Updated: 2023-04-26 --- # Types of Aircraft Navigation Aircraft in DCS navigate through 3 methods: - Visual- Flight from place to place based on known landmarks sighted visually - Navaids (Traditional)-Flight relative to signals from a ground based navigation aid (VOR/NDB/TACAN) - Area Navigation (RNAV)-Flight from any point to any other point based on internal or location independent navigation aids (GPS, INS) ![[Pasted image 20230810234534.png]] # Visual Navigation Visual navigation is a useful tool, but limited in its application for controllers In order for an aircraft to be able to maintain visual navigation it must be able to maintain its own flight below the cloud ceiling and with sufficient visibility to sight landmarks. In addition it must possess knowledge of relevant landmarks. # Navaid (Traditional) Navigation Navaid navigation is the practice of flying based on receiving signals from emitters of known position. By determining aircraft position relative to the emitter, aircraft location can be determined. Navaid navigation is the primary method vCSG-3 controllers will utilize to assist positive control. Navaids are commonly located at airfields (or aircraft carriers) and can be used to fly certain approaches to runways. ![[Pasted image 20230810234909.png|]] # Navaid Terms Heading is the direction the aircraft is pointed Course is the intended direction of the aircraft Bearing is the direction from the aircraft to the the beacon (for the purposes of this lesson) Radial is the direction from the beacon along a specific magnetic direction DME (Distance measuring equipment) is the distance between the aircraft and the beacon ![[Pasted image 20230810234843.png|300]] # Navaid Procedures Aircraft are capable of the following navaid procedures - Direct to a Navaid - Intercept and joining a radial inbound or outbound - Arcing at a DME - Point to Point # Direct to a Station Aircraft are capable of flying a straight line to a navaid station, this is different than simply flying toward the station, which is called homing, in direct to procedures, the aircraft flies a straight track across the ground, corrected for wind ![[Pasted image 20230810235413.png]] # Radial Intercept Aircraft can fly to and intercept a radial from a navaid either inbound directly towards a navaid or outbound directly away from a navaid ![[Pasted image 20230810235729.png]] ![[Pasted image 20230810235756.png]] # DME Arc Aircraft can fly to and join an arc around a navaid at a specific distance (DME) ![[Pasted image 20230810235823.png]] # Point to Point Aircraft can fly from any given radial and DME in a straight line to any other given radial and DME around the same navaid. The example on the right shows a point to point from the 270 radial at 20 DME to the 360 radial at 10 DME. The point to point is an advanced maneuver and requires some skill from the pilot to perform well. ![[Pasted image 20230810235907.png]] # Area Navigation (RNAV) RNAV is the principal of using internal or external navigation tools that can determine the exact position of the aircraft in real time in order to navigate from any point to any other point. The two most common RNAV systems are GPS and INS. While RNAV allows aircraft to navigate to any position, in order for a controller to direct an aircraft to navigate somewhere, the aircraft and controller must have either have pre-planned points with agreed upon names, or the controller must pass specific coordinates to the aircraft which must then be entered in the navigation system. The process of passing and entering coordinates is impractical for real time ATC control, so RNAV is of limited application in DCS without pre planned waypoints. One way around this is through the use of a bullseye with bullseye equipped aircraft. Aircraft may be told to fly to any point by passing a bullseye bearing and distance.