Regarding the mandatory GPS argument, what specifically would a GPS change about the planning and execution of a flight to remove these errors?
Assuming he'd programmed a single leg flightplan Thruxton-Sywell DCt (as he reportedly PLOG'ed), and had use of a decent moving map GPS (I'll use a skymap III as an example (it's the one I know best), then the following would have appeared on his display as he set off on a course of 072 deg instead of 027:
- A purple track would appear on his display from Thruxton to Sywell
- A white hatched aircraft track would be approx 45 deg to the right of this
- The aircraft symbol indicating his position would move ever further to the right of the trackline as he continued
- The cross error indication would show an increasing drift to the right
- The class A LTMA and CTR Airspace shown on the display would be getting closer. Eventually an alarm would show/sound.*
- The large town on his right wing would show on the GPS as Basingstoke instead of Newbury (which the GPS would show on his left)
*depending on user setting
etc etc. You get the drift (pardon the pun
)