What to do if your lost?

[S-Works]

How does one get oneself lost?

[olderndirt]

Not so much how as when. Like landing gear-up; there are those who have and those who're going to.

[Hoots Mon]

Lost. The Student Pilot Scenario.

I was flying from Humberside to Gamston and couldn't see the large lump of Gamston tarmac in the failing light of a winters afternoon. I'm a student ppl, doing my LXC, so not allowed a GPS. I'd been too busy talking to Donnie, deviating off track to avoid some of their traffic and to advise them of my passage near their CAS - and didn't Navigate before Communicating. I didn't tune into Gamstons VOR until it was too late as things had gone too perfectly in the flight. I *knew* I was in the area, I identified roads, motorways, railways, towns - but could I hell see the tarmac! So I fly in circles for five minutes that seemed like hours, doubly confirming where I was, within probably less than 5 miles or so, and STILL couldn't see it. Not a panic, more of a "things are developing out of my control, oh , what now?" moment. I fiddled with VORs, had been told about them, read the theory, yet hadn't become *competent* in their use - and certainly not in a flappy pressure moment. I'd spoken to Gasmton telling them I was inbound, 10 mins ago. One more call to Gamston, explained Unsure of Position, who advised me to speak to Waddington Radar. One call to WR, explained, asked them for a QDM for them, yet they easily gave me a vector to Gamston instead, unasked. It's a relief to hear "field is 350 degrees, 5 miles, do you have visual?". The rest was easy. Thank God for sensible cool controllers - proper thumbs up to the WR & Gamston chaps . They're on my Crimbo Card list.

Off topic maybe, but if I'd had no radio I'd have only got into a worse situation in failing light, with an a/c that would have ran out of fuel within another hour or so. I learnt my lesson, proving the theory. Aviate, Navigate then, Communicate. I wouldn't have gotten into the position, but it did get me out of it. AND I'll still learn VORs better AND get the best GPS I can AND not be over confident when things are going too well AND time my deviations so I can get back on track AND learn something from every flight, even the good ones!

Hope my instructors aren't reading this!!!!! Constructive comments welcome from the aviator community

[Final 3 Greens]

AND I'll still learn VORs better AND get the best GPS I can AND not be over confident when things are going too well AND time my deviations so I can get back on track AND learn something from every flight, even the good ones!

Good for you

You won't go far wrong with that philosphy.

[chrisN]

Hoots, if I understand correctly, you were not lost, just could not see the airfield from where you were and knew (roughly) where you were.

Given time and endurance enough, non-radio, try moving position, still keep awareness of where you are and where it should be, and look again. From closer, if you can. Also, the weather is a factor – if there are cloud shadows or poor light, a whole feature – town or airfield – can become virtually invisible until you are very close.

Without GPS or Navaids, only map and compass, it is usually easier to keep in sight of features you know, e.g. main roads, railways etc., than to go direct over unrecognisable features unless dead reckoning is the only choice for some reason.

With radio, D&D will always help.

Better to fail XC test (if that is what it was) and have to do it again than risk crashing.

IMHO. Chris N. [edited - spelling]

[strake]

I did a renewal once at an unfamiliar airfield (Mistake 1). I had an examiner who was fairly brusque (Mistake 2). I planned the flight in a fairly blase manner on the basis we were just going to toodle round the local for twenty minutes(Mistake 3). After 35 minutes, I became aware that having climbed, descended, turned and stalled, I didn't know where I was.(Mistake 4). Examiner asks me to show where we are on the map. I pointed at somewhere vaguely in the local area. (Mistake 5). Examiner suggests I am lost and what am I going to do about it. I light-heartedly suggest taking my GPS out of my pocket and turning it on. (Big Mistake 1). Examiner asks if I have any idea where we are. I say South West England meaning that this is what I will say when I perform the only sensible action I will probably do all day and contact D&D. (Big mistake 2) Examiner only hears the first bit, fumes "I have control" and takes us back in silence.
I learned about flying from that....

[Lister Noble]

Strake,don't leave us in suspense.
What happened next?

[strake]

Strake,don't leave us in suspense.
What happened next?

You will not be surprised to learn that I failed that particular exercise.

I took my renewal again and of course went on to become an aviator par excellence like almost every other member of this particular board...


Moral of the story?

Don't leave your GPS in your pocket......

[Fujiflyer]

Strake, was that an IMCR renewal or a PPL skill test?

[strake]

Fuji,

It was a GFT following the renewal of my lapsed UK license. I just tried to do the whole thing too quickly. At the time you had to re-sit most of the theory exams as well so I did those over two days and then went straight into the GFT which probably was not a good idea!
Anyway, the next day I did the test again (with another examiner) having planned properly and did well enough to be released once more onto an unsuspecting aviation public.

[Fujiflyer]

Strake, at least you got it done in the end. It was funny though, reading your account of your flight. I was surprised though, that the examiner was so unsympathetic when you thought you may be lost, I have always tended to assume (maybe wrongly) that the instructor / examiner would take some responsibilty for situational awareness when you're concentrating on manouvering, etc; as opposed to normal navigation. Its not as if we would go off flying, willingly, without knowing where we are.

Rich