USCG Exam PracticeVisual piloting — three-bearing fixes, danger bearings
A fix obtained by crossing two or more LOPs is considered more reliable than a running fix because:
- A. A fix uses radar ranges while a running fix uses only visual bearings
- ✓ A fix is derived from LOPs taken simultaneously, eliminating advancement errorCorrect
- C. A fix requires three objects while a running fix requires only one
- D. A fix is plotted on a larger chart scale than a running fix
Why B is correct
Bowditch Ch. 7 §701 states a fix is the intersection of two or more LOPs taken simultaneously. Bowditch Ch. 7 §702 notes that a running fix is less accurate because the first LOP must be advanced along the DR track, introducing DR error into the result.