ArVeeNiner

ArVeeNiner

Well Known Member
I'm thinking that since the Dynon compass is calibrated when we swing it, there is no compass correction card required right?

The reason that I ask is that I also have a panel mounted whiskey compass that is worthless. It varies up to 30 degrees depending on direction. I don't want to waste the time creating and posting a compass card for a compass that I won't look at. I just slapped an INOP sticker on the face of the compass and called it a day.

Now I'm thinking, if I get ramped checked, and if it's true that a compass correction card is not required for an EFIS, what are the chances that the ramp checkers know this? I'm thinking it might just be easier to remove the INOP sticker from the whiskey compass and display a compass card for it even though I don't trust it as far as I can throw it. That way I'll avoid any misunderstandings.

Opinions?
 
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Why not remove the compass completely? Since the Dynon has the magnetometer(s) you are legal without the whiskey compass.
 
RVbySDI said:
Why not remove the compass completely? Since the Dynon has the magnetometer(s) you are legal without the whiskey compass.
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That is on my list to do but I guess I was going to do that at a later date. With only 4 screws holding it maybe I'll yank it sooner than later.
 
If your goal is to avoid misunderstandings and hassles, leave it in for now. Not all FISDOs/inspectors agree on this topic.
Have you tried to swing it? My panel mounted compass is not great, off by 10 deg north-south (I bottomed out the adjustment screw), but in a pinch it is useable. Of course, in normal operation I like you never look at it.

BTW, my inspector, working out of the OAK office, wouldn't sign it off without a compass correction card in place.
 
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my whiskey compass was junk till i swung it per mels directions. it has been spot on since then. compass card has zeros in all boxes. :)
 
Whiskey compass

I've been ramp checked about 60 plus times, no one ever asks about a compass correction card.
 
Whiskey Compass

ArVeeNiner said:
That is on my list to do but I guess I was going to do that at a later date. With only 4 screws holding it maybe I'll yank it sooner than later.
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And if you have an EFIS failure or total electrical failure, where are you going to get your directional reference? Swing the compass, make corrections required, fill in the compass correction card, and have a backup. Don't worry so much about FAA checking it as having a backup when you need it.
 
Ramp checked 60 times? Do you have a bulls eye painted on your back? That must be some sort of record, unless you have an on-going war with the local FISDO.
 
Stu McCurdy said:
And if you have an EFIS failure or total electrical failure, where are you going to get your directional reference? Swing the compass, make corrections required, fill in the compass correction card, and have a backup. Don't worry so much about FAA checking it as having a backup when you need it.
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I did swing it...twice! I'm getting anywhere between 13 to 33 degrees off. I want to have a back up but this kind of deviation is a bit excessive and in my opinion, useless. All I can figure is that it must have an issue with the roll bar, canopy frame, metal behind the panel, or electrons. My vote would be all of the above.

With a total electrical failure the battery powered handheld GPS will be good enough back up but I would prefer a compass. Oh well.

Anyway, it sounds like I don't need a compass card for the Dynon which is what I was thinking.

Thanks everybody.
 
Compass

You may have tried this, but when I was first flying my RV-8 and trying to decide where I would locate my compass, I held it in hand and moved it slowly round the cockpit to likely locations. There was only one place the compass did not swing away from correct direction, on top of the glareshield. So I mounted it there on one side with the G-meter on the other side for symetry.
 
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