SVGA Tile Set Description Tile Set Name: GENAV.TL Subject: General Aviation Created by: Nels Anderson Description: Even the most avid programmer can't spend all day, every day in front of a monitor and when I'm away from my computer one of the things you'll find me doing is flying. Like many people I've been interested in airplanes for years but in 1991 I took the plunge and got a private pilots certificate. It's been a great hobby for me and this tile set is an effort to share some of the things I see as a pilot. The tiles are as follows: LOGOS ----- 1) Piper (aircraft manufacturer) 2) Cessna (aircraft manufacturer) 3) Mooney (aircraft manufacturer) 4) AOPA--Airline Owners and Pilots Association, an organization for private pilots that provides a great monthly magazine ("AOPA Pilot") and many other services. NAVAIDS (Navigational Aids) --------------------------- 5) NDB symbol. An NDB (non-directional beacon) is a radio transmitter that can be used with an ADF (automatic direction finder) radio in a plane to help maintain a course. This tile is the symbol for an NDB as shown on the maps, known as sectional charts, that pilots use. STOGE is the name of a specific NDB near my local airport. 6) VOR symbol. A VOR (VHF omnidirectional range) is a more complex type of radio transmitter that's used for similar purposes as an NDB. A VOR can tell you what angle you are in relation to it, in 1 degree increments and since many are linked with DME (distance measuring equipment) also how far away. This tile is the VOR symbol shown on sectional charts. 7) VOR station. This is what a VOR transmitter station looks like. It's a low, round building with a tower sticking up from the center. 8) Radio shack. Buildings like this are often seen around airports and contain equipment, perhaps used for ILS (instrument landing system) radios or field lighting equipment. INSTRUMENTS ----------- 9) Turn and slip indicator. Used by pilots to make turns at specific rates and to make sure that use of ailerons and rudder is coordinated. 10) VSI (vertical speed indicator). Used to indicate how fast the plane is climbing or descending. 11) Airspeed indicator. Indicates airspeed, usually in knots (1 knot equals 1.15 mph). Not completely accurate and does not take into accounts winds so it cannot indicate actual ground speed. 12) Gyro compass. Most planes have both gyro and magnetic compasses. The gyro compass has to be reset before each flight, and often in flight while the magnetic compass does not. However, when making turns the gyro compass will provide accurate readings whereas the magnetic compass either leads or lags the actual heading. 13) Artificial horizon (attitude). Shows the plane's relationship to the horizon even when you can't see the real one. Indicates angle of bank and climb/descent. THINGS FOUND AT AIRPORTS ------------------------ 14) Wind sock. Indicates wind direction, and to a certain extent, speed. 15) Control tower. Many airports used in general aviation do not have towers but those that do generally look something like this. At least the one at Norwood, MA airport, which this tile is modeled after, does. 16) Hanger. It's hard to find an airport without hangers of some kind. This one is Wiggins Aviation hanger #1, where repairs and maintenance are done at my home airport. If you'll look inside you'll see a deHavilland Twin Otter, a plane often seen near this hanger, being worked on. 17) Fuel truck. You can't fly without fuel. This is the Exxon truck usually parked near the entrance to the ramp at Norwood airport. 18) Airport sign. To fly you have to get to the airport first, and you'll often see signs similar to this along the road pointing the way. 19) Runway sign. Airports can get quite confusing when you have several runways and multiple taxiways so the runways and taxiways are often marked with signs similar to this one. This sign marks runway 35, the main one at Norwood. Most people don't know this, but the runway number is simply an indication of its heading--runway 35 has a magnetic heading of about 350 degrees or almost directly north. 20) Airport beacon. Civilian airports that are open at night usually have a beacon that alternately flashes white and green. BOOKS AND CHARTS ---------------- 21) Airport/Facility Directory. This little green paperback is required on any flight. It provides all information on airports within a certain region (Northeast U.S. in this case, since that's where I fly). It's updated every 54 days and pilots are expected to have a current copy and refer to it for information on any airports they plan on using. 22) FAR-AIM. Actually, two books in one, this is the Federal Aviation Regulations and Airmans Information Manual. The first section is the actual rules put out by the FAA that pilots must follow. The second part is additional information that isn't actual rules, but helps pilots understand the national air system and how to use it properly. 23) Sectional chart. This is a tiny section of a sectional chart, the type of map used for visual flying. It shows an area near my home centered on Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA. 24) Sectional chart. A closer look at part of a sectional chart. This shows one of the symbols used for airports, in this case my local airport in Norwood, MA. 25) Airport layout. Instrument pilots carry a book called U.S. Terminal Procedures which include detailed charts on how to make instrument approaches to airports and also in many cases ground layouts of airports. There are also non-government publications that have this information. This tile shows a typical airport layout, in this case OWD, the FAA designation for Norwood, MA. THINGS FOUND IN AIRPLANES ------------------------- 26) Radio stack. Even small planes often have extensive radio equipment and this is a typical stack of radios. On top is a switching panel for connecting the microphone to the proper transmitter and to select which radio(s) to listen to. Below are two Bendix/King navcom (navigation and communication) radios--these have a dual function in providing communications between the pilot and controllers and also are used to receive VOR navaids. On the bottom is a Northstar M1 loran, a more modern method of navigation but one that the FAA doesn't approve for use in actual instrument weather conditions. 27) Throttle. This is a typical Piper throttle control. The throttle is on the left (black knob) and the mixture on the right (red knob). In the positions shown, the plane is probably parked since the mixture is fully leaned out (minimum fuel flow). On the front a hand microphone can be held. 28) Headset. Inside a small plane is noisier than a typical pressurized jetliner, but it's important that the pilot be able to hear the tower and other ground controllers clearly and for this a noise reducing headset is a great help. The example shown is a typical David Clark model like the one I and many other pilots use. VIEWS WHILE FLYING ------------------ 29) Final approach. This would be a typical view just short of a runway on final approach, in this case runway 35 at Norwood. Note the runway lighting, green on the near end and red at the far end. On the left side is the VASI (visual approach slope indicator) lights, a simple but very nice aid to ensure that you're approaching the runway at the proper rate of descent. 30) Radio towers. These are a great aid to visual navigation since they can often be seen from far away and are included on sectional charts for this reason (and to warn not to fly too low and hit them too!). This tile shows some of the monster towers along Route 128 in Needham, MA just north of my local airport. Since these are over 1000 feet high they make great landmarks! 31) Downwind. This is the view you should see on the downwind portion of a landing approach in a low wing aircraft. The runway can be seen just at the tip of the wing. 32) Panel and runway. This view is from the pilot's (left) seat, showing the instrument panel and a runway outside. You might see a view like this just at liftoff. 33) Taxiway. At night taxiways are marked with blue lights (runways generally with white lights). A big airport at night can be quite colorful! AIRCRAFT -------- 34) A typical high wing aircraft, like most models made by Cessna. 35) A typical low wing aircraft, like recent Piper models and those of other companies. 39) My favorite airplane. This is a 1982 Piper model PA28-181 (Archer II) with tail number N8439T (all U.S. registered aircraft civilian have a tail number beginning with "N" on them somewhere). - - - - - GENAV.TL, GENAV.TXT copyright 1995 by Nels Anderson. All rights reserved. Tile set (*.TL) format copyright 1994 by Nels Anderson. All rights reserved.