SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/pilot-vot-check

Using a VOR test facility (VOT) with the needle centered, what should the OBS read with a FROM flag?

0 degrees FROM (or 180 degrees TO), wherever you are.

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  1. 180 degrees FROM
  2. 0 degrees FROM ✔
  3. Your current magnetic heading

Why: A VOT sends a single test signal, so your position doesn't matter. Centered, a correctly working receiver reads 0 FROM or 180 TO.

Huh, didn't know that: The PHAK suggests VFR pilots use the IFR tolerance as a guide: plus or minus 4 degrees on a ground check.

The dad joke
I took my VOR to the VOT for a checkup. The doctor said it was a little off course.
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References

Answer: 0 degrees FROM. A VOT sends a single test signal, so your position doesn't matter. Centered, a correctly working receiver reads 0 FROM or 180 TO.

  1. AIM Chapter 1 Section 1, Air Navigation Aids www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap1_section_1.html
    With the Course Deviation Indicator (CDI) centered, the omni-bearing selector should read 0 degrees with the to/from indication showing “from”
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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