All the talk about the Cessna incursion in D.C. has made me think a lot about my one trip some months ago into the ADIZ in a C152. For navigation, I had one VOR receiver, a current chart, a brain, and a helpful passenger (no GPS). I was in completely unfamiliar territory. Coming from the northwest, the plan was to head towards EMI VOR, via the "Prettyboy Reservoir", and then to IAD. Crossing the Susquehanna River, I spotted the reservoir (a lake with a goofy twisty shape) and made a bee line for it. Turns out it was the wrong reservoir -- I was headed for Loch Raven Reservoir, which is inside the ADIZ/Bravo. It has a similar goofy twisty shape. After a few miles, I caught the error because my VOR needle (tuned to EMI) had deflected way off course, which didn't make sense. We easily figured out the error, spotted the correct reservoir, and all was right with the world.
When I realized my reservoir error, it felt scary to know that I'd made an error that would've taken me straight into the ADIZ. I remember telling my passenger, "Whew! That was lucky!" I've been thinking about that error even more recently. Making errors is inevitable. I gotta think I would've figured it out in plenty of time. (The city of Baltimore is pretty hard to miss.) I do not want to let go of my faith in pilotage as a form of navigation. It's my favorite by far.
I cringe whenever I hear someone say "I'd never go there without a GPS!" because that trip into D.C. was one of the most fun flights I've ever taken.
Educational too. Backup navigation. As my CFII would say, "Use everything in the airplane." Even if it's just one VOR.
That's my random thoughts for the day,
--Kath
When I realized my reservoir error, it felt scary to know that I'd made an error that would've taken me straight into the ADIZ. I remember telling my passenger, "Whew! That was lucky!" I've been thinking about that error even more recently. Making errors is inevitable. I gotta think I would've figured it out in plenty of time. (The city of Baltimore is pretty hard to miss.) I do not want to let go of my faith in pilotage as a form of navigation. It's my favorite by far.
I cringe whenever I hear someone say "I'd never go there without a GPS!" because that trip into D.C. was one of the most fun flights I've ever taken.
Educational too. Backup navigation. As my CFII would say, "Use everything in the airplane." Even if it's just one VOR.
That's my random thoughts for the day,
--Kath
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