VOR/NDB Simulator

By Andrew Herd (5 October 2001)

viation Tutorials is a provider of navigational and other aids for flying, and the company recently sent FlightSim.Com a copy of its VOR/NDB simulator.

The first thing to say about this package is that it isn't an add-on for a flight simulation package - it is a stand-alone simulation of VORs and NDBs, and the instruments that are used to navigate by them, the ADF, VOR display, RMI and HSI. And that, more or less, is that; the package does not include a tutorial on the use of navaids. If you want that, you need to purchase Aviation Tutorials Navigation CD-ROM, for another 99 bucks.

The package comes with a shrink-wrapped CD-ROM, a single-fold card "getting started" guide, and a drop out single sheet which touches on the basics of VOR and NDB navigation, but not in quite enough depth for a novice to understand how navaids work.

Installation was uncomplicated - once the CD-ROM is in the drive, autorun brings up the necessary dialog and the app was up and running in no time. Recommended spec for the hardware is a surprising hefty 500 MHz, although in lower resolutions the software would probably run on a much less well specified machine.

Once the software is installed, you have the option of running through a Flash tutorial, which does a good job of showing how the various options and controls in the package work. It took me about five minutes to get the hang of the insterface, which is well designed and easy to use.

The main screen for each type of navaid is functionally the same: the relevant instruments (with DME readouts where appropriate) are shown on the right; an aircraft on the left, and a navaid or two in the middle. The navaids and the aircraft can be dragged around with the mouse to create different relationships, and you can adjust aircraft speed, and wind speed and direction using three windows at bottom left. As the aircraft moves, it leaves a trail of black dots behind it to indicate the track, leaving you in no doubt about how well you are doing when you try to bracket an NDB.

Once you have mastered the interface the software is simplicity itself to use and I have no doubt that it will prove popular with flying schools and pilots working on instrument ratings. The screen is uncluttered, you can always see exactly what is going on, and if you get an intercept wrong, you can drag the aircraft back and do the whole thing over. One improvement I can think of would be a pause key, because in the early stages of learning VOR navigation, working out what those instruments are trying to tell you, or even how they ought to be set up, can be a problem. Another feature which would be good to see would be the ability to hide the navaids, so that the user had to rely on the instruments alone to navigate - this would let an instructor set up a situation, ask a pupil to navigate to (say) an intersection, and then unhide the navaids to show success or failure.

For armchair flight simulation enthusiasts the most likely bar to buying this package is the price, which looks high compared to the standard set for FS2000 add-ons. If you have no background knowledge on VOR and NDB navigation, don't forget that this is only a simulator; you will either need to spend another $99 to get Aviation Tutorials Navigation CD-ROM, or buy a book on the subject.