How do I fly a VOR/DME approach in a flight simulator?

To fly a VOR/DME approach in a flight simulator, brief the chart, tune and identify the VOR, select VLOC/NAV, set published course, then use DME distances to identify fixes and descent points. Track the CDI, obey altitude restrictions, remain at or above MDA, and start missed approach at MAP unless visual references are in sight.

What does DME add to a VOR approach?

The VOR supplies lateral guidance, while DME shows slant-range distance from a particular ground transponder. A VOR/DME procedure uses those distances to define points such as the initial approach fix, step-down fixes, final approach fix or missed approach point.

The two facilities are often co-located and frequency-paired, but never assume that they are. Check the chart for the DME source and identifier. If the CDI itself is unfamiliar, our guide to tuning and tracking VOR signals explains OBS selection, TO/FROM indications and wind correction.

How do you fly the published VOR/DME procedure?

The chart is the authority: aircraft avionics and simulator assistance should support it, not replace it. Control names vary between traditional panels, glass cockpits and add-on aircraft, but the sequence remains the same.

1. Brief the complete approach. Identify the VOR and DME facility, initial approach fix, entry route, final approach course, minimum altitudes, DME step-down fixes, MDA, missed approach point and missed procedure. Our explanation of instrument approach chart symbols and restrictions covers the details that must be extracted before starting.
2. Check aircraft capability. Confirm that the panel can receive the required VOR and display distance from the correct DME source. A blank DME readout is not solved by estimating the distance; use another authorised procedure if the required equipment is unavailable.
3. Tune and identify the station. Enter the published frequency in the correct NAV receiver, make it active and listen to or verify the Morse identifier where the simulator models it. Confirm that the displayed DME is plausible for your position.
4. Select the correct navigation source. Put the CDI or HSI into VLOC, VOR or NAV mode as appropriate, not GPS mode. Set the published inbound course with the OBS or course selector; do not automatically use the reciprocal of a radial printed elsewhere on the chart.
5. Join from the authorised entry. Fly the feeder route, course reversal, vectors or arc shown on the chart. If the procedure starts with an arc, use the practical method in our DME arc tracking guide rather than turning directly towards final.
6. Intercept without chasing the needle. Use the charted intercept or a sensible intercept angle, watch the CDI come alive and turn towards the inbound course before it reaches the centre. Make small heading corrections for wind; repeated large turns create oscillation around the course.
7. Cross each fix before descending. Verify the fix by its specified DME distance, then descend only to the next published altitude. Configure the aircraft early enough to hold a steady approach speed and avoid trying to change power, flap and heading together.
8. Respect MDA and the MAP. Do not descend below minimum descent altitude merely because the runway appears nearby on the simulator map. Continue visually only when the required references are visible and the aircraft is positioned for a normal landing.
9. Fly the missed approach if required. Apply power, establish the climb, follow the published course and observe the stated turn point and altitude. Do not turn early unless the procedure or an ATC instruction specifically permits it.

How should I manage descent between DME fixes?

Each published altitude is a floor until its associated fix has been crossed. DME gives the crossing point; it does not provide a glideslope.

For a stable descent, calculate the time available from groundspeed. At 120 knots, four nautical miles take about two minutes, so losing 1,000 feet over that segment requires roughly 500 feet per minute. Recalculate when groundspeed changes, and level temporarily if needed rather than violating the next restriction.

A glass cockpit or loaded procedure may draw an advisory vertical path. Treat it as guidance only unless the chart, avionics and approved procedure explicitly provide vertical guidance. A conventional VOR/DME approach is normally flown to an MDA, not as an ILS-style glideslope.

Can GPS or the autopilot fly a VOR/DME approach?

GPS and the autopilot can reduce workload, but they can also hide incorrect source selection.

• GPS: Loading the procedure can provide situational awareness and sequencing. For raw-data practice, display the VOR through VLOC/NAV and use distance from the facility specified by the chart. In real-world flying, whether approved GNSS may substitute for DME depends on the aircraft approval, local rules and procedure notes.
• Autopilot: A suitable NAV mode can usually track the VOR course after a sensible intercept. Most installations provide no protected vertical guidance for this approach, so altitude capture and vertical-speed changes still require active management.
• Advisory course lines: A magenta line does not prove that the NAV receiver is tuned, identified or selected. Cross-check the CDI source annunciation before descending.

Why is the VOR/DME approach not working?

• The CDI does not move: Check the active NAV frequency, receiver number, navigation source and reception range. The GPS may still be selected even though the VOR frequency is correct.
• The indications appear reversed: Confirm that the OBS is set to the published course and check the TO/FROM flag. Do not turn according to the needle as if it were an NDB pointer.
• DME remains blank: The station may not provide DME, the panel may be displaying another source, or the simulator aircraft may not model paired DME correctly. Compare the facility identifier and expected range before continuing.
• The DME never reaches zero: DME measures slant range, so an aircraft directly above the station still shows a distance related to height. The error matters most when high and close to the transmitter.
• The aircraft descends too early: This usually means the wrong DME station was selected or a distance was treated as permission to descend before the fix. Match every distance with its named fix and altitude on the chart.
• The runway is not aligned with the course: Some VOR approaches are offset. Follow the instrument course to the visual transition point rather than forcing the CDI towards the runway centreline.

At the missed approach point, make a positive decision: continue only with the required visual references and a normal path to landing, or execute the published miss. Circling minima, offset final courses and simulator visibility can make the runway visible without making the aircraft suitably positioned to descend.