Originally Posted by
Imagegear
On one of my later long range Nav tests out of Cape town the brief was: Climb to cross the mountain ranges at FL90, maintain the altitude across the desert to the target area (crossroads of two dirt strips), descend as low as necessary to show that you have arrived by recording what, if anything is around the crossroads.
Paper charts, Compass, Jeppesen Calculator, and the eyeball, and I fly around the crossroads at low level. Miles and miles of sand and an occasional rock, and just one very small shed-like structure, almost right on the crossroads. Made a note and RTB. Asked if I "found the place", "what did you see?", says I, "a very small shack". He says "good, travelling the roads across the desert, farmers and prospectors need a toilet. It's in the shed". I could not take you there today.
IG
I think in those featureless terrain scenarios the SOP is to deliberately track left or right if the target, so that when you hit the line feature you can turn appropriately and be sure to find it. If you try and aim for the target, chances are you’ll miss and hit the line feature but not be sure which side!