3. Whilst puttering back towards track,.......
Problem is (as can be seen from several of the above diagrams) - you may not be "puttering back towards track"!!!!!
To use the most recent example;
1. You find yourself off-track, despite having flown your calculated heading and speed as accurately as you thought possible.
No problem so far
2. Turn towards track by the SCA - do
not re-synch the DI at this stage.
a left 15 degrrees turn in the above examples
3. Whilst puttering back towards track, re-assess the original distance off - was it 3 or 4 miles? Make a note of the drift angle.
Problem - you are not "puttering back towards track - you are paralleling the planed track
4. When time is up, turn onto original heading.
And start diverging in the same way as before having got no closer to planned track
5. THEN re-synch DI, double check rudder trim or ball deflexion.
OK - DI out by 15 degrees. Turn onto correct heading and now parallel track - further off then when the arror was first noticed.
6. If DI and ball were spot on, error must have been wind. So apply whatever the drift angle was.
[B] OK so the DI is spot on and we now turn 15 degrees into wind. We parallel the planned track still further away than when we discovered the problem!!![B]
7. Amend ETA for any SCA of more than about 30 deg.
You are never going to get to the fixc so there is no ETA!!!
8. K.I.S.S
Is that KISS?
Here is a picture of what you describe as KISS. I have copied your numbered instructions to the appropriate points so that there is no confusion as to what happens when we do exactly as you say;
I again ask the question is your KISS method doing what it is expected to do? The picture above says no!
Why not simply;
1. check the track error (drift line)
2. Turn by track error
3. Assess miles off.
3. Turn by SCA and hold for required minutes
4 Turn by SCA in the opposite direction.
Now that is KISS