Turning too early can actually be more work for the pilot, because it will take quite a long time to get reestablished on the airway, the end result being that the workload reduction doesn't happen.Calvin Waterbury wrote:I'll have to find out the "official" word in my FAR/AIM (I loaned it to a friend), but how much leeway (how many miles) will FAR/AIM and ATC allow in using the "cutting corners" method of anticipating a VOR turn?
Assuming a ~90-degree course change and VOR/DME on-board, I'm thinking a turn 3 miles before the VOR would allow more time for the workload and 5 miles would allow even more time.
In addition to Peter's rules of thumb, you will soon develop a feel based on your airspeed and the degree of heading change required at station passage as to how far to lead the turn. Do it over and over again on different airways and it will start coming naturally.
Another nice feature is the turn prediction on the Garmin 430/530 that you're using. If it understands the route you're flying (ie, you've entered the flight plan, and it is sequencing between the waypoints), it will tell you when to start the turn. I've found it to be quite accurate, assuming you roll promptly into a standard rate turn and maintain it throughout the turn.