Navigation Fixes

CHAPTER ONE

INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES WORKBOOK

114.

NAVIGATION FIXES

While navigating with a VOR, a pilot can know the aircraft's magnetic direction from a VOR

facility, but the only time the pilot will know his/her exact geographical position is when directly

over the station. However, by using two VOR facilities, the pilot can define a navigational fix by

the intersection of two radials from the VORs.

Since TACAN provides course and distance information from a station, a pilot has the

information needed for precise fixing of position at all times. A TACAN fix is defined as a

radial and distance from a TACAN station.

In Figure 1-29, the fix is on the TACAN's 090 radial at 20 DME.

Figure 1-29 TACAN Fix

1-34 INTRODUCTION TO AIRBORNE NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

EQUIPMENT AND PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION