Where have all the VORS gone -- (Long time passing)

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I don’t know about the flowers, but I have to wonder where all the VORS have gone ?

In so many cases, they seem to be completely missing in the scenery, Photo flat, or replaced by a building.

This includes both AI generated airports,(ie KOSH) as well as custom Bespoke airports in World Updates, (ie KDCA)

This is particularly strange, as of all the feature that could possibly be in any scenery, the VORS should be the easiest to place.

  1. Their exact position is known (very precisely from Nav databases)
  2. Their are a limited variation in their physical shape,
    ( at a minimum, just two .Smaller Low altitude and bigger High altitude,)

While its not the end of the world if these VORS/DMEs are not depicted in MSFS, so many other less important aviation items are, maybe some consideration should be made to addressing the missing scenery VORs.

It would appear to be a relatively easy Procedural task, to make sure that every VOR/DME in the world (or at least in the Nav databases) , is present and placed correctly with an appropriate VOR 3D model.

As a second consideration, the same applies to ILS Localizer antennas, & Glideslope towers.
masts,

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Might have something to do with the FAA decommissioning them -

VORS to be decommissioned

As part of the decommissioning process, the FAA will publish notices on each VOR slated for elimination and solicit public input. The VORs will be closed in two phases: one running through 2020, and the second from 2021 to 2025.

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But they will still be around for the next 4 years, and then, after that, it will be some before they are physically removed.
If it were a massive task to add them, I would agree, for 4 years, it may not be worth it … but as they could so easily (?) be generated Procedually, why not.

Same applies to the ILS structures.

But it’s interesting to hear what other MSFS user think about this.

Might even be a product for a 3rd party Developer to produce ??

(He says, knowing NOTHING about scenery development, and the fun and games in modifying existing scenery :wink: )

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4

Maybe you could ask Puffin over at flightsim.to, he’s made the ‘We love VFR’ mods, and adds radio towers, satellite dishes etc etc accurately in the world. Maybe he could add the VOR’s as well.

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That’s the FAA (USA) … what about VORs in other countries.
MSFS is a worldwide simulator !! :australia: :aruba: :aland_islands: :azerbaijan: :burkina_faso: :bulgaria: :bahrain: :burundi: :benin: :brazil: :bolivia: etc

However, assume many of the VORS in other countries may be on a decommission schedule, as GPS replaces them.

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I find this sad. I know that keeping VOR’s operational is expensive and a high maintenance task, on the other hand…triangulation, vor to vor nav and vor approaches are the most fun to fly for me. Gps is nice and all that, but I love old fashioned radio navigation.

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Since iam flying the dc6 i noticed this as well. I refuse to use gps in this bird so ndb and vors is the way to go.

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I fully agree. We need an addon with all those VORs, DMEs, NDBs and ILSes back to the 60ies. I like to fly using radios only. And as it is just an addon only those can use it who want to.

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And once Pilots B314 is available we need the NDB ships for ocean crossing.

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… and I want a proper place to land with Bériot Gnome in France after crossing the Channel. With public and press present, who all cheer me. And a bottle of champagne with a popping cork animation.

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There are a couple of generic localizer antenna arrays and a glideslope mast available in the SDK airport editor as “stock” scenery objects. I placed them in the correct physical locations when I updated my local airport to fix the taxiway layout and taxiway names.

I believe there is also a VOR building/antenna in the list of standard scenery objects in the SDK editor. I never thought to look for physical VOR objects in the scenery (for those that are still operational), FSX and P3D appear to have them.

One problem I foresee though - the core nav data files define all the parameters for a VOR - identifier, frequency, latitude/longitude, declination, range and elevation - and those parameters (particularly lat/lon) could be used to define the location of physical VOR scenery objects - but the core nav data (or the much better Navigraph version) cannot physically place VORs in the scenery. That would have to be done by some kind of third-party program that could scan the core nav data files and place objects in the scenery.

As mentioned, many VORs have been (and continue to be) decommissioned in the US, Canada and Europe. They are not “going away” completely, but every month there are fewer operational VORs than the month before. When a r/w VOR goes permanently out of service, the physical infrastructure is not necessarily removed - at least not immediately. In many cases, the facility is simply powered off, and the building closed and locked.

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There seems to be a General Assumption that the SIM should be simulating UP-TO-DATE.

While I can see that that is wanted by many, I am sure there are some , especially flying older planes, that might to fly as the world was in the past, when those planes were newer.

Classic example is Meigs Field, Those that remember Meigs, and it strong association with Microsoft Flight Simulators, might like to recreate that era,

If MSFS2020 ever brings out a set of Older Aircraft (ie Century of Flight), then what fun will they be to fly, without the VORS that were around at their time.

Yes, it starts to get complicated, but isn’'t the Slogan for MSFS 2020 “No pilot left behind”

Anyway, a few more Years of VORs, so maybe some consideration should be made to include them, at least until they are decommissioned.

Lets face it, a lot of the BING scenery is years old, and still showing buildings (and VORS) that have long been replaced.

1441×1077

Federal AviationAdministrationVOR MON ImplementationOctober 2012

•As the FAA transitions to RNAV and PBN, aircraft reliance on VORs will decrease significantly

•This will allow the FAA to transition to a VOR MON, which will provide backup coverage, if needed, during a GPS outage

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The FAA is NOT getting rid of all VORs. They’re looking to decommission around half.

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It’s all I’ve been flying in the DC-6; Bendix radios only. It’s a blast!

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100% agree… far more of a challenge – although it is nice to have a GPS as “backup” !!

If you fly with steam gauges, you have to have a good basic understanding of what you are doing.

With a GPS, so much is hidden from you, and so many pilots, even RW pilots just “assume” things about the GPS, and what it is displaying to them , that are incorrect.

(BTW so do Sim Programmers !! ) :wink:

There is a lot of “Programing the GPS”, and then blinding accepting whatever it tells you.

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Wow… this word, “VOR” awakens old memories of flying a steam gauge cockpit Cessna with VOR 1 and 2 navigation through the rainy landscape of Flight Simulator 2004 A century of flight when having nothing to learn at school and nice long weekends.
I haven`t heard this word VOR for many many years, but it looks like we are all flying with 19" full-HD Garmin navigation screens nowadays. :wink:

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Unless you flying a small GA with no GPS, or an old historical plane that has not had a retrofit.

The ASOBO C152 being one … No GPS, NO AP ----- YOU have to FLY it !!

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I see plenty of you, loving old fashioned navigation, that’s amazing. Maybe if we make enough noise, asobo will take us on the feedback snapshot. Adding those surely isn’t hard. Thanks to the creator of this post for keeping attention on that.

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I’ll admit to using Little Navmap as a “moving map” for areas and airports not familiar to me. It’s a great “safety net.” (Also use LNM for flight/fuel planning.)

I don’t capture the ILS in any “automated” way. Instead I hand fly the approach using bearings and needle matching once on final. It’s how I learned so many years ago, so it feels very comfortable. :slight_smile:

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Is a functioning VOR required to pass the practical test for the PPL. ???

You don’t necessarily need a VOR, but you do need to demonstrate the following:

  1. Exhibits satisfactory knowledge of the elements related to navigation systems and radar services.
  2. Demonstrates the ability to use an airborne electronic navigation system.
  3. Locates the airplane’s position using the navigation system.
  4. Intercepts and tracks a given course, radial, or bearing, as appropriate.
  5. Recognizes and describes the indication of station passage, if appropriate.
  6. Recognizes signal loss and takes appropriate action.

This could certainly be done using a GPS or ADF (if you can still find an airplane equipped with one).