L188 FLC NOTICES 11 DEG DIFFERENCE IN HDG WHEN CHANGING VORS ON A 256 MI RTE OF THE AIRWAY. THIS CAUSES HDG DEV AND CTLR INTERVENES.

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AT CHANGEOVER POINT ON J80 BTWN AIR AND VHP (WBOUND) THERE IS AN 11 DEG DIFFERENCE IN RADIALS BTWN VORS. WHEN I SWITCHED VOR FREQ AND RADIAL SELECTOR ON RMI; I OBSERVED POS TO BE N OF THE AIRWAY. I CORRECTED S AND MY NAV SHOWED ME CTRED ON THE AIRWAY (085 DEG RADIAL VHP). MINS LATER; ATC INFORMED ME I WAS OFF AIRWAY. I RECEIVED A VECTOR TO CORRECT. FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. TO CORRECT THIS IN THE FUTURE; J80 SHOULD BE EXAMINED TO SEE IF THE RADIALS ARE CORRECTLY ALIGNED. 11 DEG DIFFERENCE BTWN VORS ON AN AIRWAY SEEMS EXCESSIVE. CTLR MENTIONED 'THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS NOT FOLLOWED UP WITH INFO TO COMPANY. HE WAS QUITE CONCERNED THAT THE FAA WAS PURSUING THE INCIDENT. HE FEELS STRONGLY THAT THE AIRWAY NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED SINCE THE CTLR INDICATED THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. THEY CHANGED AT EXACTLY THE HALF WAY POINT. THERE IS ALWAYS SOME SLIGHT DIFFERENCE WHEN SWITCHING VORS; BUT THIS NEEDLE WAS OFF CTR ENOUGH TO MAKE THEM CHANGE THE HDG DRASTICALLY UNTIL CTRED.