ACS Alignment

FAA-S-ACS-15 — Private Pilot, Rotorcraft–Helicopter · Area of Operation VIII. Navigation · Task: Navigation Systems & ATC Radar Services

PA.VIII.B.K1 — GPS/VOR fundamentals PA.VIII.B.K2 — VFR flight following & transponder/ADS-B PA.VIII.B.R1 — risk: automation complacency

Navigation Systems & Radar Services

Using GPS, VOR, and ATC services to navigate and stay clear of traffic.

By the end of this lesson you can:

Describe the basics of GPS and VOR navigation and their limitations.
Request and use VFR flight following (radar traffic advisories).
Explain transponder codes and ADS-B Out and their role in traffic services.
Avoid automation complacency while using navigation aids.

1 · Navigation systems

GPS (in your panel or ForeFlight) gives position, track, and distance worldwide, but depends on a working receiver and current database. VOR is a ground-based bearing system still useful as a backup and for understanding airways. Know each system's failure modes and keep a cross-check — a nav system is an aid, not a substitute for situational awareness.

2 · Radar services & flight following

VFR flight following (radar traffic information service) is an optional, workload-permitting ATC service: you get traffic advisories, safety alerts, and limited assistance, but you still see-and-avoid. Request it with your position, altitude, type, and destination; you'll get a discrete transponder squawk. With ADS-B Out your position is also broadcast, improving traffic awareness for ATC and nearby aircraft. Flight following is especially valuable on cross-countries and is a quick path to help in an emergency since you're already talking to ATC.

3 · Watch

Curated reference clip — “ATC's Best Kept Secret: VFR Flight Following,” Angle of Attack (YouTube). Embedded with the creator's player; we don't host or alter it.

4 · Reference sources

Use the authoritative references

📄 AIM 4-1 — Services available to pilots (flight following, radar service) 📄 FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) — Navigation

In the cockpit: know your installed avionics and how to use the GPS/transponder/ADS-B in your R44; ForeFlight provides moving-map GPS but is not a certified primary nav source.

Risk management (the “Consider”): automation complacency is the trap: a magenta line or a flight-following controller can lull you into not scanning. Flight following does not relieve you of see-and-avoid, and GPS doesn't relieve you of knowing where you are. Keep your eyes outside, cross-check your aids, and treat services as backup, not primary.