[Released] Bluesky Hangar Grumman AA5

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There used to be some discussion about this on FSdeveloper.com There is a discussion here on the forum about it. I think 30nm might be “working as designed” It all depends on what type of VOR it is, and the altitude of the plane. And I don’t think there’s anything you can do, it’s related to the scenery design. I got this from a search for msfs vor range

In Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS), VOR range depends strictly on the station’s type (High, Low, or Terminal) and your aircraft’s altitude. Because VOR signals are line-of-sight, you must fly high enough to overcome Earth’s curvature. [1, 2]

Standard VOR Service Ranges

MSFS generally follows FAA Standard Service Volumes (SSV), though exact ranges can vary based on individual station coding: [1, 2]

  • Terminal VOR (T-VOR): ~25 nautical miles (NMI). Used primarily for airport approaches and immediate terminal areas. [1]

  • Low-Altitude VOR (L-VOR): ~40 NMI up to 14,500 feet. [1, 2]

  • High-Altitude VOR (H-VOR):

    • Up to 40 NMI below 14,500 feet.

    • Up to 100 NMI between 14,500 and 18,000 feet.

    • Up to 130 NMI at typical cruising altitudes above 18,000 feet. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

MSFS-Specific Behavior

  • Hard Cutoffs: MSFS models VOR reception as an absolute on/off switch. You will lose the signal immediately when flying beyond the station’s coded maximum boundary, whereas real-world radios often pick up faint signals much farther away. [, 2]

  • Incorrect Station Coding: Some regions in the default MSFS database suffer from incorrectly coded VOR types, resulting in ranges that appear artificially short. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Tips for Better Reception

  1. Climb Higher: If your NAV radio is not capturing the signal, you likely need to increase your altitude to achieve a line-of-sight path.

  2. Use Navigraph: For more accurate global navaid data and up-to-date ranges, many users integrate custom navigation data into their sims.

  3. Third-Party Fixes: If you frequently fly in heavily affected areas, there are community-made mods (such as the Japan VOR Range Fix) available to correct known range discrepancies. [1, 2, 3]

Not to mention, I think MSFS might even take terrain into account. So your question about which VOR and also the aircraft’s altitude is very valid.

Are you saying people fly outside the United States, hmm :thinking: I didn’t even imagine that..

:upside_down_face: