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Commercial pilot · ACS CA.VI.B · Instructor lesson plan

Navigation Systems and Radar Services

Student pack: Train: Navigation Systems and Radar Services · Full lesson: Prepare guide

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1 · Objective

By the end of this lesson your student can explain navigation systems and radar services in their own words, apply it in a realistic situation, and fly it to the ACS standard for CA.VI.B.

Why it matters for safety: Modern navigation is precise until it isn't: a wrong waypoint, a mode the pilot didn't notice, an expired database or a GPS outage. Commercial pilots in technically advanced airplanes are most at risk when they trust the box without cross-checking. Knowing each system's limits and having a backup plan is the safety margin.

2 · Assign before the lesson

Pre-work: the free Train pack, Navigation Systems and Radar Services. Use VOR, GPS and the autopilot well, know their limits and checks, and use ATC radar services the right way.

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Pack: pilotprep.pro/train/cpl/navigation-systems-and-radar-services · Full lesson: pilotprep.pro/prepare/cpl/navigation-systems-and-radar-services

3 · Teach sequence

Key points to land

  • Identify a VOR before using it, by its Morse code or its recorded voice identification (the name followed by "VOR"). No identifier, or the T-E-S-T code during maintenance, means don't use it.(AIM, Chapter 1, Air Navigation (navigation aids and GPS))
  • VOR station passage: the TO/FROM flag flips. GPS: the waypoint sequences. An NDB: the needle swings from ahead to behind.(AIM, Chapter 1, Air Navigation (navigation aids and GPS))
  • GPS integrity: RAIM is the receiver cross-checking redundant satellite signals for consistency (5 satellites, or 4 with baro-aiding, to detect a fault; 6, or 5 with baro-aiding, to exclude it; 4 for a 3D fix). WAAS is a separate augmentation with its own corrections and integrity. An integrity alert means the position may be wrong: cross-check another source.(AIM, Chapter 1, Air Navigation (navigation aids and GPS))
  • Know what the automation is doing: verify each mode on the annunciator, and be ready to fly the airplane by hand when it does something unexpected.(Advanced Avionics Handbook (FAA-H-8083-6))
  • Transponder (91.215): Class A, B and C; within 30 nm of a Class B primary airport, surface to 10,000 MSL; above a Class B or C ceiling within its lateral limits up to 10,000 MSL; and at and above 10,000 MSL everywhere in the 48 states and DC, except at or below 2,500 AGL. ADS-B Out (91.225) is similar but not identical: the same, except that above 10,000 MSL it applies only in Class E, and it adds Class E over the Gulf of Mexico at and above 3,000 MSL within 12 nm of the coast.(14 CFR 91.215(b), 91.225(d))
  • Radar services (flight following) give traffic advisories and safety alerts workload permitting; you still see and avoid.(AIM, Chapter 4, Air Traffic Control (radar services for VFR aircraft))
  • Commercial standard: intercept and track a course, recognize station passage and signal loss, altitude ±100 feet, heading ±10°.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VI.B.S3-S7)

Ground-based navigation

  • VOR: tune, identify by Morse code, set the course, read TO/FROM. The needle shows where the course is relative to you, regardless of heading.(AIM, Chapter 1, Air Navigation (navigation aids and GPS))
  • For IFR, the VOR must have been checked within 30 days (VOT or ground checkpoint ±4°, airborne checkpoint ±6°, dual VORs within 4° of each other), logged with date, place, error and signature.(14 CFR 91.171)
  • VOR signals are line of sight: low altitude, terrain and distance reduce reception. Each VOR has a standard service volume by class (terminal, low and high altitude, with the newer VL and VH tiers) defined in AIM 1-1-8; the Chart Supplement notes restrictions.(AIM 1-1-8)
  • DME gives slant range, not ground distance: it over-reads when you're close and high (overhead at 6,000 feet AGL it shows about 1 nm). It's usually paired with the VOR frequency.(AIM, Chapter 1, Air Navigation (navigation aids and GPS))
  • ADF and NDB: the needle shows the relative bearing to the station; magnetic heading plus relative bearing gives the magnetic bearing to it. Identify by Morse code; expect errors from thunderstorms, terrain and night effect.(AIM, Chapter 1, Air Navigation (navigation aids and GPS))

Satellite navigation

  • GPS needs at least 4 satellites for a 3D fix and more for integrity: RAIM needs 5 (or 4 with baro-aiding) to detect a fault and 6 (or 5) to exclude it. WAAS adds its own corrections and integrity. Heed integrity alerts and NOTAMed outages.(AIM, Chapter 1, Air Navigation (navigation aids and GPS))
  • Keep the database current; for VFR use, check waypoints against the chart, and remember a GPS can be spoofed or jammed near some areas (check GPS NOTAMs).(AIM, Chapter 1, Air Navigation (navigation aids and GPS))
  • An EFB with GPS position is a powerful situational-awareness tool; know its update cycle and keep a backup (battery, paper or second device).(AC 91-78A, Use of Electronic Flight Bags)

Radar services and surveillance

  • Basic radar service for VFR: safety alerts, traffic advisories, limited vectoring on request, and sequencing where established. Request it with your call sign, type, position, altitude and destination; it's workload permitting. TRSA service adds sequencing and separation for participating VFR; Class C service, IFR/VFR separation and VFR arrival sequencing; Class B, separation and sequencing. Lost or in trouble, ATC can give radar assistance and vectors.(AIM, Chapter 4, Air Traffic Control (radar services for VFR aircraft))
  • The requirement is a Mode 3/A (4096-code) or Mode S transponder plus altitude reporting (Mode C, in 100-foot increments); Mode S alone doesn't replace altitude reporting. It must have been tested within the preceding 24 calendar months (91.413). ADS-B Out broadcasts GPS position: Class A requires 1090ES; below 18,000 MSL either 1090ES or 978 MHz UAT meets 91.227. Aircraft certificated without an engine-driven electrical system (and gliders and balloons) have exceptions.(14 CFR 91.215, 91.225, 91.227, 91.413)
  • ADS-B In shows traffic and weather (FIS-B, TIS-B), but not every aircraft appears, and the weather isn't real time.(AIM, Chapter 7, Safety of Flight (in-flight weather and FIS-B))

Automation and its failures

  • Brief the automation before using it: what mode, what it will capture, what it will do next. Verify every change on the annunciator.(Advanced Avionics Handbook (FAA-H-8083-6))
  • Know each system's limits: VOR line of sight, GPS integrity, database currency, EFB battery and update age.(Advanced Avionics Handbook (FAA-H-8083-6))
  • If a signal is lost or flags: fly the airplane, revert to another source (VOR, GPS, pilotage), tell ATC if you're on a clearance or flight following.(AIM, Chapter 1, Air Navigation (navigation aids and GPS))
  • Heads-down programming takes your eyes out of the sky: program on the ground or in level flight, in short steps, with frequent scans outside.(AC 90-48, Pilots' Role in Collision Avoidance)

Watch for in the airplane: Your instructor watches for stations identified, intercepts flown cleanly, station passage recognized, automation modes verified, a backup ready when a signal is lost, and correct flight-following phraseology, all within commercial tolerances.

4 · Ask your student

In order: recall, then understanding, then applying it. Move up only when the answer shows it.

  1. Recall · How do you know a VOR is usable?

    A strong answer: Tune it, identify it by its Morse code, and check there's no OFF flag; for IFR, it must have been checked within 30 days.

  2. Understand · Why cross-check GPS against another source?

    A strong answer: The GPS can show a confident position even when it's wrong: a database error, a wrong waypoint, an integrity problem or interference. A second source catches that.

  3. Apply · Cruising on autopilot with GPS, you get an integrity alert. What do you do?

    A strong answer: Keep flying the airplane, cross-check position with the VOR or pilotage, switch the autopilot to heading mode if needed, and tell ATC if I'm on a clearance or flight following.

Scenarios to talk through

  • The autopilot is in NAV mode but the airplane is flying a heading that doesn't match the course. What's likely, and what do you do?

    Sound decision: A mode or course mismatch (wrong source, wrong waypoint, or it's actually in HDG). Check the annunciator and the active leg, fix the setting, and hand-fly if unsure.

  • You're VFR at 9,500 MSL, 25 nm from a Class B primary airport, ADS-B Out inoperative. What's the problem?

    Sound decision: At 9,500 MSL and 25 nm you're inside the Mode C veil (within 30 nm, surface to 10,000 MSL), where ADS-B Out is required. With it inoperative, you may ask ATC at any time to proceed to your destination (including intermediate stops) or to a repair shop; otherwise avoid the area.

  • Approaching a VOR, the TO/FROM flag flips and the needle swings. What happened?

    Sound decision: Station passage. Turn to the outbound course and confirm the needle centers with a FROM indication.

5 · Common student errors

  • Not identifying the station.

    Why it matters: You could be on the wrong station or one under maintenance.

    How to correct it: Listen to the Morse code every time.

  • Trusting the autopilot without checking the mode.

    Why it matters: Mode confusion leads to deviations.

    How to correct it: Verify the annunciator after every change.

  • Treating flight following as a guarantee.

    Why it matters: Advisories depend on workload and radar coverage.

    How to correct it: Keep scanning and see and avoid.

6 · Completion standard

  • Use an airborne electronic navigation system; determine position; intercept and track a course, radial or bearing; recognize station or waypoint passage.
  • Recognize signal loss or interference and act; communicate properly with radar services; altitude ±100 feet, heading ±10°.
  • Your student answers each "Ask your student" question in their own words, up to the Apply level, without prompting.
  • They talk through the scenarios and reach a safe, legal decision, explaining why.
  • They complete the pack’s quick check and can say what they flagged.

Area trained? Close out with a practice oral focused on CA.VI.B: pilotprep.pro/exam?exam=CPL&focus=CA.VI.B

7 · References

  • Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Navigation; Flight Instruments
  • Advanced Avionics Handbook (FAA-H-8083-6)
  • Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), Chapters 1, 4, 6 and 7
  • 14 CFR Part 91, 91.3, 91.103, 91.123, 91.151, 91.171, 91.215, 91.225
  • AC 90-48 and AC 91-78
  • Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), Area VI
  • 14 CFR 91.171, VOR equipment check for IFR
  • Airman Certification Standards, task CA.VI.B

PilotPrep instructor lesson plan, from the Navigation Systems and Radar Services lesson (checked against current FAA sources 2026-11-13). A study and teaching aid, not FAA guidance; teach to your own judgment and the current ACS.