VOR Unusable
 

Hi everyone,

I'm planning a flight for a checkride and it turns out a VOR on my route has the unusable headings "264 - 319." I am wondering if this unusable segment is referring to the radials from the VOR, or the headings you would fly to reach the VOR, in other words the bearing.

Thanks help is appreciated

Radials.

What is the rest of the restrictions and the name of the VOR?

Could be that those radials are only unusable below certain altitudes. Make sure you read the fine print in the A/FD (or whatever they call it now)

The VOR is Crestview VOR CEW in northwestern Florida. The unusable segment is actually 264* - 329*, I used the above numbers (whatever I wrote) as an example. There is no unusable altitudes, just the radials so I assume they are unusable up to the top of the high class VOR volume.

So they ARE radials and not bearings while flying to the VOR? I can approach from the East and receive reliable needle readings but as soon as I head out to the West of the VOR it is unusable?

Thanks for the help

on the check ride you could still transgress the unusable radials and point it out in the brief that they are unusable due to the NOTAM or whatever.... and use other methods of navigation and the radials as an "advisory only" the check airmen would like to see YOU point out the NOTAM and how you are going to deal with it.

I'm hardly a navaid expert so someone can correct me if I'm out to lunch. That said, I don't think it's that common to use the term "bearing" with VORs. Bearings are usually paired with NDBs. Yes, technically if you're on the 270 radial tracking into the station, you're flying the 090 bearing. But, with a VOR, that is typically described as flying the 090 course.

By definition, the NDB signal is non-directional and simply gives you information on your relative position to the station. You fly a bearing to or from the NDB as the situation requires. Since a VOR is transmitting radials that can be specifically selected to allow a course to/from to be flown, you're no longer flying a simple bearing, it's a course.

This won't help you for the upcoming checkride, but it seems that the restriction on CEW will be changed soon from the current 264*-329* Unusable to CEW VOR UNUSBL 306°-329° (all distances and altitudes) in the near future. This restriction was changed in early January and I'm surprised that it hasn't made it into the new Chart Supplement yet; but the report probably hasn't made it through all of the wickets yet.

How is this restricted portion of the NAVAID affecting your planned X/C for the checkride? I agree with Tippy on how you might manage this flight without relying on a restricted NAVAID.

Also - I agree with Alder about the use of the terms 'bearings' vice radials or courses' when referring to navigation related to VOR/VOR-DME/VORTAC/TACANs.

Good luck with the checkride.

I also have never seen a Notam use the term "heading" or "bearing" in reference to VOR radials out. The numbers listed are almost certainly radials. It'll usually say whether its "radials" (for VOR) or "TACAN Azimuth" (for TACANS).

Oh wait, I just looked at the CEW NOTAMS...

!CEW 12/009 CEW NAV VOR RADIALS 306-329 UNUSABLE 1512091928-PERM

So, yeah, radials.


Looks like they're also cutting grass. Watch out!

Good find on the NOTAM FBD!

Strange date on that NOTAM though since when I looked at the report that redefined the restrictions it looks like it was in early January and this NOTAM seems to have been issued in early December. :confused:

Now my curiosity is up! A little more digging might be in order. :)

FlySig -

Here is a smal excerpt out of my manual to explain how restrictions are written: