Something which our American friends find much easier than us, in my limited experience, and I don't have a clue as to why that is: recognising those places where they've lived all their lives from the air.
To me, when I look at the ground below me from an aircraft, I'm not looking at the same ground as I walk or drive on every day. It's a completely different world. Even now, 2 years after I first started flying, I'm only just getting the hang of correlating what I see in the air with what I see when I'm driving. Yet I've heard of many Americans who immediatley recognise their office, their house, the Interstate that runs to their parents' house, the lake that they went swimming in when they were 10 years old or the bike shed behind which they had their first kiss. The stories match my own experiences - I've flown 2 American friends on their frist trip in a light aircraft, and both of them have instantly been able to recognise ground features. In one case, I was flying in an area which I wasn't familiar with, and my pax was able to navigate better than me!
So, for British students only, I suggest someone builds a 1000 foot high vehicle which can be driven on motorways and country roads around the area in which you'll be flying. A couple of hours driving this vehicle will enable you to build up a picture of what your local area looks like from a reasonable height, thus removing the advantage which the Yanks have over us.
FFF
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