I remember the PPL who was about to take his IMC Rating flight test. He insisted on using an electronic device rather than a navigation computer. His batteries went flat, he didn't have a CP-1 so he failed the test.
I remember a total electrical failure at night in a C172 over the bleak North Yorks moors. No electrics, no battery, no NAVAIDs - just a line on the map and a heading to fly to get me safely down (and a hand-held radio I always carried at night - just to be on the safe side!).
I remember a friend of mine having an engine failure in a C172 - all power lost - he used the lines on the map and the PLOG created using a nav. computer to carry out a (successful and expeditious) straight glide into Sywell.
In all these cases the pilots were situationally aware of where they were.
The problem these days is that, if you're not careful, total reliance is placed on 'technology' and little on common sense.
Provided you use brain first, gadget second then you should be fine. Otherwise sooner or later finger trouble, gadget failure or loss of power might catch you out.
Like most things in aviation they're great when they're working but a nightmare when they don't.
I remember those two chaps who, having flown out for the proverbial 'expensive cup of coffee' had to fly back to base in the murk using GPS. That was great - except they forgot The Wrekin was in the way and flew into the top of it. Great gadget and experienced pilots but with no other flight planning and no situational awareness - game over.
It's not always pilots either who fall foul of electronic gadgets - it was once carrying out a practice PAN with my PPL instructor and the Radar service we were using gave us vectors and an altitude to fly that took us straight into the Winter Hill mast - until the instructor asked (sarcatically) what this 2,500 mast ahead of us was!? Oops!
So at PPL/private flying level at least it's always best to plan carefully assuming something may go wrong with the 'gadget' - and to work out your alternatives if it does.
Trouble is in these days of almost total dependance on all things electronic it's unlikely that much heed will be taken - after all, many of you have said that navigational computers and the like should be relegated to the bin. The logic must therefore be that modern light aircraft are 100% reliable and nothing will fail - ever.
I don't believe that so until this level of reliability is achieved I will continue to use lines on a map and a navigational computer (if required).
I've been caught out already and know others who have too - and some have died as a consequence.
Happy GPSing.
SITW
