Plotting a course across over the edge?!

inav8r

inav8r

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Mike B.
What's the best way to plot a course from the bottom half (back) to the top half (front) of a sectional chart? I don't remember covering the techniques in ground school nor do I remember reading about it during my home study course.

The obviously easy way is to just have two sectionals or get a true course from an online or computerized resource - however, I am looking for the pen and paper way - using only the one sectional chart.

My course is from KPIA to KFDL and the flight plan requested per my examiner should be a straight line course from point a to point b to show my skills in planing a long distance flight based on dead reckoning and pilotage.
 
[snip]I'm a dunce[/snip]
 
Last edited:
Oh wait, I think I get it. I am slow...

Use plain paper for the "second chart"?

Lay plain piece of paper over one side of the chart and mark where the airport would be. Then turn chart over and match up the plain pc of paper to the other side and draw my course?

Excellent idea!
 
The method for doing this is explained on each sectional chart. Look on the back of the legend/header page -- complete with diagrams on how to do it.
 
Ron Levy said:
The method for doing this is explained on each sectional chart. Look on the back of the legend/header page -- complete with diagrams on how to do it.
Click to expand...
:redface:

That's pretty embarassing... I know in the past I've looked over every inch of my Chicago sectional chart. Why I don't remember this tidbit I'll never know.

Thank you Cap'n Ron!
 
A little blurry, but here are the directions. This is a good question to ask a cocky student prepping for a practical test. It's one of those gems, like the information tucked away in the back of the A/FD that most pilots don't know about.

That said, I could no more complete the process cleanly than I could plot my position from star fixes with a sextant. But I'm a whiz with software-based flight planners....
 
inav8r said:
What's the best way to plot a course from the bottom half (back) to the top half (front) of a sectional chart? I don't remember covering the techniques in ground school nor do I remember reading about it during my home study course.

The obviously easy way is to just have two sectionals or get a true course from an online or computerized resource - however, I am looking for the pen and paper way - using only the one sectional chart.

My course is from KPIA to KFDL and the flight plan requested per my examiner should be a straight line course from point a to point b to show my skills in planing a long distance flight based on dead reckoning and pilotage.
Click to expand...

Quick and dirty for flying, or precise? Quick and dirty, the edge pretty much lines up with a bit of overlap, So you look at one side, flip look at the other, judge how far each of the places is from that edge and guestamate the line around the bend, and then pick out a land mark near there that you get on both sides of the chart and drive there, when you get there, flip the chart and drive away from there. I'm assuming you're flying straight pilotage, because in reality, this is the way we fly pilotage, from landmark to landmark. If you want to refine this and get a precise heading to fly, do what you did before, then take your protractor tool and measure the angle on both sides of the chart and then split the difference.
 
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