Here's a navigational exercise of flying from Meigs to Chicago O'Hare. It starts with your aircraft at Meigs on runway 36 (that is, the default MSFS opener).

First, set up the navigational system for your destination. O'Hare is northwest, sort of, from Meigs, so pick runway 27L as your easiest approach. According to the manual, its ILS is 111.1. Set this on Nav1 (as only Nav1 supports vertical as well as horizontal alignment).

The manual shows several ways of adjusting the various navigational equipment, but I've settled on a combination of keyboard and mouse. To set the Nav1 or Nav2 frequencies, I use the mouse. Click on the left digits to go up, the right to go down, as I recall, on either side of the decimal point. To switch between Nav1 and Nav2, I use the keyboard: v and 1 or v and 2 (that is, in succession). Whichever is ready for adjustment will light yellow. Then, I use the - or + to adjust each.

To adjust OBI1, type v, 1 and its numbers turn yellow. Then, since you know the desired runway is in the direction 27, use the - and + keys to enter 270 in yellow. The needles won't register anything useful as yet, because you're too far away. But Nav1 is now all set for your landing once you get close enough for ILS.

Use Nav2 for O'Hare's VOR. Use the mouse to enter its VOR as shown in the manual, 113.9. Immediately DME2 will show that O'Hare is 15.5 nm away. Then type v, 2 and the OBI2 numbers will turn yellow. Use - or + to center the needle. From Meigs, it'll read around 299 on center; that is, O'Hare's VOR is toward the northwest.

You're now all set to go. Take off, get stabilized on a course of 299 (miss the buildings!) and check things out. You'll probably find that once you get the plane headed to 299, it's no longer centering the OBI2 needle. This means your actual course to O'Hare needs some fine tuning. Use - or + to center it again. When I tried it recently, I had to alter my course to 295.

Steady as she goes on 295 (or whatever) as you see DME2 diminish mileage. As you get closer to O'Hare (around 7.3 nm, with my flight), OBI1 will come active. Keep at around 2000 ft until the glide slope shows you're a bit high (i.e., needle below), then adjust power/trim a little to keep this horizontal needle centered. Stay on 295 for the time being.

At 5.0 nm, the lights will become evident. The vertical needle of OBI1 will be off to the right (i.e., you're left of the desired course). This, I believe, is where real pilots continue until they "intercept" the ILS course. They know enough to prejudge their turn; I don't.

From there on, I used a combination of visual alignment and gauges. Line up for 27L on the proper glide slope and you'll see both OBI1 needles centered, more or less. (This, to me, is quite a thrill). At 1.7 nm, the Middle Marker buzzer sounds. Continue right on down to a greased landing.

Or, as I did, bounce along a bit to the left of 27L, but get on the tarmac before the passengers demand their money back.

Hope this helps. Cheers!

Dennis Simanaitis
EngEd@aol.com