Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
When the airspace around El Paso unexpectedly shut down, we took advantage of the "quiet skies" to fly one of the more challenging procedures in the system: the VOR RWY 26L into El Paso International Airport.
Starting on Victor 94 inbound to the Newman VOR, we set up for the approach using both the Newman and El Paso VORs — navigating to WATEX, entering the 9 DME arc, and working our way around to intercept the 261° inbound course.
And yes… I made a few mistakes on the arc.
Specifically:
Setting the wrong radial while arcing (radials decreasing instead of increasing)
Chasing what looked like wind drift instead of recognizing the setup error
Managing OBS orientation to avoid reverse sensing on final
Autopilot considerations crossing the VOR
Step-down fixes using cross radials and DME
This is a great example of why DME discipline and situational awareness matter more than perfection. Even experienced CFIs can mis-set a radial — the key is recognizing it quickly and knowing what instrument gives you the truth (hint: DME never lies).
In this video we break down:
✔ How to properly set up dual VORs for efficiency
✔ Smart workload management before the arc
✔ The “turn 10, twist 10” technique
✔ How to lead your radial to avoid overshooting final
✔ Common DME arc traps (and how to recover from them)
✔ Step-down fix identification without GPS magic
✔ Autopilot mode management over a VOR
If you’re a student pilot working on instrument training, or a rated pilot who hasn’t flown a raw-data VOR approach in a while, this is a procedure worth revisiting.
Check out IFR Ground School at flight-insight.com/ifr
When the airspace around El Paso unexpectedly shut down, we took advantage of the "quiet skies" to fly one of the more challenging procedures in the system: the VOR RWY 26L into El Paso International Airport.
Starting on Victor 94 inbound to the Newman VOR, we set up for the approach using both the Newman and El Paso VORs — navigating to WATEX, entering the 9 DME arc, and working our way around to intercept the 261° inbound course.
And yes… I made a few mistakes on the arc.
Specifically:
Setting the wrong radial while arcing (radials decreasing instead of increasing)
Chasing what looked like wind drift instead of recognizing the setup error
Managing OBS orientation to avoid reverse sensing on final
Autopilot considerations crossing the VOR
Step-down fixes using cross radials and DME
This is a great example of why DME discipline and situational awareness matter more than perfection. Even experienced CFIs can mis-set a radial — the key is recognizing it quickly and knowing what instrument gives you the truth (hint: DME never lies).
In this video we break down:
✔ How to properly set up dual VORs for efficiency
✔ Smart workload management before the arc
✔ The “turn 10, twist 10” technique
✔ How to lead your radial to avoid overshooting final
✔ Common DME arc traps (and how to recover from them)
✔ Step-down fix identification without GPS magic
✔ Autopilot mode management over a VOR
If you’re a student pilot working on instrument training, or a rated pilot who hasn’t flown a raw-data VOR approach in a while, this is a procedure worth revisiting.
Check out IFR Ground School at flight-insight.com/ifr
