Beginners guide to radio navigation in the MSFS Cessna 152 - flying blind in the rain, with no GPS

[@posapie]

Im a veteran flightsimmer and have been flying since the 80s. Learned a lot from your tutorial.... one of the best for brushing up on 'blind' flying with radios. Thank you so much !

[@jonbeckett]

You're welcome :)

[@geoffsmith6833]

Jonathan, That's the clearest demonstration of VOR and ILS nav using just instruments that I've seen thus far. I've been practicing these skills on various flights and I certainly find the clarity in which you present the subject useful. Especially from the perspective of affirming I'm actually doing it right! It's one of those aspects of flying that initially seems very complicated and difficult to digest at first. The old addage, practice, practice, practice certainly holds true. Now it seems simple. I wonder why I struggled with it first time round. Thanks. 👍

[@jonbeckett]

Thank you!

[@jonathanpadoa8987]

I totally agree. Jonathan’s page is my go to for any and all info with this stuff. Great explanations and I just flew from Auckland to Taupo to Wellington entirely on VOR and never looked out the window! Haha .

[@pwk879]

Been playing MSFS for about a month, and your channel is one of the top 2-3 I always come to for info and tutorials. You've helped me fly everything from A320s to the humble C152. Up until now I'd only used the 152 for short XC VFR flights or practicing basics, but I just did my first 100+ NM flight on instruments with it based on the tips in this video. It's a bit hilarious how much it gets tossed around in any turbulence, but sure enough flying the needles got me there...

[@ilkermertcolak]

Whenever i need to check out something or want to learn something about flight simulator, i directly come to your channel. I really appreciate your effort thank you very much ❤

[@matthawk04]

Awesome tutorial! Just started into MSFS and I'm addicted. Your videos are very helpful and well instructed, thank you for sharing!

[@XhaleR]

Great work! An easy to understand tutorial for a new beginner in VOR navigation. I've just started a career in Neofly so I will probably fly the C152 for a while, and this helped a lot. Thanks!

[@jonbeckett]

Glad it was helpful!

[@johnsierra7653]

Have watched a bunch of these lessons and this is the best I have seen. Mr. Beckett thank you, your style is clear, concise and you make it easy to understand, unlike some others. In just one of your videos you helped me to get it right. Will definitely be watching more of these awesome lessons.

[@AussieGamerVH]

What an amazing video... I have been flying VFR and IRF and couldn't find a proper VOR tutorial.... you nailed it..... THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

[@jonbeckett]

You're very welcome!

[@johnf6545]

Great video! I spent 20 years of my mil tech career maintaining ILS, TACAN, NDB and various RADAR systems. I have just started flying with FS2020 and after a few hours of just VFR flying, locating my house etc, I wanted to understand IFR. This is the first instrument video I have watched and it was amazing seeing these systems in use, great fun, this just made FS2020 a lot more interesting, cheers!

[@jonbeckett]

You're welcome :) Would love to see you over at virtualflight.online if you fancy doing some group flights - I'm sure you have some great stories :)

[@RevNicholasJonsson]

Hey Jonathan!! 👋🏼 You have a very easy-to-understand way of teaching. An excellent tutorial on radio navigation and using the ILS. Thank you 😄

[@jonbeckett]

You're welcome :)

[@Farrelly-vo9bw]

Really great video, so impressed with the ability to fly the plan with instruments alone.

[@jonbeckett]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Martin2002tii]

This is a really great tutorial. I've been a bit intimidated by radio navigation, but this gave me the encouragement to try. Thanks Jonathan!

[@jonbeckett]

You're welcome :)

[@utube2473652]

Amen to that

[@jwdeepsky]

Wow this video filled in some vital missing pieces needed to take my virtual flight career to the next level. Can't wait to try this. Thank you!

[@darincox736]

Found myself actually getting a little nauseous when the vertical speed was swinging wildly there at the end. My brain couldn't help imagining it. LOL.

[@Speedpig001]

Excellent tutorial Jonathan. I haven't used radio nav for a long time, so a very good refresher. Thank you

[@jonbeckett]

Cheers Patrick :) We should do a group flight in pouring rain and thick cloud - with only planes that have no GPS :)

[@johnfeet5476]

Most excellent. thank you. Saving this. I like how you worked in getting a bearing from a third VOR to get a position fix. Wonderful.

[@pbr2805]

Great video.... Great that you made sure that flaps were set. Always check all your controls for correct movement before taxing.

[@jonbeckett]

Heh - I've crashed in the sim before when the controller malfunctioned and I had no primary controls :)

[@felixfernandezdecastro6251]

One more time, bravo. You are a really excelent teacher, thanks a Lot for your videos

[@jeffreylyons1531]

This was super cool, I’m thinking about getting in to flight sim, this is pushing me more towards it

[@ITMann]

Thank you so much for this tutorial. I have been trying to fly the PMDG DC-6 using VOR navigation (as per your now recent video, showing a return to that excellent aircraft) and this tutorial is very clear and helpful. Definitely a busy time in the cockpit, but it makes flying in the sim extremely immersive and fulfilling, especially when you can fly to your destination successfully and safely. It really takes a while though to train the brain to get used to VOR flying. So used to previously flying, using the FMC and GPS in the A320, and other modern airliners, that you forget how rewarding and interesting VOR flying is.Of course radio beacons were the stable"go to" technology of a past era, And of course are still in use today. But using them to navigate without GPS makes flying that extra bit special. Many thanks.

[@michaelevans2975]

Great explainer, more exciting to do it without distance equipment!

[@julianrivera2536]

I love that so many vfr tutorials have been in the KSBA area BC I am at flight school at KSBA and frequently fly up to Stana Maria and Santa Ynez and with the terrible rain I've been wanting to fly the 152 using radio nav, and lucky my plane irl has a garmin gps built in but still best to know the old way first!

[@joemason9187]

What a really good tutorial and probably the best way to learn by dead reconing, I love the flight sim, I enjoy testing myself using this method...Great stuff

[@brexpatfarang3780]

just discovered your channel - been out of flight sim for a few years and finding my way back in - I love flying by intruments it is so challenging and this was a great memory jog for me thank you - subscribed

[@rogerrees9845]

Great help....Thank you very much....So informative...Roger..Pembrokeshire

[@hiortintexasracing]

This was awesome. Have never done this with tuning the ILS.

[@jonbeckett]

Cheers :)

[@kermitreturnz]

That was full of useful info.. brilliant

[@davidmoxon]

Amazing tutorial, thanks!

[@roberthatcher2773]

Great video, clear explanations, thanks!

[@jonbeckett]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jmcc685]

Absolutely excellent!

[@jonbeckett]

Thankyou :)

[@paulthurston2883]

Great tutorial. Clear and concise. Nicely done. Thank you.

[@jonbeckett]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@livingmodern]

brilliant tutorial - thank YOU!

[@jonbeckett]

Glad it was helpful!

[@khpmurphy]

Fantastic video. Thank you!

[@PhantomBZ]

I enjoy your videos very much. Thank you for making them

[@thomaswiik3810]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Finally got VOR now :)

[@nizza594]

Great video Jonathan! As a real life Helicopter pilot I've always found VOR's to be such a satisfying way of navigating (though I've never flown in actual IMC conditions)! It's such a shame that in the age of GPS it's almost obsolete and hardly ever used. Interestingly though, it's still a part of the PPL and CPL skills test!

[@jonbeckett]

I guess VORs are still a fallback ?

[@61tree_VR_Gliding]

I have to say flying with only IFR is kind of addictive. I've been doing it the entire day since I finished watching this video lol. I tried a night flight in Australia but there seem to be a number of VOR's that don't work correctly. I don't know if it's a problem with FS2020 or something else. The needles didn't move even in close proximity and no Morse code played to confirm the station so I ended up using ILS signals that were nearby to get my bearing. I didn't realize the ILS signal is picked up much further out than what's shown by the green triangles on the Little Navmap.

[@jonbeckett]

Awesome :)

[@rinzler9775]

You can also use the ADF to get some NDB's to triangulate where you are - if your doing a strict "paper map" exercise.

[@franwoon]

thanks for that. really clear and easy to understand!

[@dave-j-k]

Very nice video, thanks. I'm currently putting stuff together to try dead-reckoning flight planning but after that I'll certainly try this. Must be pretty intense in a real situation.

[@jonbeckett]

I think it's more a case of trusting in your skills and the instruments in the real world.

[@tubeztoonz]

Great tutorial-thanks!

[@jonbeckett]

You're welcome :)

[@seanmcglinn3941]

Great tutorial! Thanks

[@mamo-gaming]

Great Tutorial!

[@jonbeckett]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JohanRzymski]

Need to start trying these vor navigations, I have seen other vids on them but very confusing, you have made it very understandable even for me as I newbie

[@jonbeckett]

It's not that bad once you get your head around it :)

[@JohanRzymski]

@@jonbeckett Well I have been playing around with VOR navigation over the last few days, and wow, seriously what fun. Last night i actually challenged myself to fly from Duxford EGSU to Frankfurt EDDF with no maps at all, but just some hand written notes I made from LNM of bearings and VOR frequencies. I never even had LNM running in the background and never used the VFR map during the whole flight and flew in JustFlights PA28R Arrow III with the old school navigation system with no screens, just the radios. Well after nearly 3 hrs to do the trip, I had done and managed to get from Duxford to Frankfurt blind just using VORs with no issues. Loved it, this has bought a new lease of life for me in the sim. All thanks to you 👍

[@jonbeckett]

@@JohanRzymski That's awesome :)

[@frysimulation]

Back to fundamentals and that is a good thing. Your presentation is excellent. Thanks

[@jonbeckett]

You're welcome :) I don't really prepare anything in advance, so what you see in my videos is "as it happened the first time - mistakes and all" :)

[@catcracker48]

Top rate video on this subject. Now I need to study up on navigational maps. (Noobie) Since I am new, I do fly the 152 a lot. I have not found any info on what the instruments are above the altimeter. Have you already explained this in another video? Thanks again for the great videos.

[@rinzler9775]

Flying IFR in this aircraft really makes you work - no autopilot, no GPS.

[@zstork]

That was excellent!

[@jonbeckett]

Cheers :)

[@seanpinnell4806]

Top notch Jonathan.

[@jonbeckett]

Cheers :)

[@TAZ911ful]

Lovely video and great work really. Brings back the memories. Just wondering if you have tried DME (Distance measuring equipment) and ADF (Automatic Direction Finder) buttons on your avionics? Right next to NAV 1&2. 4:12 I will get my simulator soon to test them myself but I thought assist you on this

[@lukebraddford3287]

Thanks so much this is awesome.

[@jonbeckett]

Glad you like it!

[@ronstuveling]

Thanks, great video

[@jonbeckett]

Glad you liked it!

[@jamescarey7277]

Enjoy your videos Very mush, thanks. I wondered why nav 2 dial doesn’t stay centred while going from and passing over the beacon. Thanks, Jim.

[@jonbeckett]

I wasn't exactly over the beacon. I was probably half a mile to the north of it - mostly caused by talking and not concentrating 100% on it.

[@jamescarey7277]

Ok, Thanks Jonathan, I'm going to give the same route a try. Much appreciated.

[@asmundlunde7762]

Good video:) Thanks for sharing! =)

[@jonbeckett]

You're welcome!

[@Vondoodle]

Very useful .. thanks

[@jonbeckett]

You're welcome :)

[@pfv3462]

Thank you for this well-explained flying lesson with radio navigation! Is it not possible to calculate the flight duration for a course to be followed, so as to have an idea of when to change course?

[@jonbeckett]

You can do that calculation in your head :) Seriously - that's one of the skills that real flying courses go through - time, speed, and distance calculations in your head. If you watch some of the videos by CG Aviator (which somebody reminded me about the other day), he does some military examples of "to the second" dead-reckoning.

[@olroxmo4050]

Ty.

[@Elvan-x1x]

thanks for the tutorial very helpful , if i can give you a suggestion for next time , choose a route without mountains or winds , then dont go live while trying to teach but you first fly while recording then you play it back so you can pause it easy when you want

[@PatricioLGorchello]

Wow ❤

[@sslcfc]

Well Done!

[@61tree_VR_Gliding]

Fantastic video. I'm a little unclear why it's necessary to set the first VOR to "from" and the 2nd to "to". Isn't it enough to only use one VOR, always setting it to the next "to" direction?

[@jonbeckett]

I just did it to show that you can. You can indeed use one VOR. If you use two, you can begin to triangulate.

[@rustyneedles3743]

@23:27 ... noob question, is it correct that you can lock in 4 different frequencies? for instance, you could have locked in the final ILS frequency on the upper gauge, but instead have it locked into the standby frequency and switch to that when you need? is this correct? also, thanks heaps for the tutorials, it's awesome that people take the time to make these tutorials for people like me to learn from, again, thanks :)

[@rustyneedles3743]

@24:42 ... for instance, this frequency input? am I correct in thinking, this could have been added previously and just kept in the "standby" side of things? ... I'm in no circumstances saying that you did it wrong, just simply confirming if I'm correct that it "could" have been added previously or even when you were still grounded but added to the standby frequency? ... think I'm finally coming to understand why there are so many frequency options or in this case, there are 4?

[@rustyneedles3743]

annnnn final question ... @23:28 ... I see on the lower gauge, the line is moving quickly to the right, but you are holding your 125 deg bearing? why is this happening? as it takes a little while before it changes to "from" ? I'm a little confused to what is happening at this point, with the needle moving away to the right ...

[@rustyneedles3743]

yeah I'm super confused @24:58 as the line on the lower gauge as not been in the center for quite some time now, so I'm unsure what you've been following? cause, were not you keeping this line in the center of the gauge? so what have you been following since it moved from the center to the far right? argggggggg ... sorry about the ultra noob questions, but I thought I was, for the better part understanding, but now I'm lost, eeeeekk

[@rustyneedles3743]

so, apart from my original question about the number of available frequencies, I got lost between @23:28 & @30:07 ... from when the vertical line on the lower gauge moved away from the center (where I thought you had to be tracking toward) to when the line moved to the center of the upper gauge, I'm confused to what you've been following in the mean time? when I thought you were having to keep the line on the bottom gauge centered? till of course you arrived to when you need to turn into the runway direction, that being when the upper gauges vertical line moved to the center ... ie: I would have started losing it when the vertical line on the lower gauge started to move to the right side @23:28 ... and would have been under the impression that I needed to turn the aircraft to the right slightly to bring the line back to center?

[@jonbeckett]

There is no "correct" way to utilise having the opportunity to have 4 frequencies in play. Commonly pilots will still monitor unicom while tuning other frequencies (hence having two radios).

[@pbr2805]

Many years from now VOR navigation will not be around. It may be available as a backup if one remembers the steps using it.

[@jonbeckett]

Yep. They are decommissioning VORs all the time...

[@focusedfrog]

why does your Nav 1 and 2 both show NAV in the dial? Mine show VLOC? Thanks

[@jonbeckett]

It's an old version :)

[@gamingbubble1103]

Brilliant tutorial. I followed your steps and my VOR navigation did not kick in. I'm using Xbox Series X so not sure if there is a bug. But after I took off nothing happened and I had the VOR tuned in.

[@jonbeckett]

That's a bit odd. Try tuning in a VOR station elsewhere.

[@gamingbubble1103]

@Jonathan Beckett I'll give that a go thanks.

[@HNLKP]

Indeed it does not kick in when taking off! Im also using xbox :/

[@buddhamanandhar823]

It does not kick-in for me as well. I’m using Xbox too.

[@imacmill]

Trimming for straight and level flight is a beech without AP.

[@everythinggaming7938]

at the start why did you tune the from and not tune and fly to the ''to'' straight away? That is the only thing I did not get

[@jonbeckett]

VORs typically have a range - so just illustrating that you might find yourself within range of one (flying from it), but not in range of the next yet (flying to it).

[@jeffdeluca1153]

What does movement on the horizontal line tell you? Glide slope?

[@jeffdeluca1153]

At 26 min into the video you are at 120 degrees but the needle indicates you are left of that bearing. Why aren't you course correcting to get that needle back in the center? Thank you

[@mattgillatt]

Hi, I’m very new to this and I’m learning fast. I have tried to replicate this flight. I enter the VOR value and make it live. Then tune the heading, but when I take off, the VOR does not kick in, and I’m following your video exactly?? Matt

[@jonbeckett]

VOR stations are being switched off slowly - it might be that the VOR I'm using isn't there any more ? Or you were just out of it's range ?

[@mattgillatt]

Not too sure. I’ll try again soon. I’m still learning, but find your KZbin channel very informative. Concentrating on UK airspace at the moment. Learning in the Grob Tutor.

[@ninjalightning2631]

Oh gee you are so smart

[@skybear556]

Have they removed the Morse code identification feature from the nav radios in msfs?

[@jonbeckett]

No - they're just quiet by default - in most aircraft you can control the volumes on the audio stack and/or turn on NAV1 audio.

[@arazali4002]

Hey Jonathan can I ask you a question how long your a pilot thank you.

[@jonbeckett]

I'm not a real pilot :)

[@MADWOLF_GR]

hey nice video...what is the program for map?

[@jonbeckett]

LittleNavMap

[@Pogopvp]

Brilliant guide. But couldnt you have used just the ILS for runway and VOR for the first "turning" point? you only have 2 lines to destination and 2 dials.. or am i mistaken?

[@jonbeckett]

There was method to the madness - I was really just showing methods - not picking an ideal route :)

[@theBigApe]

This technique is also a great way of navigating between two VORs that are quite some distance apart. You might not be able to receive a signal from the second VOR until quite some time so this allows you to fly outbound from one VOR and then inbound to the second when it becomes within the range of your radio equipment.

[@Pogopvp]

@@theBigApe that makes alot of sense! thanks :>)

[@theBigApe]

@@Pogopvp Not a problem at all. Glad it helped.

[@jonbeckett]

@@theBigApe Absolutely. I do exactly that in some other videos :)

[@pintokitkat]

You used 'a small amount of left rudder' as you taxied out', but isn't the torque pulling you left so you'd need right rudder (you can tell how new to all this I am :o) )

[@jonbeckett]

Wind. The wind has a greater effect at low revs.

[@pi.actual]

You did a decent job but your error was in confusing your course and heading. The only time your course and heading will be the same is if there is zero wind or the wind is exactly on your nose or tail. So while flying a course of 125 degrees you kept trying to maintain a heading of 125 degrees and so you were constantly chasing the needle. In real life you would find the heading that maintained the 125 degree course (you would actually have an estimate based on predicted winds aloft noted during your pre-flight planning) If you had a DME you could then determine your ground speed and with those three numbers you would be able to calculate, using an E6B whiz wheel, the actual wind direction and speed. Of course nowadays everyone just uses GPS which figures all of that out for you.

[@jonbeckett]

Yep - I have a whiz wheel here now - I will be recording a flight soon that shows how it works, and how you can calculate. Unfortunately the 152 in MSFS has no DME, so all you can do is either time and calculate true speed, or triangulate and work backwards from known positions.

[@pi.actual]

@@jonbeckett The G1000 in the 172 tells you everything so I have been planning on doing a VFR flight while ignoring all of the GPS data and see how close I can come to the real numbers calculating it all with the old school methods. Just to see if I can still do it.

[@tkr78]

Hello, where can I get this flight plan you use?

[@Send_jet]

What is that software that you show for things like the route?

[@bertobones7182]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@jonbeckett]

Thankyou!

[@theojones3250]

hey i followed ur vid and was at the same airport and eveything but the first vor of 111.00 when i tuck off it didnt turn on why is it that

[@jonbeckett]

Weather on the day? Has the frequency changed since I recorded it maybe ?

[@LowescC]

according to my version of Little Navmap- it's, (GLJ), frequency should be 113.05 ????

[@61tree_VR_Gliding]

Do you have any tutorials on the ADF indicator?

[@jonbeckett]

Not yet. ADF is kind of obsolete. You're hard pressed to find any ADF transmitters any more.

[@61tree_VR_Gliding]

@@jonbeckett That's a shame. It would be nice if the sim had an option to toggle all of the decommissioned NAVAIDs on and off for a more authentic experience. They expect us to fly old planes with a GPS? Kind of missing the point I think.

[@kqharvey]

What flight planning software is that?

[@jonbeckett]

LittleNavMap

[@ontaryl]

Which app are you using for flight planning

[@jonbeckett]

It's "LittleNavMap" - google it :)

[@ontaryl]

@@jonbeckett thanks , really cool

[@ontaryl]

What is the NavMap application???

[@jonbeckett]

It's called "LittleNavMap", and it's free :) Google it.

[@utube2473652]

Jonathan has tutorials on it of his usual high quality kzbin.info/aero/PLNLn34Gi2eySOd-mslm_zzOS1SRe8Blsk

[@jonbeckett]

@@utube2473652 Thankyou :)

[@ontaryl]

@@jonbeckett thanks

[@61tree_VR_Gliding]

What would you do if there's no VOR's that line up with your ILS?

[@61tree_VR_Gliding]

Actually I think I figured a way to do it. After taking a bearing from another VOR that indicates my location is close to the destination airport (amazing how accurate that is), I measured the angle I need to fly in order to intersect with the ILS.

[@61tree_VR_Gliding]

I did it! :) I couldn't see anything for most of the trip and suddenly the runway is in view and I'm perfectly lined up to land. It's hard to explain how satisfying it is lol.

[@jonbeckett]

Well done :)

[@Mark-ml3nv]

but how to turn radio on from cold? Mine is off.

[@jonbeckett]

The master power and avionics switches should turn the radio on.

[@kylerholland7687]

Helli, Jonathan! Thank you for awesome video! I tried to recreate your flight and for some reason I didn't get that middle marker sound and flash you had at 32:16. I would really really appreciate if you would do that landing again and check if the middle marker still in the game. Thank you in advance!

[@jonbeckett]

When I get a chance, I'll have a look.

[@kylerholland7687]

@@jonbeckett Thank you very much. I used to hear those beacon markers from time to time. A few days ago it is just stopped. Seems like those marker beacons are removed from the game or something.

[@kylerholland7687]

@@jonbeckett Jonathan, I figured it out. I couldn't pick up the signal because I have the Sim10 update beta installed. It removes all marker beacons from the game for some reason. I uninstalled it and now I have marker beacons back in the game.

[@tonye2458]

Excellent tutorial. Thanks!