Nice to see some great advice instead of the usual slating for using GPS! I'm currently hour building and have kept well away from he GPS scene - tempting though it is. Some tips on here spring back into mind from when I did my PPL. One I'd like to share is "Fly with your feet". My instructor used to tell me that when I had my head down drawing the diversion track I could keep the aircraft pretty stable using the pedals as long as it was trimmed properly beforehand - and you know what, he was right! After some practice I only ever lost/gained 30ft max and hardly banked at all.
I really enjoy my flying as a result of being genuinely aware of my position (Most of the time!) using the old clock/chart/pen and hope the CPL goes fairly smoothly as a result!
Oh, I also remember arriving at a small airfield in Suffolk and talking to a fairly experienced older gentleman over a cuppa - he asked me what GPS I had used to get there - nearly fell off his chair when I showed him a half mil! Brilliant! I think I restored some faith in the old habits!
Good luck on the CPL smith.
