car and drive before you hurt yourself. Unless you are trolling, and then you get an attaboy for being creative.

alpha1 · Post by **alpha1** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 1:45 pm

oldtimer,

hilarious!!

JigglyBus · Post by **JigglyBus** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:24 pm

I just measured the DME in my plane, it's 0.000048 NM long.

Mike Falk · Post by **Mike Falk** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:22 pm

I agree with oldtimer, you get a A+ for the creativity as most trolls have been lackin in that area lately.

rotateandfly · Post by **rotateandfly** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:56 pm

wtv, you guys are dorks !

Im a VFR pilot, and jsut remembered reading DME reads slant range not NM, so i was just wondering naturally! I knew it wasnt off by too much, i just wanted to make sure.

Spokes · Post by **Spokes** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:09 pm

rotateandfly wrote:wtv, you guys are dorks !

Im a VFR pilot, and jsut remembered reading DME reads slant range not NM, so i was just wondering naturally! I knew it wasnt off by too much, i just wanted to make sure.

You say you want to determine your exact position in your original post. As a VFR pilot your best bet is to use a VFR map and pintoint yourself using landmarks on said map. Trying to use pythagoras to convert DME to ground miles is rediculous. By the sounds of it you have become overly reliant on GPS.

Turn off all that nav equipment and use a map - you'll be glad you did. Then the next time you go flying with your GPS and it craps out, you will once again have the map reading skills that every pilot should have, to see you to your destination.

Did I stress enough - use a map!

flyinhigh · Post by **flyinhigh** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 7:39 am

Spokes wrote:
rotateandfly wrote:wtv, you guys are dorks !

Im a VFR pilot, and jsut remembered reading DME reads slant range not NM, so i was just wondering naturally! I knew it wasnt off by too much, i just wanted to make sure.
You say you want to determine your exact position in your original post. As a VFR pilot your best bet is to use a VFR map and pintoint yourself using landmarks on said map. Trying to use pythagoras to convert DME to ground miles is rediculous. By the sounds of it you have become overly reliant on GPS.

Turn off all that nav equipment and use a map - you'll be glad you did. Then the next time you go flying with your GPS and it craps out, you will once again have the map reading skills that every pilot should have, to see you to your destination.

Did I stress enough - use a map!

Exactly, you obviously don't know how to use the nav equipment very well execept for the basics they taught you. If you try using this equipment you will probably confuse yourself and get lost.

So DO NOT use the nav equipment, USE a map

rotateandfly · Post by **rotateandfly** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:00 pm

ok, i feel the need to clear up a few things here.

1. I needed the info because i was on a cross country yesterday from the french bordert to munich, germany. The only problem with that is the direct route will take you straight through stuttgart class c and d airspace. Now thats not so much of a problem since most of my flying has been out of CYUL, but they shut the airspace down for all VFR aircraft once tehre is a certain amount of IFR traffic that needs to be processed. ok, since we were in a hurry to make an appointment in munich i wanted to make sure that in the event that i wouldnt not be able to cross the airspace i could bomb right along the edge of it using DME to make out my exact position, a map would not help here since the way there is mountaineous and covered in fog in the early morning, no map is of any help here.

2. im a glider pilot, i think that gave me enough map reading practice, to no avail when there is ground fog, huh?

3. i know my navs, altho i never got an IFR and only have about 80h, i scored 5 for instrument flying, ive flown several vor holding patterns and ILS approaches and am quite handy when it gets to instrument flying.

I admit my original post may have made me seem like a bit of an idiot, sorry about that, all i wanted to know is that i can really rely on DME being really close to NM, as to not get in trouble with the controller there.

confuzed · Post by **confuzed** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:06 pm

rotateandfly wrote:ok, i feel the need to clear up a few things here.

3. i know my navs, altho i never got an IFR and only have about 80h, i scored 5 for instrument flying, ive flown several vor holding patterns and ILS approaches and am quite handy when it gets to instrument flying.

No comment, but I can't wait to see the responses to this

rotateandfly · Post by **rotateandfly** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:11 pm

lol, of course i didnt mean to say im an instrument pilot or on that level or anything, just saying i know my navs from a private pilot kinda view, catch my drift?

btw, there wasnt any DME equipment in the aircraft only a vor indicator, so what i did is i pinpointed my position using two VORs by determining the outbound radial of both to check my position.

Jimmy Mack · Post by **Jimmy Mack** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:24 pm

2. im a glider pilot, i think that gave me enough map reading practice, to no avail when there is ground fog, huh?

I'm a glider pilot, and I never carry a map.

And who says that they're being a "co-pilot" in a 152? That cracked me up

JM

rotateandfly · Post by **rotateandfly** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:38 pm

co-pilot as in: im doing the flying from the right seat, the guy on the left who's PIC cuz hes paying is sleeping and worries about his appointment

Jimmy Mack · Post by **Jimmy Mack** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:43 pm

I dunno about you but I would be logging PIC time

rotateandfly · Post by **rotateandfly** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:44 pm

I'm a glider pilot, and I never carry a map.

Jimmy Mack,

you have my sympathy, you dont seem to fly x-countries in gliders.
On a good day we frequently cover 300NM easily in a high-performance glider, need a map dude, dont know that much terrain off by heart

rotateandfly · Post by **rotateandfly** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:45 pm

I dunno about you but I would be logging PIC time

Im not licenced in Germany

Jimmy Mack · Post by **Jimmy Mack** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:47 pm

You're right, I don't fly x-country in gliders.......... but that's ok, I'd probably get bored flying that far

proper · Post by **proper** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 11:16 am

no such thing as a dumb question especially when you're unsure.
Better have the right answer right away then explaining to TC "oh I thought"...
I've flown with people who forget the basics but why scold them, they were honest enough to ask.

superiorwhore · Post by **superiorwhore** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:27 pm

What's the hardest part about being a glider pilot?

Telling your parents you're gay.

flyinhigh · Post by **flyinhigh** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:53 pm

rotateandfly wrote:ok, i feel the need to clear up a few things here.

3. i know my navs, altho i never got an IFR and only have about 80h, i scored 5 for instrument flying, ive flown several vor holding patterns and ILS approaches and am quite handy when it gets to instrument flying.

ROTFLMAO,
WOW. you got a five on your instrument flying. Man I want you as a co-pilot in my aircraft. No offence but if you think that you know instrument flying because you flew straight and level and intercepted a radial and the examiner gave you a happy face for it, that you know ifr stuff than give your head a shake.

[/quote]

ettw · Post by **ettw** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:15 pm

Well, I guess I'll take the bait here.

I have to say, I really feel sorry for the new or aspiring pilots who frequent this forum. At first glance it appears to be a great place to ask questions and HOPEFULLY have more experienced pilots help you find the answer or provide you with an answer. That being said, a significant number of replies to reasonable questions on this forum result in this sort of flaming.

I don't believe there is such a thing as a stupid question ASSUMING you have done some homework. If we all knew all the answers, piliots would be running the country replacing the politicians who know most everything.

Please, cut some slack here people! Everyone of us who are pilots once had 5, 10, 50 ,100, 1000 hours. Remember that when you're posting here.

If you have little more to do than to flame, spend your time in the Political Discussion Forum!

Cheers,

ETTW