You're tracking a VOR at 30 DME with a 1-degree track error. How far off course are you?

You're tracking a VOR at 30 DME with a 1-degree track error. How far off course are you?

• A. 0.25 miles
• B. 0.5 miles
• C. 0.75 miles
• D. 1.0 miles

Answer: (B)

Cross-track distance is determined by the angular error times how far you are from the VOR. With a small angular error, the lateral offset equals the distance to the VOR multiplied by the angle in radians (or equivalently D × sin(angle) ≈ D × angle). Here, distance to the VOR is 30 NM and the track error is 1 degree. Convert the angle to radians: 1° ≈ 0.01745 rad. Multiply: 30 × 0.01745 ≈ 0.5236 NM. That’s about 0.5236 nautical miles, which is roughly 0.60 statute miles. Among the given options, the closest choice is 0.5 miles.

Cross-track distance is determined by the angular error times how far you are from the VOR. With a small angular error, the lateral offset equals the distance to the VOR multiplied by the angle in radians (or equivalently D × sin(angle) ≈ D × angle).

Here, distance to the VOR is 30 NM and the track error is 1 degree. Convert the angle to radians: 1° ≈ 0.01745 rad. Multiply: 30 × 0.01745 ≈ 0.5236 NM. That’s about 0.5236 nautical miles, which is roughly 0.60 statute miles. Among the given options, the closest choice is 0.5 miles.