During a VOR navigation exercise, if a pilot requests to switch from the inbound to the outbound course after passing a station, what common mistake may lead to confusion?

When transitioning from the inbound to the outbound course after passing a VOR station, the critical step is to change the Omni Bearing Selector (OBS) direction. If a pilot forgets to adjust the OBS to reflect the new outbound course, they may receive erroneous navigation information. The VOR system provides guidance based on the selected OBS setting; thus, if the pilot remains on the previous inbound setting, their navigation indications will not correspond to the current flight path.

In this scenario, not changing the OBS direction can lead to confusion regarding the aircraft's position relative to the VOR station and may result in the pilot interpreting their course in the wrong direction. It is essential to ensure that the OBS is correctly set to the desired radial to maintain accurate navigation during this transition.