Lessons

AIR GOONS NAVIGATION COURSE - DON'T BE A WAYPOINT CRIPPLE

Lesson 1: Magnetic Declination

Has the following ever happened to you? You're trying to fly to a particular point. You open the F10 Map and use the ruler tool to measure the bearing and distance between your aircraft and that point. You turn to the bearing you measured, but despite carefully tracking that heading, you still find yourself noticeably off course. There wasn't even any wind in the mission. What happened?​

The ruler tool in the DCS World Map and Mission Editor gives you True Heading measurements. However, almost all navigation systems display Magnetic Heading (some are toggleable). The difference between Magnetic Heading and True Heading is due to the difference in location between the Magnetic North Pole (formed by currents of molten iron in the Earth's core, currently located somewhere in Northern Canada) and True North Pole (Santa's House, the point around which the globe spins). The Magnetic North Pole drifts annually.

Definition: Magnetic Declination is the difference between the Magnetic North and True North.

Note: Do not confuse Declination with Magnetic Variation, which caused by local effects of the airplane's metallic structure on the magnetic compass reading (not simulated in DCS).

Magnetic Declination can be found on navigation charts. Some DCS modules show you the actual in-game declination either in avionics or on the kneeboard. Magnetic Declination differs per LOCATION and TIME. The following are "close enough" approximations.

Magnetic Declination per Map in 2016 (Approximate) Nevada: +12 Caucuses: +6 Syria: +5 Persian Gulf: +2 Marianas: +1

To Convert True to Magnetic: True Heading = Magnetic Heading + Magnetic Declination (by definition) Magnetic Heading = True Heading - Declination.

Example: It's 2008 and you're on the DCS Caucuses Map. You want to fly from Batumi Airfield to Kutaisi Airfield. The True Bearing measured from the F10 map is ____ degrees. What is the Magnetic Bearing?

Magnetic Bearing = True Bearing - Declination Magnetic Bearing = 043 - 6 Magnetic Bearing = 033

Appendix: Heading, Bearing, Course, and Track​ Heading is the direction the airplane's nose is pointed. Bearing is the direction between two points. Course is very similar to bearing. It's the desired direction you want to fly. If you're flying directly to a point, your course is the same as its bearing. Track is actual path the airplane takes across the ground. It's affected by wind and navigational inaccuracies.