NDB Navigation

NDB navigation is perhaps the simplest form of radio navigation. NDB stands for Non Directional radio Beacon. It allows you to reach the NDB station on a direct route without having to fly on specific radials. Once the ADF, Automatic Direction Finder - radio is tuned to the appropriate frequency, the needle will point directly towards the station. Just turn the helo till the needle is straight up (showing station dead ahead) and fly the course to the station. Once on that course, though, you may be required to compensate for wind drift, otherwise, it will cause you to fly a curved course. As a result the NDB/ADF is not the most precise type of equipment to base your navigation upon. That's why NDBs are used for short distance navigation only, so don't expect to fly cross-country using NDBs alone. The frequency of an NDB station can be found on a sectional, in FS Map view, by using the GPS, or by using software such as FS Navigator.

NOTE: As there are no NDB stations close to Hood River this exercise will start with the aircraft on runway 16 at 1WA2, Pilot's Pastures with a destination KKLS, Kelso Longview.

Bring up your Radio stack and set your ADF receiver to 0219.0. That is the TDO (Toledo) NDB frequency. You will see your ADF needle jump from one location to another, indicating that you are now receiving the signal from the NDB station.

As there is flat ground between 1WA2 and TDO you can pick up a signal from the NDB but usually, due to natural features, you will have to be airborne in order to receive a signal from an NDB station.

As long as your ADF compass card is in sync with your compass, all you have to do is look at the heading to which the ADF needle is pointing, take off and turn to that heading. As you fly along the heading, keep a careful watch at the ADF needle. If you look and discover that the needle is no longer pointing in the same direction that you are heading, but the opposite, you have passed over the NDB station. To find the various NAVAID frequencies you can use a sectional, the GPS, or MAP function, but once you've copied the essential frequencies close the GPS, c'mon now no cheating!


Getting the information from a sectional. Find your departure and destination airports and 'rubber band' a more or less straight line between them, adjusting the course in order to pick up the necessary navaids (in this case NDBs). You'll see that TOLEDO's frequency is 219 and designator is TDO, to the right you'll also see its Morse code signature which you'll hear by clicking the ADF button at the top of the radio stack. When you hear the code you'll know it's operational and that you're receiving it. You'll also notice that the TDO NDB is at the airport (Toledo Carlson - KTDO) while LSO is a bit away from the airport. They often use NDBs as part of a non-precision approach to an airport or specific runway, or as part of a final approach fix (FAF) to an ILS approach.

This is the course plotted on the Seattle Sectional



Finding nearby NDBs using GPS
In addition to a paper or online sectional map, NDBs can be found on the Flight Simulator Map view and your GPS. To get NDB info from the GPS, bring it up and press the NEAREST BUTTON. Now press the right side of the oval-shaped rocker button twice to take you to the nearest NDB page. Press the Cursor 'CRSR' button, to enter the page. (If you're using the GPS 500, use the arrows on the inner cursor 'CRSR' knob instead of the rocker.)



Pressing the right Rocker button twice will take you to the nearest NDB page, press the Cursor button to enter the page, highlight 'TDO' and press Enter to select TDO and you should be here:-




Pressing the DIRECT TO button will show you details of the NDB and press Enter when you confirm this is the correct NDB and Enter again to activate this Flight Plan.

You should now have a GPS that looks like:-



The keenly sighted will notice that the aircraft is on the ground with a heading of 159 degrees and the GPS is stating that we need to take a course of 112 degrees but the GPS MAP is showing that this route is behind us. This is because the GPS satellites have pinpointed the GPS Receiver but currently have no idea which way we are facing. GPS determines heading and track info based upon an aircraft that is moving; while the aircraft is stationary the GPS moving map will usually not read correctly. Now close the GPS and start the flight.


Now depart 1WA2 and turn to course, fly direct to TDO by keeping the needle straight up.  




On course and tracking TDO NDB.


NDB Station dead ahead.



Station passage, NDB to our left. Notice the needle's deflection.



Now tune in the LSO NDB 0256.0 and turn to course, we'll be flying a bit further this time.

Upon reaching the NDB you should see Kelso Longview Airport at your 11 o'clock position. Execute a normal approach and land.

You made it. Great Job!