When I fly my RV-12iS over a family members house, I have their lat/long input into the Skyview HDX. That takes me right over the top of their home and I can't see it. Is there a way to have the TRK to the side some small distance but sidestepped so the A/P remains in control? I had a Cessna Cardinal RG that had a 55X A/P that could do this.
Sidestep TRK?
- Thread starter veatch
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Marc_J._Zeitlin
Active Member
Yeah, and Garmin navigators (and assumedly, others as well) can do this with an offset track of multiple distances (I think 1, 2 and 4 NM). But the Skyview does NOT seem to have this functionality. I can't say I've ever used it with my Garmin GPS 175, but I can see how it might be useful in some cases, mostly on IFR when ATC wants you slightly off centerline of the airway for traffic purposes.
Generally, when I want to do something like this (which I do a fair amount due to MOAs and Restricted areas all over the place out west), I just use "Track" mode and point the plane where I want it. A lot easier than creating waypoints.
swatson999
Well-Known Member
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I haven't flown IFR in a long time, so I don't know, but do they ever give such a clearance?
airguy
Well-Known Member
Been flying for 25 years, I've never heard that clearance. YMMV.
Marc_J._Zeitlin
Active Member
An ATP I know who flies a Varieze and a Defiant just indicated to me that this is common in the big iron - here's what he said:
"Didn't think this needed to clutter up the general forum, but one of the biggest uses of the offset function these days is for 'SLOP' - no joke. SLOP = Strategic Lateral Offset Procedures. The constantly reduced clearances between and along tracks in oceanic crossings (in order to stuff more airplanes onto them) coupled with increasingly accurate nav systems has prompted the procedure to be adopted by some operators where crews are instructed to fly a mile or two offset from the published track, as in NAT Tracks for example. The offset is taken out when reaching the waypoint where the flight coasts in with the first land based FIR / center. The "Big Sky" over water isn't nearly as big as it used to be.
The FAA and all of the comparable agencies owning the various FIRs are fine with it. Go figure."
Personally, I've been asked to offset to one side of an airway by ATC once, IIRC. Not common at all, IME.
airguy
Well-Known Member
Emphasized portion there - not an ATC clearance, but an operations standard, and apparently only applicable on oceanic tracks.
Makes good sense in that scenario I guess, the aircraft is off-radar anyway, more freedom to "operate as appropriate".