Standard Alignment

FAA-S-8081-9E (PTS) — Flight Instructor Instrument, Helicopter · Area of Operation VII. Navigation Aids · Task: VOR, GPS/RNAV Intercepting & Tracking

PTS Area VII — Navigation Aids VOR orientation, intercept & tracking GPS/RNAV, RAIM/WAAS & mode awareness Common navigation errors

⚑ FLAG (Walter): PTS references, not ACS codes — confirm against FAA-S-8081-9E.

Teaching Navigation Aids (VOR, GPS/RNAV)

Coach VOR orientation and tracking and GPS/RNAV use — with the cross-checks that keep a student found.

By the end of this lesson you can:

Teach VOR tune-identify-orient, course interception, and tracking with wind correction.
Teach GPS/RNAV operation, RAIM/WAAS, database currency, and mode (LEG vs. OBS) awareness.
Teach cross-checking the GPS against raw data and the chart.
Brief the common navigation errors (reverse sensing, mode confusion, mis-tuning).

1 · VOR

Teach tune-identify-confirm, using the CDI/OBS to orient (TO/FROM, which side), intercepting a course with an appropriate angle, and tracking with a wind correction angle. Teach recognizing station passage and avoiding reverse sensing.

2 · GPS/RNAV

Teach how RNAV defines courses waypoint-to-waypoint, RAIM/WAAS integrity, database currency, and LEG vs. OBS/SUSP mode — mode confusion is a leading GPS error. Teach when GPS may be used in lieu of DME/ADF.

3 · Cross-checks & errors

Teach cross-checking the magenta line against raw data and the chart, and the common errors: mis-tuned/un-ident’d stations, reverse sensing, mode confusion, and heads-down complacency. Reinforce aviate-navigate-communicate.

4 · Watch

Curated reference clip — “Understanding VOR Navigation - MzeroA Flight Training,” MzeroA Flight Training (YouTube), verified via oEmbed. Embedded with the creator's player; we don't host or alter it.

5 · Reference sources

Use the authoritative references

📄 Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15B) — Navigation Systems 📄 AIM — Navigation Aids; Instrument Procedures Handbook

Your aircraft: the installed nav equipment (VOR/GPS, WAAS) is aircraft-specific — teach the IFR trainer’s avionics.

✍️ Fill in for the aircraft you fly the trainer’s VOR/GPS equipment, WAAS capability, and the navigation errors you watch for — look these up in the avionics supplement and confirm with your CFII.

⚑ FLAG (Walter): the R44 is VFR-certificated; confirm the IFR trainer/sim and avionics the student actually uses, and that all instrument procedures and the required inspections match that installation.

Risk management (the “Consider”): the navigation teaching risk is mode confusion and GPS complacency or tracking a mis-tuned VOR. Teach tune-identify-confirm, LEG vs. OBS awareness, database currency, and constant cross-checking of the box against raw data and the chart.