Improving navigation skills

[maximus610]

Let's assume I'm using GPS as backup.

What you're advising me for improving my DR and radio navigation (VOR etc) skills?

Thanks

Mxms

[Big Pistons Forever]

When I am using a GPS for VFR navigation which is basically all the time, I do 3 things.

1) I have a SOP I follow which provides a double check to make sure that the GPS is programmed the way I think it is. The GPS will cheerfully take you completely in the wrong direction if you make a mistake programming it. Basically the last thing I do after I finish pushing the buttons is double check what waypoint it is flying towards. I then do a sanity check on the map. Not by drawing any line but just a rough estimate of distance and bearing using my eye so I can say : "Yup that looks about right"

2) I again don't bother with all the flight school bollocks of navigation by many lines on the map and filling in some elaborate form, rather I simply move my thumb along the map to keep situational awareness.

3) I pay attention to the heading I need to fly to maintain my track. This gives me and idea of what the winds are doing and if the GPS were to fail I will just keep flying that heading. I also monitor the ETE as one of the beauties of GPS is getting real time data will allow you to constantly compare how long it will take to get to the destination with how much fuel you have onboard.

[riverrock83]

For DR presumably its just practice, practice, practice. As a passenger, I have been asked to pick random points on a map, getting the pilot to do emergency diverts to X, or Y. Perhaps you could try that? Or spend some time with a map on the ground, dong a theoretical flight with diversions but with real wind. If you find planning a nav difficult, talk to an instructor, or get an instructor to watch you try and plan and they can perhaps find ways to improve your technique.

For radio nav, I guess you could use some software to simulate the radio environment (be that a flight sim (control it using the autopilot if you are just doing nav practice) or one of the dedicated packages).

To practice DR and radio nav in the air, why not get the GPS to record your trip rather than use it for nav purposes, then download and analyse your performance once on the ground? This will let you debrief yourself.

[Big Pistons Forever]

The reason that "classic" navigation exists is because until relatively recently there was no way to know precisely where you were at every instant of the flight. Because of this fact pilots needed a method to calculate how to asses how they were doing with respect to their desired track, re-intercept their desired track, figure out their ground speed, ETE, ete etc

Therefore procedures were developed that gave the pilot a system of navigation to over come the hurdles posed by having to observe/deduce/calculate their position. This system is cumbersome and labour intensive but is the best that could be done given the technological limitations of the time

However we now have a magic box which tells us to within usually less than 10 meters where we are at every instant of the flight. With that information we now have instantaneous and accurate track guidance,GS, ETE,and ETA information. With a moving map applications we get instantaneous visual situational awareness with graphically depicted airspace boundaries and ground features.

I use a GPS in flight for the same reason that when doing math I use a calculator not a pencil and paper, slide rule and log tables when solving a math problem. It is easier and more accurate, but just like using a calculator I always do a sanity check to make sure the magic box number makes sense.

GPS will virtually always be more accurate than "classic" navigation techniques and for this reason it makes for safer flying. In particular the nearest airport function can literally be a life saver. Personally I think pilots who deliberately eschew the the use of GPS are deliberately making their flying less safe.

Practicing "traditional" navigation every once and while is not a bad idea. It is an interesting mental challenge and does force you to review the navigational basics, but when doing so the best navigational information (GPS) should still be available.

Bottom line for me is simple. When the purpose of the flight is to get safely and expeditiously from point A to point B the GPS will be my primary source of navigational information.

[gasax]

Some years ago I was flying northish in an area (and country) which I had never visited. This was pre-GPS and so I was combining DR with map reading and leaving a trail of Xs and times where I ws pretty certain I had been.

I ducked under some controlled airspace and by the time I was back to the planned height the map did not seem to match up with what I was seeing. Nothing loath, continue for 5 minutes - obviously I will match things up!

5 minutes further on a very steady heading - total mismatch - I'm over a very large lake - where none is shown.

OK, 180 degree turn and the 5 minutes plus the descent and then the climb to get back to where I was pretty positive I knew where I was.

So all goes well and yes after 10 minutes odd I'm heading south-ish and suddenly the map and the view match. Strange!

So another 180 and this time I concentrate on heading, heading, heading and even compensate for speed. End result - same situation map and view will not match.

So confidence partly restored - course and speed and press on. 5 to 10 minutes later the mismatch starts to vanish and suddenly it all works - 15 to 20 miles odd of map inaccuracy.

End result bang on track and off we go again. Turns out a massive flood prevention scheme had been completed and flooded - so the rver I was following-ish turned into a massive lake.

Lesson DR is fine for short distances, if you can concentrate on it, it works. But big distractions lead you into disbelief and that really messes you up. But in areas with little in the way of distinctive features error checking is difficult.


So if you really want to make it work find somewhere like East Anglia and fly from nowhere to nowhere, mke sure there is a pped or height change - you'll need the GPS to verify you got there but it really does help.

There is a reason that Francis Chichester and that ilk were considered surberb navigators - they were very good at what they did (and possibly a little lucky!)