NEED TO KNOW HOW TO
SET YOUR COMPASS CORRECTLY?

Take the plane, engine(s) running, out to the compass rose or similar test site. Adjust the N-S screw so the card reads exactly north.

Rotate the plane to east. Adjust the E-W screw to remove all errors and to read exactly east.

Continue to rotate the aircraft until sitting on the cardinal heading of south; note the deviation. Turn the adjust screw until half of the error is removed.

Rotate the plane until it is pointing west. Again note the deviation and remove half the error.

Again rotate the plane until it is back to north. Is the deviation correct; is it the same as south? It should be, but some very small readjustments may be necessary to average the deviation readings.

Rotate the plane to east. Does the compass display the same deviation as your earlier west notation? If not, some minor adjustments may be necessary.

After completing the above steps, again rotate the plane through the cardinals, stopping at 30-degree increments to confirm the accuracy of your calibration and to list them on the compass correction card.

BACK TO FAIRBANKS FLIGHT TRAIN HOME PAGE