How do I navigate using VOR and NDB beacons in flight simulators?

To navigate using VOR and NDB beacons in flight simulators, we first tune and identify the station, then use either the VOR CDI and OBS or the ADF needle to intercept and hold the desired course. The big difference is that a VOR shows us a radial from the station, while an NDB shows us the station’s bearing relative to the aircraft.

VOR vs NDB: the key difference

• VOR: tells us which magnetic radial we are on. We use the OBS, CDI and TO/FROM indication to fly to or from the station.
• NDB: works with the ADF. The needle points at the beacon, so we use it to judge where the station is relative to our nose.
• VOR is usually more precise. NDB navigation is more basic and more affected by wind, drift and instrument wandering.

How to use a VOR in a flight simulator

1. Tune the VOR frequency in a NAV radio, usually NAV1 or NAV2.
2. Identify the station by listening to its Morse ident if your aircraft and simulator provide the audio. We should not use a beacon we have not identified.
3. Set the desired course with the OBS or HSI course selector.
4. Read the CDI. If the needle is left, the selected course is left of us. If it is right, the course is right of us.
5. Check the TO/FROM flag. This tells us whether the selected course leads to the station or from it.
6. Intercept the course by turning towards the needle, then reduce the intercept angle as the CDI centres.
7. Track the course with small heading corrections to keep the CDI near the centre.

What a VOR radial actually means

A VOR radial is always measured from the station, not to it. This is the point that confuses most people at first.

• If we are east of a VOR, we are on or near the 090 radial.
• If we want to fly to that VOR from the east, our inbound course is roughly 270°.
• If we want to fly away from the VOR to the east, we would track the 090 radial with a FROM indication.

So when we fly inbound, we normally set the course to the station, not the radial number we are sitting on.

Simple VOR example

Imagine we are east of the station and want to fly directly to it.

1. Set 270° on the OBS.
2. Confirm the indicator shows TO.
3. If the CDI is left, turn left to intercept. If it is right, turn right.
4. Once the CDI centres, hold a heading close to 270° and make small corrections for wind.

If there is a crosswind, the correct heading may not stay exactly on the selected course. We may need to fly 265° or 275° to keep the CDI centred.

How to intercept a VOR radial or course

In most simulators, a 20° to 45° intercept angle works well for learning.

• If we are close to the course, use a smaller intercept.
• If we are far away or there is strong wind, use a larger intercept.
• As the CDI starts moving to the centre, reduce the intercept and ease onto the course.

A common beginner error is making large turns every time the needle moves. VOR tracking works best with small, patient corrections.

How to use an NDB with the ADF

1. Tune the NDB frequency on the ADF receiver.
2. Identify the beacon by its Morse ident if available.
3. Read the ADF needle. On a basic ADF display, the needle points to the station relative to the aircraft nose.
4. Turn towards the beacon if you want to go directly to it.
5. Apply wind correction if you want to track a stable bearing instead of simply chasing the needle.

How to read an ADF needle

On the most basic presentation:

• If the needle points straight ahead, the station is directly ahead.
• If it points 45° right, the station is off the right front quarter.
• If it points directly left, the station is abeam to the left.
• If it points behind, the station is behind us.

Some aircraft use an RMI rather than a simple fixed-card ADF. In that case, the needle may be easier to interpret because it is shown against a rotating compass card. The core idea is still the same: the needle points to the beacon.

Homing versus tracking an NDB

There are two ways we often fly to an NDB:

• Homing: we keep the nose pointed at the needle. This works, but in wind it produces a curved path.
• Tracking: we hold a heading that keeps the needle slightly off-centre to correct for wind. This produces a straighter path.

For accurate NDB navigation, tracking is better than homing.

Simple NDB example

If we want to fly to a beacon and the ADF needle sits 30° right of the nose, we turn right until the needle comes closer to the top of the instrument. If a crosswind pushes us left, we may need to keep the needle a little right of straight ahead and hold a wind-corrected heading rather than pointing exactly at the station.

How wind affects VOR and NDB navigation

Neither system keeps us on course automatically. We still have to fly the aircraft.

• With VOR, wind pushes us off the selected course, so we adjust heading to keep the CDI centred.
• With NDB, wind changes the relationship between our heading and the beacon, so the ADF needle drifts unless we correct for it.

A good rule in any simulator is to make a small correction, wait, then see what the instrument does. Over-controlling usually makes tracking worse.

Common mistakes with VOR and NDB navigation

• Confusing a radial with a course to the station. Remember: radials are always from the VOR.
• Ignoring the TO/FROM flag. Always confirm whether the selected course makes sense.
• Using the reciprocal incorrectly. If the course is wrong, the CDI can appear to behave backwards.
• Not identifying the beacon. In both real flying and good simulator practice, identification matters.
• Chasing the needle. Large corrections create oscillation.
• Homing to an NDB in wind when we really want to track a stable line.

What happens when we pass overhead?

Passing a VOR

Near the station, the indication can become unreliable for a moment. The CDI may swing and the TO/FROM indication may change. This is normal. Once we are established on the other side, the indication settles again.

Passing an NDB

As we cross the beacon, the ADF needle can swing rapidly. Again, this is normal. We wait for it to settle and then continue tracking the outbound heading or bearing we want.

Best way to practise in a simulator

1. Start in clear weather with light wind. Learn the instrument behaviour first.
2. Practise one VOR at a time. Fly inbound, then outbound, then intercept from the side.
3. Add a crosswind and notice how much heading correction you need to hold the course.
4. Move on to one NDB and compare homing with proper tracking.
5. Use GPS only as a cross-check while learning. It is easier to understand raw radio navigation when the moving map is not doing all the work.

Quick memory aid

• VOR = Which radial or course are we on?
• NDB/ADF = Where is the station relative to our nose?
• VOR radial = always from the station.
• Tracking = hold the line with wind correction, not just the beacon pointer.

If we remember to tune, identify, interpret, intercept and correct for wind, we can navigate reliably with both VORs and NDBs in almost any flight simulator.