Monocock,
You may not have wanted the debate but.....lost in the channel?
Could the pilot not decide whether he wanted UK or France? Ok from Calais with a westerly you might miss the south coast but north for a while then left should bring you to England.
Are there not sufficient VOR's and NDB's in the south east UK or northern France?
OK, you mention the haze over the water. Do GPS's have artificial horizons now?
Sounds more like getting drawn into a situation you can't handle because you know where you are.
And you reckon all aircraft should carry a GPS?
Get real, please!