Navigation for Dummies
(Or how to get there without a GPS)
NOTE: All specific references here can be found on the DFW Sectional.
I came late in life to flying. But I didn't come to flying without the knowledge gained in that life. In deciding to continue learning to fly, we (The Redhead and I) knew that we must travel by GA to make the investment useful. That meant that we would spend much of our time going cross country. And that meant that we would have to have a GPS or learn how to navigate without it.
We both have a good sense of direction. I know that some people are "directionally challenged", but that should not be an excuse. Just as those who are "mathematically challenged" can learn to balance a checkbook well enough to keep out of trouble, those who are "directionally challenged" can learn to navigate well enough to make the food on a $100 hamburger more exciting than the getting there. It is all a matter of desire.
If you are flying VFR for fun, and have no GPS, you have 2 choices: pilotage with Navaid backup and navaids with pilotage backup. The desired route to your destination will determine which method you use on each leg. But be prepared to swap methods on any leg if necessary.
While I was learning to fly, I heard many fables about students getting lost. In some cases, getting lost, solo, on a route they had flown dual with the instructor. The reasons (excuses) offered for this make as much sense as the getting lost did. They just did not pay attention.
My CFI knew before we ever talked about XC what my goals were. I needed to have the skills to fly XC over unknown territory and the confidence to try it. He therefore, allowed me to choose all of our dual XC destinations and my own destinations for my solo flights. I chose those destinations because each would provide something different from the ones before.
The first dual XC was pilotage out and he threw an unplanned diversion for a fuel stop in for good measure. We went VOR coming back. The second flight was VOR both ways, but he insisted on my knowing where I was by pilotage all the way. I found it easy to cross check by using another VOR as well as finding landmarks.
My first solo XC was straight pilotage, follow the highway from home to destination and back. The second flight was VOR to a point then another VOR to the destination. The "long" XC was 73nm SE, 108nm NE and 70nm WSW. It was a combination pilotage, ADF, VOR and pilotage.
After this, while not brimming with confidence, I felt competent to plan and make a trip over territory I had not flown over before.
Where am I?
Most students get asked this question at least once during their training. I listened to the tales of being able to get lost in or around the training area and thought about it. When an instructor (not my regular CFI) asked me on a pseudo check ride how I would locate myself if I suddenly found myself where we were now, I told him that the condition would never arise. After I explained why I could make that statement, he accepted it and we went on. How could I make that statement? The plain fact is that if you suddenly realize that you have no idea where you are, the alarm bells should have started ringing at least 10 minutes ago. That is the time required for you to fly beyond the last recognized landmark or check point.
There are two meanings to "where am I": "where am I" and "Exactly where am I". The first can be "Somewhere between I20 and I30, headed for Tyler, TX". This is perfectly acceptable if you are tracking inbound on the Tyler VOR and know you have adequate fuel. More precise would be "I have US380 just off my right wing and I am between Denton and Decatur, headed for Bridgeport.". This is also perfectly acceptable if you are sure that you are flying west. If you are south of 380 and it is off your right wing, you ARE flying west, even if your DG is not working. "Exactly where am I" would be "Over the south end of the dam on Lake Tawakoni".
Notice that the first 2 descriptions tell more than the last one. They also indicate the knowledge that you are proceeding correctly towards your destination. It does no good to know exactly where you are if that knowledge is simply static and correct only at that precise instant.
From this, knowing exactly where you are, while important, is not as important as knowing about where you are and that you are proceeding correctly towards your destination. For VFR fun flying, the ability to plot and hold an absolutely exact course is being anal retentive to an illogical extreme.
Plot the desired course line on the sectional? Sure, especially if the primary navigational method is pilotage. Follow it +/- .5 mile? If you are on a published airway, you should. But, in general, admire the scenery and watch for traffic. If you notice the needle is approaching 2 dots off, alter course a little and go back to the scenery and traffic.
Fill out a full XC Log? Sure. Enter all the actual time of arrival, and actual ground speed blocks in flight? I only did that on my first XCs. The XC Log will have the estimated time enroute and the estimated ground speeds on it. You know when you took off, don't you? Then you can look at the ETE and total time and have a good idea about how close to the estimated times and ground speeds you are. If there is a significant difference (Murphy says it will be longer than estimated), the only concern should be fuel and whether you will arrive before the car rental closes. To me, the idea of recalculating your ground speed, fuel burn, ETE and ETA at each checkpoint is being illogically anal retentive. We're supposed to be enjoying this, aren't we? If someone is meeting you at your destination, call them at the last possible time before takeoff (after preflight, closing up the hangar, etc.) and give them a flight time from your log plus about 10 minutes per hour. That way, you will be covered if the headwind is a little stronger than anticipated, etc.
I know that some CFI old heads will take issue with the above, but this entire thing is supposed to be fun, isn't it? The entire concept of flying cross country in a GA plane for fun is that you go when you want, where you want. Aren't we trying to get away from schedules? If you are flying into Amarillo from the east, don't you want to spend some time flying along the rimrock and over Palo Duro Canyon? I did, and the controller at AMA was very understanding about it. He said, "Ok, when you are ready to come in, go to 090 at 4500' and give me a call. I'll sequence you then."
The point here is that this is supposed to be FUN! The only needs for planning and skill are what is required to keep the excitement on the fun side of the equation. Go through the complete exercise on the XC Log on your training flights. It will teach you how close you will normally be to "as planned". When your fun XCs seem to differ significantly from "as planned", you will know how to use the log to check what is happening against your "gut feel".
But it all boils down to three things: Do your homework, understand the neighborhood and find the airport.
Doing the homework
This has three parts: where to go, how to get there and getting there. The first two had better be done before you even go to the airport and will be the subject of another article. I am assuming that you have already decided where to go, so we will start with knowing the neighborhood.
Understanding the neighborhood.
The first rule is: Start big and work your way down. Start with features that are just about too big to miss. The easiest to recognize are bodies of water. In my part of the world, they are everywhere. Lakes and ponds big enough to show on the sectional can be spotted at the far edge of the current visibility. In flat terrain, their shapes can be recognized at a very shallow "look down" angle. If the shape is confusing, turn the sectional so that you are looking at it in same direction as the ground below. I.e. if you are flying south, turn the sectional upside down and look at the shape of the lake. Just be aware that in hilly country or low altitudes AGL, arms of the lake may be hidden behind bluffs, hills, etc..
Towns and urban areas are good landmarks only in open country. If the entire area below you is populated, the difference between a town (yellow on the sectional) and urban sprawl is hard to discern. If the "town" has a unique configuration of major highways, it may be easier to recognize. Practice reconciling the yellow areas on the sectional with your local area and you will get better at this.
Rivers are virtually useless as a landmark. Most rivers and waterways large enough to show on the sectional follow a meandering course. When you cross one in open country, all you really know is that you are now on the other side. Identifying a specific set of bends and bows in the river can get you lost in a hurry. On the other hand, a river coupled with a highway and bridge can locate you exactly.
Power lines, pipelines and roads are similar. It will take at least a powerline and a road (not running parallel) to locate you. But, it would still be better to identify a third item to prove the location.
But, so much for the static reading of the sectional. The process of cross country flight should be one of continually progressing from a known place to an unknown place. Which then becomes a known place from which you go to the next unknown place. Think of it as, "I just passed over Stratford, OK, (I knew where I was then) southbound and just west of that highway. The next town will be Sulphur, OK, 17nm ahead." You will be sure it IS Sulphur if it lies mainly along the east west road running through it and there is an airport about 2 nm northwest of the intersection of the 2 highways. When you have positively identified Sulphur, it now becomes the place you know as you go on to the next place.
Remember how to eat a pizza? One bite at a time. Flying cross country is the same. You always start from a known location, even if that last location was when you were number one for takeoff. For pilotage, select checkpoints which can be positively identified. Don't select a lake that will be 10 miles to one side of your course (especially into the sun) if the day is hazy. Select checkpoints for pilotage which are close enough together that you should see the next one before you are way past the previous one. Notice that I said "see", not identify. There is nothing wrong with saying, "I see a town out there right where Sulphur should be. I will assume it is Sulphur for now and positively identify it before I cover 1/2 of the distance to it.". In other words, the distance from Stratford was 17nm. I should be able to see a town ahead while still 10 miles from it. If I can't positively identify it when I am 5 miles from it, I am only 12 miles from Stratford. If I turn around, I should be able to see Stratford within 2 minutes.
Find the airport.
So, you have now gone from known to unknown, known to unknown and the next unknown is the destination airport. How do you find it? Same procedure as any other "landmark"; start big and work down.
If you have done your homework, you already know several things about the airport. Looking for a little airport should be the hardest, so we will consider that. Given a single 3500X50 runway, you are looking for a flat empty "hole" in the buildings of town, "hole" in the trees of forest, etc., that is at least 3/4 mile long and 1/4 mile wide. The sectional and your homework will tell you which way the "hole" is oriented relative to your route. And the sectional will also tell you where to look relative to town, highways, river, etc.
As mentioned above, The airport at Sulphur is 2nm NW of the center of town. You can determine this from the sectional or from Air Guide, AFD, or AOPA's Airport Directory. The sources other than the sectional mentioned will also tell you the taxiway and hangar layouts relative to the runway. The building(s) at Sulphur are located east center of the runway. At Tahlequah, OK, the buildings are located on both sides of the runway, small hangars to the west, large hangars to the east.
Knowing the location of the buildings relative to the runway will help you identify the Airport. If you see a clear area of the right size, in the right area, with some large buildings on the proper side/end of it, It is probably the airport.
Another way is to plan to cross the runway centerline (above pattern altitude) about 5 miles from the field. If you are looking in the right direction as you cross, the runway will stand out. Warning, do this only while monitoring the CTAF and having announced yourself. Straight-in landings or takeoffs may get you center-punched!
The above has assumed finding a non-towered small field. Towered fields are much easier. If you know about where you are, get the ATIS and contact the tower. They will normally ask for an Ident and then tell you where you are. I.e. "Four Lima Bravo, Ident observed, seven miles southwest of field." They will also give you a heading to enter the pattern. Especially if you tell them you do not have the field in sight.
Approach Control is even easier. They will tell you your location after squawk and vector you for sequencing. They will not normally turn you over to the tower until you report the field in sight.
And in conclusion
Don't be afraid to go cross country to new and exciting places. After all, that is most of the reason you learned to fly. And like learning to fly or eating pizza, you CAN do it one bite at a time.
