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6 Answers

Just how FAR East?

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General Aviation

I'm wondering, is it possible that there is a set nautical mile distance between each isogonic line?  My instincts tell me "no", but I'm not exactly sure.

Also, ff you continue flying East as far as you could fly, would your compass eventually indicate a turn towards the West at some point? 

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6 Answers



  1. Gary Moore on Nov 03, 2010

    The max variance seems to be about 30 degrees – so no – you’d never get a west indication…there some good info here – http://avstop.com/ac/8-2.html

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  2. Gary Moore on Nov 03, 2010

    Looks like the max varience is about 30 degrees – so you are never going to get a west heading.  The varience is based on where you are at the moment – there is some good info here – http://avstop.com/ac/8-2.html

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  3. Matthew Hammer on Nov 03, 2010

    Isogonic lines indicate areas of constant magnetic variation. That is, they indicate the difference between magnetic north (where your compass points) and true (geographic) north. Ultimately these “lines” meet up at the magnetic poles of the earth, and so the distance between them tends to become smaller towards the poles. You can get a better picture of this by looking at a world map which outlines magnetic variation: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Mv-world.jpg 
    Note specifically the “tighter” isogonic lines over the eastern United States, and the more “relaxed” lines over the western United States.
    In short, your instincts are correct: there is no set distance between isogonic lines.
     
    As for your second question: A compass always points north. It doesn’t care about east or west. So as you fly from west to east, the magnetic compass will always show “north” as being off your left wing. When north is off the left wing, east is off your nose. The only way it could indicate a turn is if the earth’s magnetic poles suddenly reversed. 🙂
     

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  4. Flying Ace on Nov 04, 2010

    Of course a compass always points North!  I don’t know why I even asked that!
    I suppose if you flew North…eventually crossing the North pole…you’d eventually be heading South.

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  5. Flying Ace on Nov 04, 2010

    Now, riddle me this…is there a set distance between each radial withing a VOR?

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  6. Kent Shook on Nov 05, 2010

    No – The radials extend outward, so there’s a set *angle* between them – But the farther you are from the VOR, the farther apart the radials are.

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