There was a time in my not-so-distant past that I
would have killed for a way to more effectively teach the rudiments
of VOR and NDB operation... especially NDB. As a hard-working
(sometimes hardly-working...) CFIA/I/ME/H; getting a struggling
student pilot to grasp the fundamentals of NDB ops was akin to
black magic. Now, for those of you who refuse to suffer the way we
elder (I resemble that remark all too well) instructors did, there
is hope... and help.
Aviation Tutorials has released Version 2.0 of VOR/NDB
Simulator, a visually-oriented trainer designed for practicing and
developing VOR and NDB navigation skills. A fully-interactive map
area, realistic instrumentation, and stunning graphics make it easy
to visualize navigation and fine-tune skills to perfection, without
the distractions of real flight.
VOR/NDB Simulator version 2.0 is a major redevelopment of the
original version. User feedback has resulted in new advanced
features and capabilities, such as random navigation scenarios,
hard-copy printouts of your navigation, enhanced heading control,
and simultaneous VOR and NDB navigation. The new Instrument Manager
lets the user select from a menu of instruments, including
Directional Gyro (DG), Course Deviation Indicator (CDI), fixed-card
and rotatable-card Automatic Direction Finder (ADF), Horizontal
Situation Indicator (HSI), and Radio Magnetic Indicator (RMI).
Fully-narrated on-screen instructions walk the user through every
aspect of the software.
VOR/NDB Simulator is a further development of the company's
flagship product, The Navigation CD-ROM, which teaches how to
navigate using VOR's and NDB's. VOR/NDB Simulator lets you practice
navigation skills in real-time. It's perfect for all pilots, from
students learning to navigate, to rated pilots who wish to remain
sharp and proficient.
The VOR/NDB Simulator screen consists of a large overhead map
view with a moving airplane, draggable VOR's and NDB's, draggable
navigation and flight instruments, and controls that let you
specify aircraft direction, speed, wind parameters, and more.
VOR/NDB Simulator is unlike any other training product. It's the
only software that lets you simultaneously visualize your position
with the map view while "flying" the airplane and navigating with
the on-screen instruments. Positional awareness is made easy with
its high-resolution, full-screen graphics.
This product is said to be amazingly easy to use:
the objective is to set the navigation instruments accordingly, and
then turn the aircraft as needed to intercept and track VOR radials
and NDB bearings. Skills such as position-finding, interception,
and tracking are easily practiced. Instrument pilots can also
practice advanced techniques such as DME arcs and holding. The days
of difficult and expensive in-flight practice are over, as VOR/NDB
Simulator allows endless hours of real-time practice for one low
price. And, the company reports that it fosters the development of
visualization skills "like no other method." It is priced at
$69.00.