London Centre
 

Just want to say a big thank you to London Centre for locating me and getting me back on track yesterday. I was on a flight to Sleap (EGCV) from Barton and the haze got the better of me. I was on my final leg from Ashcroft to Sleap when I simply lost my bearings and could not see anything I recognised. I circled for a while trying to identify ground features but with no luck. So I dialled in 121.5 and called for a location fix (wrongly addressing the operator as London Information, sorry!). I was overhead Whitchurch (but thought this was Oswestry) so at this point I made the call to head back to Barton and abort the flight due to vis.

The extremely helpful operator gave me a wind corrected bearing to get me back to Ashcroft so that I could then transit the LLR home. I then promptly managed to not find Ashcroft so I called up again and he gave me progressive directions until I was on top of the field.

Many thanks again, its not a nice feeling being lost, especially close to CAS.

Danny

Never be affraid to admit that you may be lost....Well done for calling London Centre and advising them of your uncertainty. There are many folk out there that would not admit to being lost and whilst they are trying to find themselves they bust Controlled airspace.
It sounds like both yourself and London handled the situation well so well done to all :ok::ok:

erhem! ... I always understood that pilots were merely "unsure of their position"! :E


Good call and a job well done! :ok:


an ex D&Der

Indeed you're never 'lost'.....just not where you are supposed to be! :}

Well done for using D & D; they're a fantastic service. :D

It was an uncomfortable few minutes, especially with my 6 year old daughter sat next to me saying "when are we going to be there Dad?" I didn't really want to point out that I didn't know where "there" was..

An excellent service and really appreciated by me, even if my RT was a little, ahem, relaxed..

As an ATCO and a GA pilot myself I still cannot get my head around the reasoning WHY some pilots INSIST on resisting buying a GPS these days!!! :ugh:

Spoke to a fellow pilot the other day and he basically said that "hell would freeze over before he used a GPS". I mean c'mon.....GPS is a wonderful and hugely useful system to have and simple systems cost peanuts! Funny thing is, folks will happily use an autopilot to help them but won't give GPS the same break!!

You can still fly using DR but a GPS is a VERY handy thing to use as a backup/sense check that what you're doing is correct. And, if you DO get yourself a bit 'unsure of position' a quick look can save a lot of unnecessary sphincter twitching!!!


Glad the outcome was a good one but PLEASE consider using a GPS system to assist you in your nav. It really isn't 'giving in' or somehow an acknowledgement that your DR skills are poor. Considering that the CAA are really getting (rightly so) hot and bothered about CAS infringements and now prosecuting, it's yet another reason to go and fork out for a bit of kit that allows you to know EXACTLY where you are in the sky....


Spamcan

Well said Spamcan. GA pilots take note..

Just for context, I'm not against GPS. In fact the aircraft I was flying is fitted with one. On this occasion though when I did my pre-flight I noticed it was u/s.

I made a decision to fly anyway as I've flown using DR accurately previously and thought it would be good to keep my skills up.

I failed to take account of just how bad the vis was and this led to becoming 'uncertain of my position'.

Chillindan, buy your own one.

Some seem to prefer getting from A to B whilst practicing bleeding.

However, I've been flying for a living for almost forty years. Much of my earlier life involved single pilot DR nav at low level, at a variety of speeds, up to 330 kts in military aircraft, with an accuracy of arrival time of +/-15 seconds. I used to teach same to others.

But I'm now fully converted to GPS. No doubt my DR skills are much eroded, I know I could pick it up again fairly quickly if required. I do carry a DR nav planning kit but can't recall the last time I used it; it was possibly fifteen years or so ago.

However, I fully recognise that could not do the job I do today as safely, accurately or efficiently without GPS and I have no intention of trying to perhaps satisfy some strange macho ideal of others by attempting to do so.

Mind you, there's GPS & then there's applying the "Mark 1 Eyeball" to it.
I was using GPS to find the aerodrome at Ancenis once. I'd been there before but couldn't, on that previous occasion, find the field. It should have been easy as it's just north of the River Loire straight on from the bridge, & I knew that I was flying pretty much vertically above it. But, I couldn't see it.
On the 2nd. occasion, using the GPS, I felt I was sure to spot it, & this time there were two of us. The GPS indications were obvious but, could we see the field ? No, we couldn't, despite the fact that I knew that I was right above it - again. And, it was CAVOK !.
I swallowed my pride & went on to the next field - no difficulty there, thank goodness.

I am surprised the 6 y o didn't have it on the latest Ipad/Iphone/device... etc etc..

Shytorque nothing macho about my decision. I didn't have GPS and made a command decision to fly anyway, I was wrong. The conditions weren't suitable for my skill level, I have no problem with that. Making mistakes is how we learn.

My comments weren't directly aimed at yourself, it was a general point about the comment raised by Spamcan defender.

I'd say you made exactly the right decisions. ;)

<<Making mistakes is how we learn.>>

And, sadly, its how people get killed.