Checkride

[Michael Natale]

During basic instrument flight training you are instructed to use both if possible. Most light training aircraft, until recently anyway, didn't really have dme installed or it was a luxury if it did. If a procedure provides you with a a fix defined by distance from a VOR I would use that as opposed to the crossing radial becasue it will be more accurate (depending on your altitude and distance from the VOR of course). It's always safest to have some measure of redundency to confirm your aircraft's position though. Hope this helps and best of luck Don...

Mike

[Wayne Pierce]

Don, Michael answered your question very professionally.
Here is my answer, Yes.
If one reads the instructions to any checkride and heeds them, there are many inferences to the distances from navigation points that you will have to be at using the DME equipment. It is not the autopilot or a function of the FMC of which you have limited to no use for the checkrides.
You will use the DME and the radials of VORs together.The latest trainee checkride applicants were using the radials of the VOR's and bypassing the distance required to travel by a wide margin. Ya gotta' be on your toes and pay attention to the instruments.

Now, I am glad you asked this question here openly. Usually this type of question is sent to the training office mail directly but this one could be answered here so that others can see the discussion, and hopefully learn from it.

Thanks,