How to use a VOR

STEP 1

Use the same setup sequence every time

Tune the published frequency, positively identify the station, set the desired course with the OBS, interpret the TO/FROM indication, and then read the CDI. If the station cannot be identified or the signal is flagged unreliable, do not use it for navigation.

The heading of the airplane and the OBS selection are separate. Turning the OBS does not turn the airplane, and turning the airplane does not change the selected course. That separation is the source of many training mistakes.

Tune: use current navigation data and the correct frequency.
Identify: compare the received identifier with the published station identifier.
Select: rotate the OBS to the course you intend to fly.
Interpret: confirm TO or FROM and determine which side of the selected course you occupy.
Track: make measured corrections and reduce the intercept angle as the CDI centers.

STEP 2

Radials and inbound courses are reciprocals

If the airplane is east of a station, it is on approximately the 090° radial. Flying directly toward the station from that position is approximately a 270° inbound course. Calling that inbound course “the 270 radial” would be incorrect because the 270° radial extends west from the station.

A centered CDI alone is not enough. The same line passes through the station in two directions, so the selected course and TO/FROM indication provide the orientation. Near station passage, the CDI can become very sensitive and the TO/FROM indication may become indecisive.

STEP 3

Avoid reverse sensing and over-controlling

Traditional advice to “fly toward the needle” assumes the selected course agrees with the direction of travel. If you select the reciprocal while flying the opposite direction, CDI corrections appear reversed. First confirm the course and TO/FROM logic; then make a correction.

A conventional VOR CDI commonly represents about 2° per dot and 10° at full-scale deflection, but equipment varies. VOR reception is line-of-sight and may be limited by altitude, terrain, distance, maintenance status, and service volume. Use current charts, NOTAMs, and installed-equipment guidance.

WORKED EXAMPLE

Worked radial and course example

Position: 210° radial · Goal: fly directly to the station

Where are you?: Southwest of the station on the 210° radial.
What inbound course?: The reciprocal of 210° is 030°.
What should the OBS show?: Select 030° and confirm a TO indication.
What does the CDI add?: It shows whether the airplane is left or right of the selected 030° inbound course.

Takeaway: Say “210 radial, 030 course inbound.” Keeping those two phrases distinct prevents a large share of VOR errors.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Questions learners ask

Does the VOR radial tell me my heading?

No. A radial describes the aircraft’s magnetic bearing from the station. The airplane can be on a radial while pointed in almost any heading.

What happens at station passage?

The CDI becomes highly sensitive and the TO/FROM indication changes as the airplane crosses the station’s cone of confusion. Avoid chasing rapid needle movement.

Can two VORs determine a position?

Yes. Two identified radials can form a fix where their plotted lines intersect. Geometry is strongest when the lines cross at a useful angle rather than nearly parallel.