Ifr / vor

I covered aviation for years, but if I knew the difference between these two, I've forgotten.

 

What does an IFR route plan give me that a VOR doesn't? In layman's terms, please. :o

VOR routing takes you just from a VOR to another VOR, no complex waypoints.

 

IFR will give you airways and RNAV waypoints.

Do you mean in real life or in FSX?

 

A VOR is a certain type of navigation aid.

You can use it to fly towards it and away from it your destination, or another VOR.

 

The FSX flightplanner allows several routing options:

-Direct, go from A to B in a straight line without detours.

-Low altitude airways, follow routes predifined by the authorities that include not only VORs but als other navaids and predefined points.

-High altitude airways, same as low altitude airways.

-VOR to VOR, plan a route that goes from one VOR to another and does not use other navaids or waypoint.

 

IFR is not a routing option but a set of rules to fly and navigate by, it stands for Instrument Flying Rules.

It means that you rely on artificial instruments to conduct your flight.

This is opposed to VFR where the V stands for visual and you rely primarily on sight.

 

In the flightplanner you can file a flightplan as either VFR or IFR.

In FSX this mostly means that Air Traffic Control will treat you differently than when flying VFR, but in the sim this is not as serious as in real life.

 

VOR routing is IFR as well, and you can plan a route along RNAV waypoints and then fly it under VFR.

IFR is not a routing option but a set of rules to fly and navigate by, it stands for Instrument Flying Rules.

It means that you rely on artificial instruments to conduct your flight.

Actually, IFR is just the rules. You can fly visually under IFR just as you can under VFR, until you enter weather that is IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions), where IFR is required and you'll be making use of the gauges. Otherwise, right on.

Hope them instruments arent "artificial" . They need to be very real..:p. IFR rules basically states , your are under constant ATC control.

I covered aviation for years, but if I knew the difference between these two, I've forgotten.

 

What does an IFR route plan give me that a VOR doesn't? In layman's terms, please. :o

 

Did you mean IFR/VFR, not VOR?

"Did you mean IFR/VFR, not VOR? "

 

Good question. These two types of navigation do not rule each other out.

 

As mentioned, as far as the sim, VFR/IFR are not really different in that you the pilot may switch between these at will if you are competent at instrument navigation and radio nav aids. VOR navigation is one of the navigation radio aids used and there are no rules when you can or cannot use radio navigation. The "sim" doesn't care how you get from one place to another. The "sim atc" however expects you to follow the route you filed regardless of VFR or IFR. You can cancel ATC control whenever you want and get rid of the nags.

The sim ATC doesn't expect you to fly above clouds in VFR, but I think the main diff is how your pilot log looks.

 

When flying online with real person ATC, these two become more important. On Vatsim for example, when you file VFR, the online ATC expects you to stay below clouds unless you refile. You can switch back and forth at will. The other difference with online ATC is VFR is a little more flexible in the routing. Your plan can be simple or even touch and goes or helicopter hops near an airport and the ATC will limit your altitude, but you can wander around almost unrestricted as long as you don't get near departing and arriving traffic. When filing IFR, the online ATC will expect at least a direct departure and destination in your flight plan and depending on how busy the route is, they may also expect you to route along airways and be willing to support editing in an arrival STAR when you get within 100 miles or so of your destination. Even this portion of the plan can be pretty flexible. The ATC will often ask if you want a "visual" approach. If you say yes, the ATC will release you from their vector control or STAR routing and you then find your own way into the runway. When there is no ATC covering your proposed route, you can file whatever IFR/VFR you want and whatever routing you want. Just be willing to change your plans and adjust should an ATC pop on and care about what you are doing.

 

-Pv-

In the UK the Instrument Flight Rules inu controlled airspace:

 

33 Minimum height

34 Quadrantal Rule and semi-circular Rule

35 Flight plan and air traffic control clearance

36 Compliance with air traffic control clearance and notified procedures

37 Position reports

 

In uncontrolled airspace only Rules 33 and 34 apply