There was a time in my not-so-distant past that I would have killed for a way to more effectively teach the rudiments of VOR and NDB operation... especially NDB. As a hard-working (sometimes hardly-working...) CFIA/I/ME/H; getting a struggling student pilot to grasp the fundamentals of NDB ops was akin to black magic. Now, for those of you who refuse to suffer the way we elder (I resemble that remark all too well) instructors did, there is hope... and help.

Aviation Tutorials has released Version 2.0 of VOR/NDB Simulator, a visually-oriented trainer designed for practicing and developing VOR and NDB navigation skills. A fully-interactive map area, realistic instrumentation, and stunning graphics make it easy to visualize navigation and fine-tune skills to perfection, without the distractions of real flight.

VOR/NDB Simulator version 2.0 is a major redevelopment of the original version. User feedback has resulted in new advanced features and capabilities, such as random navigation scenarios, hard-copy printouts of your navigation, enhanced heading control, and simultaneous VOR and NDB navigation. The new Instrument Manager lets the user select from a menu of instruments, including Directional Gyro (DG), Course Deviation Indicator (CDI), fixed-card and rotatable-card Automatic Direction Finder (ADF), Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI), and Radio Magnetic Indicator (RMI). Fully-narrated on-screen instructions walk the user through every aspect of the software.

VOR/NDB Simulator is a further development of the company's flagship product, The Navigation CD-ROM, which teaches how to navigate using VOR's and NDB's. VOR/NDB Simulator lets you practice navigation skills in real-time. It's perfect for all pilots, from students learning to navigate, to rated pilots who wish to remain sharp and proficient.

The VOR/NDB Simulator screen consists of a large overhead map view with a moving airplane, draggable VOR's and NDB's, draggable navigation and flight instruments, and controls that let you specify aircraft direction, speed, wind parameters, and more.

VOR/NDB Simulator is unlike any other training product. It's the only software that lets you simultaneously visualize your position with the map view while "flying" the airplane and navigating with the on-screen instruments. Positional awareness is made easy with its high-resolution, full-screen graphics.

This product is said to be amazingly easy to use: the objective is to set the navigation instruments accordingly, and then turn the aircraft as needed to intercept and track VOR radials and NDB bearings. Skills such as position-finding, interception, and tracking are easily practiced. Instrument pilots can also practice advanced techniques such as DME arcs and holding. The days of difficult and expensive in-flight practice are over, as VOR/NDB Simulator allows endless hours of real-time practice for one low price. And, the company reports that it fosters the development of visualization skills "like no other method." It is priced at $69.00.

FMI: www.avtutorials.com