If an initial leg to a nearby prominent feature (preferably in the right direction) is planned then the first significant nav leg can start from a known point at somewhere near cruise level and speed without the problems of an O/H departure. Similarly, planning an arrival to a nearby prominent feature and then a short planned leg from there to the destination reduces those "where's the airfield gone" moments. Simples
Clearly, fuel for all legs needs to be part of the plan.
Thread creep: for track correction I prefer either double track error or standard closing angle, what do others teach?
HFD