Instruments Used for Another Purpose?

ARFlyer

ARFlyer

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ARFlyer
Strange title, I know! :D

Anyone use non active/standby instruments for a function not intended? A new student, to me, asked why I kept messing with the NAV radio on every landing.

I use the Nav radio freq to count my students landings, so I can remember. Every landing I'll dial up the freq starting at XXX.00, XXX.01, and so on...

I will also use the second NAV CDI as a assigned altitude reminder.
 
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I thought everyone just guessed at the number of landings, pretty sure all my CFIs did, and that is what I did. At least three when it counts, and count the 10 night ones. But guessing for the regular repetitive stuff.
 
ARFlyer said:
I use the Nav radio freq to count my students landings, so I can remember. Every landing I'll dial up the freq starting at XXX.00, XXX.01, and so on...
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That's an interesting trick with 25 kHz spacing….

XXX.0, XXX.1, etc. makes a bit more sense. You might consider setting the MHz spot to zero, just in case the student does more than 10 landings.

Or use the NAV2 CDI, presuming NAV1 is being used for altitude. ADF works, if equipped, but there aren't a lot of those left.

What do people do on glass panels? A simple tally on the clearance pad would seem obvious….
 
MAKG1 said:
That's an interesting trick with 25 kHz spacing….

XXX.0, XXX.1, etc. makes a bit more sense. You might consider setting the MHz spot to zero, just in case the student does more than 10 landings.

Or use the NAV2 CDI, presuming NAV1 is being used for altitude. ADF works, if equipped, but there aren't a lot of those left.

What do people do on glass panels? A simple tally on the clearance pad would seem obvious….
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Our glass panels have ALT, HDG, and VSI bugs that you can set.

I've thought about using the MHz field for +10 landings. However, I usually end up just cycling through 0 again.

Now thinking about it. I use the .0X spacing, because the 25 kHz just jumps between .05 and .00.
 
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During my IR training I saw a YouTube video where a guy drew a holding pattern entry 'Y' on the OBS dial on the unused nav using dry erase. He then dialed in something or other and on the OBS it told you what kind of entry to make, etc. I forget now because I never ended up needing it once holds "clicked."

Since it was dry erase, I went ahead and eras... no it wouldn't effing erase. Now I need to get after it with that stinky dry erase board juice. :-/

Could come in handy for people in IR training perhaps.

I also added one of those cheesy stick-on altimeter bugs onto the altimeter. I loved it until it fell off and now it is lurking in my cabin someplace and will no doubt turn up during annual.
 
petrolero said:
During my IR training I saw a YouTube video where a guy drew a holding pattern entry 'Y' on the OBS dial on the unused nav using dry erase. He then dialed in something or other and on the OBS it told you what kind of entry to make, etc. I forget now because I never ended up needing it once holds "clicked."

Since it was dry erase, I went ahead and eras... no it wouldn't effing erase. Now I need to get after it with that stinky dry erase board juice. :-/

Could come in handy for people in IR training perhaps.

I also added one of those cheesy stick-on altimeter bugs onto the altimeter. I loved it until it fell off and now it is lurking in my cabin someplace and will no doubt turn up during annual.
Click to expand...

I might try the Y trick. I personally teach using the pen method. The other double Is hate me because they use the hand method. :rolleyes:
 
Since the transponder does not get much use in my VFR flying, I use it to count my landings (it has a much better range). I am up to 7499 now! :D

And I use my COM2 to listen to Mexikan radio stations. No joke, they use shi**y amps and bleed through into aviation frequencies down here.
 
BigBadLou said:
Since the transponder does not get much use in my VFR flying, I use it to count my landings (it has a much better range). I am up to 7499 now! :D

And I use my COM2 to listen to Mexikan radio stations. No joke, they use shi**y amps and bleed through into aviation frequencies down here.
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You should land at a class bravo in honor of your 7500th landing!
 
Some people used to put their assigned altitude in to the ADF dials.
 
I use an OBS to count my students landings.
 
I use my ADF to listen to AM talk radio.
 
When setting up for an approach and landing while hand flying, I'd twist the heading bug on an EFIS AP controller to the ATIS or reported winds... Just have to remember not to engage the AP by mistake!
 
I use my ADF dial to set runway headings at my destination airport. It makes visualizing the proper runway for wind direction and also keeps me from calling out the wrong runway numbers during initial approach as well as helping me decide what headings to fly for proper pattern entry.
 
In my flying youth, if the DG had a hdg marker, I would set the marker to the landing runway to easier visualize the pattern and entry into a strange airport.

If not on an IFR approach, I still use it to remember the assigned runway.
 
Civilian:
Use the heading bug to mark the direction of the wind is coming from
Use the ADF dial to mark what altitude I've been cleared to

Military:

Use the course selection window to keep track of how much gas I have available to offload to receivers
Use the altitude bug to mark what block of altitude I have reserved. eg. If I have been cleared the block 22,000 to 24,000 I put the bug on 3,000
Use the FMS keys to type in frequencies so I don't forget them
 
BigBadLou said:
Since the transponder does not get much use in my VFR flying, I use it to count my landings (it has a much better range). I am up to 7499 now! :D
Click to expand...

I think you mean 7477 :)

And I use my COM2 to listen to Mexikan radio stations. No joke, they use shi**y amps and bleed through into aviation frequencies down here.
Click to expand...

That IS weird. Aviation VHF is near FM radio channels so I can buy that it bleeds over, but it's AM, not FM.
 
dukeblue219 said:
That IS weird. Aviation VHF is near FM radio channels so I can buy that it bleeds over, but it's AM, not FM.
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I think what you are saying is that you shouldn't be able to hear bleed over from an FM station in your aviation receiver because it is AM. I too have heard Mexican stations near the border and it never occurred to me that this was the case til just now.
My guess is that the transmitted signal contains an AM component even though it is not supposed to. It could also be that the receiver is just non-linear enough to allow the signal to be demodulated.
Any RF experts want to guess?
 
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