Hi beammeupscottie...
1) Plan your departure, i.e. what heading you will turn to and what you expect to see first - it is important that you have an aimpoint for when you do your checklist reading and COM, so you can put navigation down the list of priorities for 1-2 min. without getting lost.
2) When you approach the point that you have alrady identified - STOP DOING ANYTHING BUT :
3) Keep the map "track up" - not north up. I know you cannot read the names of the cities that way, but so what? You are not lost due to lack of knowledge of names, but du to lack of knowledge of position.
4) Ask youself : "If I stay on track, what will I see next"? Not just "a city" but "a city with a stream running NE to SW S of the the city, one multi-track railroad running N-S in the W part and 3 roads forging out to the north" - be VERY SPECIFIC! And choose something that appears within the next 1-1½ NM - not more than 3 NM between checkpoints! Use everythin : small powerlines, streams, small road junctions or turns.
5) Start the stopwatch and ask : "When will I meet this city"? - using SF 1-1½-2. Again, be very precise, using "guesstimates". This you can practicse on the ground.
6) When time is about to be up, provided you have maintained the correct heading, you should be able to see you city. Confirm that all your landmarks are there.
Repeat the process as necessary. Maintain the heading, use the stopwatch to find out where you are. If your heading has been OK, you cannot have strayed far L or R of track. Look at the watch, multiply min. by SF and see your distance from the last turnpoint - remember that this point cannot be more than 3 NM behind you. In such a short time, you cannot have gone far off track!
And keep working! You ought to lose 3-4 lb. sweat / hr. If you are not exhausted after flying low-level navigation - you are doing it wrong!
Best whishes from
Ivan
P.S. F*CK the 1-in-60-rule and all the fancy MDR navigation. You'll learn that in due time. If you cannot look out the window and find out where you are, you have absolutely no need for all the works. Remember : while you waste time making FUBAR calculations, the A/C is still moving - getting you even more lost! So:
LOOK OUT THE WINDOW! NAVIGATE! DON'T CALCULATE!!!
[ 04 January 2002: Message edited by: Ivan the Horrible ]</p>