VFR Nav Technique
G'day Tobago Boy
Two stories, one of a nav cock up and one of nav heroics. Please be assured that I'm a run-of-the-mill GA PPL wannabe.
On an early navex heading north from Sydney I was all set up for a heading of 010 from Patonga, at the north end of the lane of entry. I took up heading 100 and after 30 seconds or a minute of looking fair square at Barrenjory headland I knew I wasn't tracking to Maitland. Despite knowing that something was dreadfully amiss I kept droning on struggling to figure out how to resolve my problem. Thankfully the instructor sitting amused in the right seat of VH-PBS asked me to have a good think about things. I looked once more, sure enough, Barrenjoey. Looked at the WAC, that's NOT Maitland out infront. Problem resolved itself, lesson learnt - don't fixate on the number. I set a number in my mind and almost tried to fly a Cherokee to Tahiti. Apply some common sense! Maitland is North of Patonga, Palm Beach is East.
Second story. Departing Canberra in a Duchess I set myself a target of overflying Bindook at the most precisely correct time possible. I asked my wife (then GF) to put a Post-It note over the GPS and I flew accurate DR outbound from Canberra, correcting for lower GS on climb, then asked Wifey to uncover the Post-It note as we turned for 2RN. I had flown to THE SECOND an accurate DR from Canberra to Bindook using forecast wind, time, heading. It can be done, very easily.
I had no pressing need to arrive overhead BIK at precisely 'xx' past the hour, and I suspect that many of us weekend warriors play fast and loose with DR. But it sure was rewarding to have the principles reinforced.
Good luck with the PPL!
LTDT