Using Bearing Pointers Part 2

Bearing pointers are an often overlooked feature available in modern electronic primary flight displays, such as the Garmin G1000, G500, and G5, and similar avionics made by Aspen and other manufacturers.

Bearing pointers are a modern take on the radio magnetic indicator, or RMI, a compact navigation display usually installed in high-performance and turbine aircraft. The RMI typically featured two needles that could be set to indicate radials and bearings to and from VORs and NDBs.

If you fly with an electronic PFD and navigate primarily with GPS, you can use bearing pointers to help you maintain situational awareness, as I described in a previous video. That information is also helpful when you want to contact ATC or flight service, or if you want to divert.

But you can also use bearing pointers to navigate directly to or from a VOR or to intercept and track any radial inbound or outbound.

Understanding how to use bearing pointers to quickly intercept and track courses is a useful skill and a good exercise to hone your understanding of navigation by navaids. And the techniques I’ll describe in this video can be especially handy if you’re flying IFR and ATC issues a clearance that takes you off the procedure or route programmed into your GPS navigator.

To learn more about bearing pointers and using modern avionics, visit my blog: https://bruceair.wordpress.com/

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