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2 Answers

“Abeam the fix…”

Asked by: 69559 views Instrument Rating

Okay yeah this might be a stupid question.  For a holding pattern you start your outbound leg time when you are over or abeam the fix, right?  (or wings level if you can't blah blah blah)  I've looked in all the books i have and they all say this.  My question: how do i know i'm abeam the fix?  Do i rotate the obs 90 degrees and then look for a straight up and down needle indication?  Or maybe the ambiguity indicator switches?  Why do the books gloss over this point it seems pretty important since the  entire holding pattern is based around this location?

Much thanks in advance to all.

 

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2 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    Wes Beard on Jan 16, 2012

    If you are holding at a VOR with either the inbound or outbound course set into the OBS selector, the first complete switch of the TO/FROM flag means you are abeam the fix.
     
    If you are holding at an NDB, you are abeam the fix when you flying the outbound course and the needle is flat or 90 degrees off.
     
    If you are holding at a fix with a GPS refer to the VOR instructions.  Any other DME fix and there really is no good way to determine when you are abeam the fix. 

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  2. Jason on Jan 16, 2012

    Okay got it.  Thanks!!

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