Magnetic North Wander Jan 2019

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AlexC
Posts: 26
Joined: 23 Oct 2018, 09:18

Magnetic North Wander Jan 2019

Post by AlexC »

Hi everyone,

It has come to my attention and maybe to some Meteorology and Geo Freaks, that we are currently experience a larger than normal Magnetic North wander.

Between 1900eds and the 80s this movement has been limited to 10-15 Miles a year but its currently pacing up and currently shifting at 50-55Km / Year. This issue is so serious that the Five year update to the world magnetic model due in 2020, has undergone an early review request by the US Military. At the moment the US Government is on Shut down so nothing will be happening on the next days and no updates nor communications will be made.

Not affected, is the navigation on the Tropics but at higher latitudes and for all still using the old compass and TVMDC Rule, will be experiencing some kind of offset.

Some metrology specialists agree , that the wander of our magnetic north is having direct effect on our North Atlantic Jet streams and this obviously impacts weather at middle latitudes.

If we take in consideration the overall impact on migratory animals and the small shift on the global shield -that our magnetic lines provide against unwanted Radiation, we are definitely up for some challenging years ahead of us.

Anyone experiencing this over the Polar Circle / 66° N Lat. ?

BR
Alex
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jan_olieslagers
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Re: Magnetic North Wander Jan 2019

Post by jan_olieslagers »

Something tells me that this message might well be lost on the vast majority of contributors here. There are not many aviators here, and of those few not many will fly to such "exotic" (haha) areas. Myself a modest private pilot, I would be proud to get North of 60 degrees, or South of 30, but neither seems likely in the near future.

As for the magnetic poles wandering more and more, and wider and wider, I suppose it goes along with the increasing changes in climate? But the old style magnetic compass is being less and less used, so the direct impact will not be great.

This news does confirm my old concern about runways still being aligned with magnetic north/south, thus having to be renamed every so many years - I remember EBAW's 12/30 becoming 11/29, and EBBR's 02/20 changing to 01/19. This is IMHO ridiculous in this era of satellite navigation, and is causing serious cost - and ever increasing, as you pointed out! - to operators of aerodromes, and to publishers of aeronautical information, both public and commercial. A real shame! But ICAO seems unmovable, on this matter as on many.

AlexC
Posts: 26
Joined: 23 Oct 2018, 09:18

Re: Magnetic North Wander Jan 2019

Post by AlexC »

jan_olieslagers wrote: 22 Jan 2019, 13:25 Something tells me that this message might well be lost on the vast majority of contributors here. There are not many aviators here, and of those few not many will fly to such "exotic" (haha) areas. Myself a modest private pilot, I would be proud to get North of 60 degrees, or South of 30, but neither seems likely in the near future.
AHAHA :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Like my Gen Nav Teacher used to Say: Ignorance is indeed a Virtue.
I agree with you, but at least I get solid feedback from some contributors like yourself.

Runaways are indeed magnetic but you can only rely on the previous information given to ICAO and henceforth, information printed on Navigational charts. If you take the normal VFR applications, I don’t believe this will be making a major difference on your approaches as you probably recur to Radio Nav Aids ( which are also Magnetic ;) ) but are relative to your position. The administrative bother is obviously huge, but I guess there is nothing we can do to change it.

I recon this will become more and more an issue and the ICAO Chart publications will have to be done every 6 months, maybe every 3rd month. If the magnetic wander continues at the same speed, we can expect this to happen in 100 Years. Only then it will impact our “modest” navigational ways but maybe runaway directions will then be communicated over ATIS after the QNH 

Good thing that we use Geodetic data from GPS but I am sure soon the deviations will become more and more apparent as we move further in this century.

I agree with you on ICAO / JAA / EASA. They are all very unwilling and most importantly : “ ICAO Recommends/ Advises” for the best practices… Each country operates within their best interests and within their boundaries to comply with “recommendations “ signed on the International Chicago convention back in 1944 and further agreements.

You just have to love the wording Jan :)

Regards
Alex
Alex
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jan_olieslagers
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Re: Magnetic North Wander Jan 2019

Post by jan_olieslagers »

But I do understand that it is ICAO who define the format of the AIP? Into which the national CAA*'s can write their local data? If ICAO says runway identificators are to be based on magnetic heading then what else can the various CAA's do? Still, I remember from my days in Flight Simulator that some aerodromes in Northern Canada do identify their runways by true North, not by magnetic North. Why cannot the others?

* CAA: Civil Aviation Administration.

AlexC
Posts: 26
Joined: 23 Oct 2018, 09:18

Re: Magnetic North Wander Jan 2019

Post by AlexC »

Sure Jan!! They define and standardise the format of all Aeronautical information publications.
The responsibility to communicate this to all Airmen, Operators, handling agents and so on lays on the Aviation Authority of the country in cause.
CAA in the UK could try to do that but they would be deviating from international practices already agreed beforehand. If one single Aviation Authority decides to go free style on their approaches, everyone could do it and then you would kill the standardization of such procedures.

‘’ I remember from my days in Flight Simulator that some aerodromes in Northern Canada do identify their runways by true North ‘’
This goes along with my first comment. Further north you are, quicker the Magnetic Variation takes place between Longitudes.
Not like Dusseldorf +1 and Paris 0 .. We are talking about of massive changes in variation for shorter distances.

For this type of navigation, some guy with no life invented GRID Navigation. If you ask me, I will tell you: I still don’t know how I managed to pass this examination back in 2010.. but It kind of worked :lol: :lol:

BR
Alex
Aviation Enthusiast
ATPL A
General Aviation Dispatcher / Operations / Ramp Coordination
American Security specialist and Trainer

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