Flight Level Altitudes

[Flt Lt Tony Hill]

AeroJim wrote:
this is incorrect, it's your magnetic heading

AeroJim wrote:

It is NOT the ground track

Firstly, there is -no- need to -shout-. If you wish to conduct a civil conversation with me, I suggest you find another way to add emphasis.

Secondly, please consult a navigational reference for a definition of "course" vs "heading",... for convenience only (heaven forbid I start
quoting internet sources as gospel). :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Course_(navigation)

Vis:

Course
"In navigation, a course is the intended path of a vehicle over the surface of the Earth". (my emphasis)

Heading
"Heading (2) is the direction the vessel, aircraft or vehicle is truly "pointing towards" " (Badly worded, I would have said "the direction in
which the aircraft or vessel is actually pointing...........but it -is- only wikepidia, after all!)

The FAR's quite correctly refer to -course- which -is- ground track.

"a) When operating below 18,000 feet MSL and --

(1) On a magnetic course " (again, my emphasis)


A cursory examination of any navigational text will confirm this. You will note that the UK standards quoted by Sam above refer to track.(he says you are right but then contradicts you in his quote of the regs)

I see you make no comment as to my example and the inherent problem with your interpretation.

AeroJim wrote:

Also, under 3,000' agl there is no point to follow the rule, this is not good airmanship, Never have I been told this, under 3,000' agl you're
going
to run into a lot of sight-see'rs, a lot of traffic, a lot of ultralights, etc.

Funny, in 15 years of navigation around a State which is roughly 5 times the size of Texas, I have always been advised to apply this. I
guess opinion and the quality of advice and instruction, vary greatly.

I would have thought that the possibility of "running into" a lot of other aircraft was exactly the point in maintaining good airmanship by
following hemispherics...how exactly does ignoring them increase your safety under your example? The fact that some/most others
may not be doing the same does not make it bad airmanship to follow hemispheric rules! In the end result the Mk 1 eyeball and understanding and following rules/good airmanship proceedures, is your primary defence.

My final suggestion to anybody who wants to follow real world proceedures is to get a good navigation reference, read the definitions and
become familiar with them then work through the excercises.


best regards


Darryl



(edited for spelling....11.40 local)
.



Post Edited ( 06-24-09 05:38 )