VFR Navigation

david0tey

david0tey

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Fox-Three
I just got my private license in late February and I got an account on here because I often come up with questions that I have nowhere to find the answer. Now that I have my wings, I just wanted to get everyone's opinion on this. On a cross country flight in a plane with a gps, how many private pilots actually fill out a nav log and keep track of headings, leg times, etc? Obviously I understand that it is a good practice to always know where you are and how much fuel you have (how long you have been flying) if the gps were to fail, I just wanted to get an idea of how many private pilots actually go through the steps of completing a nav log. Thanks.
 
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david0tey said:
how many private pilots actually fill out a nav log and keep track of headings, leg times, etc?
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Now this is something I've been wondering too-- thanks for asking it! As I'm doing my NavLogs for my xc's (still dual), I always wonder if I'm working on a dinosaur. And I have no idea how to do any of this on the computer or with an ipad.

Oh, and welcome! Ben should be along shortly to give you a proper welcome, too. :)
 
I enjoy the planning process, so if I'm going on a weekend trip, I do plan out fuel stops and may print out airport diagrams if I'm going into a larger airport that I'm not familiar with. I like to examine the winds aloft and make appropriate fueling decisions based on those. I don't actually fill out a Navlog, however.

Before I take off, I'll have a good idea of where I'll need to stop for fuel and I'll just fly direct. I have taken off a few times where I wasn't sure what the winds were going to do and then made a fuel stop decision after being en-route. Additionally, sometimes you can't fly at the altitude you originally planned for due to things like ATC vectoring, excessive turbulence at a specific altitude, or clouds. This can throw your original planning out of the window, so you need to have a backup plan in mind for things like this.

I have four GPS units on-board (VFR Garmin 496, IFR Apollo GX50, Android Tablet, Android Phone), so I don't worry too much about losing the ability to navigate to my destination. I do use the clocks/timers available to me to just mentally keep track of my flight progress, however.
 
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david0tey said:
I just got my private license in late February and I got an account on here because I often come up with questions that I have nowhere to find the answer. Now that I have my wings, I just wanted to get everyone's opinion on this. On a cross country flight in a plane with a gps, how many private pilots actually fill out a nav log and keep track of headings, leg times, etc? Obviously I understand that it is a good practice to always know where you are and how much fuel you have (how long you have been flying) if the gps were to fail, I just wanted to get an idea of how many private pilots actually go through the steps of completing a nav log. Thanks.
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Even before the days of GPS my PP checkride XC nav log was the last I did lol. With 2 fingers and a chart you can plan a flight and know how much fuel you'll need in under 30 seconds per chart you have to cross. I did it on my check ride divert and told the DE I couldn't make it and gave him an option. He said, "Take us home".
 
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I got my PP in 1999 and used to write out my trip plans and mark the log as I flew in those days. I got the instrument rating a year or so later. Somewhere along the way, I started using DUATS flight planner, and have not hand-written a flight log since then. I print out the DUATS planner (no-wind if I am planning the trip way into the future, or the return trip a few days hence).

I print the wind-compensating plan the day of departure and keep that on my lapboard during flight, but I no longer write the times that I cross the waypoints on it. Now that I have GPS, I use it to program the GPS when I get to the plane.

As for fuel usage, I do write down the time I take off and the fuel on board, and I write down when I switch tanks (after the first 30 min, then hourly after that), and the fuel used and remaining at those times (based on a fuel totalizer).

I find that there are some trips that I fly with some regularity (like NC to TX, or NC to CT), so I keep all my old flight plans in a file. That way when I re-fly the trip (or something very close to the trip), it saves a lot of time in planning the future trips.

I see that you were asking specifically about VFR, and I fly essentially all my trips IFR, but hope this helps.

Wells
 
David, First welcome to Pilots of America and on getting your PP.

I'd venture a guess that not many pilots calculate winds and fill out flight logs post training. Since I got my ticket about 9 years ago the computer flight programming programs have come a long way and IMHO are pretty accurate. Personally when I fly XC I do print out a flight log and compare it to my actual times, primarily as a belt and suspenders kind of thing for fuel management. But when planning a flight do I get out the old E6B and Plotter and plan the plan, eh not so much.
 
The joy of VFR flying for me is not having to "fix" things in concrete. So I print a direct to final destination DUATS plan. Follow along on a a sectional (ForeFlight mostly) and stop when the mood hits. I do not get close on fuel. Out west it's a little different because there are fewer choices in lots of areas. East of the big river? Running out of (or low on) fuel in day VFR takes real skill.
 
It's an excellent question.

Keep in mind that part of the way we teach VFR cross countries - often with checkpoints every 10 miles or so - is in order to practice the skill. The cross countries are generally short and you are simply not going to run out of fuel on a 30-60 minute flight when you started with 5 hours of fuel on board.

The downside is that CFIs don't often tell the student that the over-planning is a training exercise and, once they get their PPC, they don't plan at all. That's a mistake.

I continue to use a nav log for all but local flights (and my definition of "local" has also expanded). But I stopped using the pencil and paper and E6B method of creating one years ago (right about the time the first DUAT nav-log came into being).
 
david0tey said:
I just got my private license in late February and I got an account on here because I often come up with questions that I have nowhere to find the answer. Now that I have my wings, I just wanted to get everyone's opinion on this. On a cross country flight in a plane with a gps, how many private pilots actually fill out a nav log and keep track of headings, leg times, etc? Obviously I understand that it is a good practice to always know where you are and how much fuel you have (how long you have been flying) if the gps were to fail, I just wanted to get an idea of how many private pilots actually go through the steps of completing a nav log. Thanks.
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Welcome to the zoo.:yesnod::yesnod::yesnod::yesnod:

There are a bunch of great guys and gals on here.:)

Well, except for that "tracey" girl.. ya see up until yesterday she was a flight attendant for American Airlines.... seems she went "postal" and now the poor gal is wearing a coat with long sleeves.:wink2::rofl:..

To answer your question,,, As a new pilot it is great practice to log X country trips in segments so you will get a good grasp of the whole navigation process.. As you fly more the smart boxes, ie, GPS will be doing most of the navigation and you will just be babysitting the PFM stuff on the panel... Welcome again and fly safe....

Oh yeah,, if ya feel a little bit sorry for tracey feel free to send her some food,,, she is at the shrink ward in cell #54 at BFE..:hairraise::rofl::rofl:
 
The majority of my long cross country flights, are over rugged mountainous areas. I've preferred the sophistication and accuracy of GPS, ever since I got my first moving map aviation model back in 1993.

When planning any new trip, to an area I haven't covered before, I'll use an internet flight planner, and I do print out a log, as well as the map. Before the flight, I usually update it with current winds..... which is done online.

In most cases, this new route will be programmed into the GPS before flight (Garmin 696). This GPS is also tied to my auto-pilot, if I desire to use it. While in flight, the GPS is constantly updating with XM Satellite weather, which includes winds and altimeter settings. It's also tied to my fuel management system. During the course of the flight, I check actual fuel useage at various checkpoints on my navigation log. And since I too, often like to deviate from a prescribed flight path.........to new points of interest......I don't use flight following. I have a satellite tracker on board, if worse goes to worse. I also have a second GPS for backup (and a portable nav/com). Since this area of flight, is rough below, it's always important to be aware of roads and landing strips. A large moving map helps greatly with this, as it allows more time to scan whats in front, to the sides, and below. BTW-- haven't had a GPS failure since 1994. Good equipment and a good antenna location really count. Sure, they'll fail once and awhile, but they're the most reliable and accurate piece of navigation equipment.........that we've had yet.

L.Adamson
 
Haven't planned and flown a XC in a while, but I always did it the old-fashioned way, even with a GPS in the plane. Last couple of XCs, in a slow plane with no GPS or transponder,over fairly short distances, I spent a lot more time with the chart and tools before the flight than during the flight... pretty much just going by pilotage and keeping an eye on the clock-not the fuel gauge- for fuel remaining.

I prefer to think of the GPS as the backup, not the other way around. I will also admit that I just enjoy it, and figuring position, estimating time and fuel, etc with compass, clock, chart and E6B can provide something to do when droning along on the same heading for a couple hours. I've never found it to be a huge hassle, even with paper charts and a whiz wheel. Yes, even in bumps, or inside or in the vicinity of controlled airspaces.

The problem with GPS for VFR nav is not that it's likely to fail, but that the pilot might rely on it too much. This can lead to not looking outside enough, entering the wrong data or misinterpreting what's displayed, etc. Obviously, a GPS receiver should enhance situational awareness, but pilots still wind up running into things, or winding up where they should not be, or running out of fuel, despite having one on board that is working correctly.

Just as it's unwise to rely on an autopilot to the point where you can't hand-fly with reasonable accuracy, it's unwise to slavishly obey the GPS to the point where you can't at least "guesstimate" heading, time and fuel needed for the nearest alternate without it. Even if an AP or GPS does not fail, and even if you are using them properly, I feel you are at a disadvantage if you aren't confident without them.
 
Nav logs are still used in the oceanic environment where position past and future position reports are essential for traffic coordination. On modern airplanes the FMS (Flight Management System) shows the ETA for the waypoints along the route. There is no real need for nav logs for short trips.

José
 
I start planning routes weeks in advance. At the decisin point, I know all intended waypoints, alternates, and projected weather.
To the airplane I take:
Garmin 495 with all route legs already entered.
Sectionals with all ground tracks plotted
Abbreviated nav log for each leg; ID, Name (Freq for VORs), course and distance.

I always carry at least an hour more than the still air flight time.
I plan 10gph and 100knots. historically my actual is 8.5-9gph and 106 knots. So I don't bother with fuel burn/fuel remaining worries.
Twice, I have been concerned about that. Once with a potent headwind ( I stopped for more gas mid leg) and once on a 3.9hour leg (had over 5 hours on board and kept checking the ETE on the garmin to verify that I would stay at less than 4 hours)
 
rottydaddy said:
The problem with GPS for VFR nav is not that it's likely to fail, but that the pilot might rely on it too much. This can lead to not looking outside enough, entering the wrong data or misinterpreting what's displayed, etc. Obviously, a GPS receiver should enhance situational awareness, but pilots still wind up running into things, or winding up where they should not be, or running out of fuel, despite having one on board that is working correctly.

Just as it's unwise to rely on an autopilot to the point where you can't hand-fly with reasonable accuracy, it's unwise to slavishly obey the GPS to the point where you can't at least "guesstimate" heading, time and fuel needed for the nearest alternate without it. Even if an AP or GPS does not fail, and even if you are using them properly, I feel you are at a disadvantage if you aren't confident without them.
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Being highly familiar with these newer devices, I very much disagree. And at 61, I've been around a while too. First off, as an RV pilot, the auto-pilot really makes for an improved long cross country, since RVs don't fly like sedate school buses. Instead of the old ways, in regards to fuel management, I prefer the new way, which is always within a half a gallon of of what my fuel computer says.

IMO--- it's too much baloney, that's somewhat perpetuated by old time pilots and a few flight instructors.............that says a new pilot always will just follow the magenta line without a thought in the world. In reality, the magenta line, allows for more precision, more awareness of actual weather conditions for hundreds of miles in all directions, and more time to scan for traffic, etc. And if the worse happens, such as often "white outs" around here, which is a mountainous area, the terrain function can be extremely useful.

I'm very aware of pilots still flying perfectly good airplanes into terrain. I've spent much of my adult life, looking into that phenomenon. It started when a DC-8 flew directly into the mountain above my house. Thank goodness for GPS, and especially synthetic vision!

L.Adamson
 
L.Adamson said:
Being highly familiar with these newer devices, I very much disagree. And at 61, I've been around a while too. First off, as an RV pilot, the auto-pilot really makes for an improved long cross country, since RVs don't fly like sedate school buses. Instead of the old ways, in regards to fuel management, I prefer the new way, which is always within a half a gallon of of what my fuel computer says.

IMO--- it's too much baloney, that's somewhat perpetuated by old time pilots and a few flight instructors.............that says a new pilot always will just follow the magenta line without a thought in the world. In reality, the magenta line, allows for more precision, more awareness of actual weather conditions for hundreds of miles in all directions, and more time to scan for traffic, etc. And if the worse happens, such as often "white outs" around here, which is a mountainous area, the terrain function can be extremely useful.

I'm very aware of pilots still flying perfectly good airplanes into terrain. I've spent much of my adult life, looking into that phenomenon. It started when a DC-8 flew directly into the mountain above my house. Thank goodness for GPS, and especially synthetic vision!

L.Adamson
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The arguments against technology are always rooted in the fear of having to learn something new and not wanting to spend the money on it.
 
dmccormack said:
Not exclusively.

Technology can insulate to a point where the original purpose is lost.
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The original purpose is to get from A-B safely and efficiently, what was lost? As a species we spend way to much time dwelling on the past and not enough looking to the future. When you are done as a PP you should be able to find your way across the country with a sectional or a Rand McNally laminated truckers atlas. That doesn't mean you keep using it to the exclusion of more efficient and effective technology. That is what we call 'stupid'. I don't have a problem with Rand McNally IFR either lol, I've driven the country as much as I've flown it if not more (although I've flown some good stretches of no roads at all) so I know what Interstate takes me where at least lol.

In the end run though we should all be flying with a moving map GPS of some sort running, and if operating in areas beyond your local knowledge you should probably have a back up, and that's for VFR.

Here's the deal, you are burdened to act in accordance with 'General Prudence'; what is the general wisdom of the prudent pilot by today's standard and they will have expert witness testimony. What do you think the experts will testify to about carrying a moving map GPS?. Here's a kicker into it, 'it was expensive' is not an option as a defense of not being equipped in accordance with General Prudence because it raises the potential introduction of a Gross Negligence finding and punitive damages so your lawyer/insurer won't go for that.
 
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I fill them out for IFR flights, but I rarely fill nav logs for VFR. For a one or two hour flight in an area where I can look out the window and know exactly where I am, come on, it adds no value.

If I'm doing a long VFR flight approaching fuel reserves, then yes.
 
Henning said:
The arguments against technology are always rooted in the fear of having to learn something new and not wanting to spend the money on it.
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It's also possible to just be comfortable doing without such things.
I'm not arguing against technology so much as having too much faith in it, and arguing that compass, clock and chart, when used properly, are as good as GPS for VFR nav (but not simpler, obviously). But yeah, there are plenty who poo-poo GPS for the reasons you stated; I agree that it's a foolish position. But if they can navigate well without it, I wouldn't discourage them. If they can't even do it right the old way, I'm not sure GPS would help them much. :D

As for autopilots: they are obviously very useful, even for fair-weather daytime flying. But you also should be able to fly the plane well without it, when necessary.
If you have GPS and/or an AP (or a comm radio, for that matter), you should use them, but if you trust them more than you do yourself, I think that's a bad sign... more so than the attitude of someone who doesn't like navaids or APs just because they're "newfangled", "soulless" or distract from the "purity" of their preferred kind of flying. Neither attitude makes much sense, but I'd sooner trust my hide to a PIC with good basic skills and a control fetish than one who's a whiz with the gadgets but weak with basic skills. Just as you don't need goggles and a silk scarf to be a good, safe PIC, you don't need an airplane that can fly and navigate by itself.

The gadgets can handle the airplane better or calculate faster than we can, but they won't ever care about the safe outcome of the flight.
 
No problem being comfortable doing it, I'm perfectly comfortable doing it as well. I flew my first 'long cross country' Long Beach CA to St Louis and Ft Wayne IN right after my PP at 41.5 (within days) and lost both nav radios over the Grand Canyon. I completed the trip using a combination of ATC vectoring me all the way from Grand Canyon to St Louis including dropping me into Alamosa and Coffee County for fuel stops to just following the roads, rail roads and using dead reckoning coming home. That however does not necessarily meet the test of General Prudence in the eyes of a jury nor does it make it Best Practice or even Good Practice beyond your 'area of intense local knowledge'. Visual and electronic navigation systems are not exclusionary, they are meant to serve in complimentary functions.
 
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rottydaddy said:
It's also possible to just be comfortable doing without such things.
I'm not arguing against technology so much as having too much faith in it, and arguing that compass, clock and chart, when used properly, are as good as GPS for VFR nav (but not simpler, obviously). But yeah, there are plenty who poo-poo GPS for the reasons you stated; I agree that it's a foolish position. But if they can navigate well without it, I wouldn't discourage them. If they can't even do it right the old way, I'm not sure GPS would help them much. :D

As for autopilots: they are obviously very useful, even for fair-weather daytime flying. But you also should be able to fly the plane well without it, when necessary.
If you have GPS and/or an AP (or a comm radio, for that matter), you should use them, but if you trust them more than you do yourself, I think that's a bad sign... more so than the attitude of someone who doesn't like navaids or APs just because they're "newfangled", "soulless" or distract from the "purity" of their preferred kind of flying. Neither attitude makes much sense, but I'd sooner trust my hide to a PIC with good basic skills and a control fetish than one who's a whiz with the gadgets but weak with basic skills. Just as you don't need goggles and a silk scarf to be a good, safe PIC, you don't need an airplane that can fly and navigate by itself.

The gadgets can handle the airplane better or calculate faster than we can, but they won't ever care about the safe outcome of the flight.
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Why do we even have to make assumptions............that a pilot with "wiz" skills for new technology, will most likely lack at basic skills? I do admit, that I don't classify VOR navigation as a basic skill. That's just old and outdated technology as far as I'm concerned. But it sure beat the methods prior to that! Why can't a student learn the new types of electronic navigation and flying skills at the same time? We all know that younger people adapt to electronic "whiz bang gizmos", much faster than us older ones do.

So..............who do you trust your hide too? Three CFI's have hit upsloping terrain around here. Commercial airline pilots attempt to takeoff & crash with fatalities on the wrong & too short runway. The list goes on and on. High time as well as low time pilots. Some extra "new fangled" technology in the cockpit, would have appreciated by the passengers.........had the cockpit had them to begin with. It's hard to argue with that.

P.S. --- Don't be teaching a Garmin 1000 system at night, with a mountain straight ahead. I've already discussed this with a person who helped implement new procedures too avoid this type of accident. Has something to do with CAP, for those who don't know.

L.Adamson
 
L.Adamson said:
Why do we even have to make assumptions............that a pilot with "wiz" skills for new technology, will most likely lack at basic skills? I do admit, that I don't classify VOR navigation as a basic skill. That's just old and outdated technology as far as I'm concerned. But it sure beat the methods prior to that! Why can't a student learn the new types of electronic navigation and flying skills at the same time? We all know that younger people adapt to electronic "whiz bang gizmos", much faster than us older ones do.

So..............who do you trust your hide too? Three CFI's have hit upsloping terrain around here. Commercial airline pilots attempt to takeoff & crash with fatalities on the wrong & too short runway. The list goes on and on. High time as well as low time pilots. Some extra "new fangled" technology in the cockpit, would have appreciated by the passengers.........had the cockpit had them to begin with. It's hard to argue with that.

P.S. --- Don't be teaching a Garmin 1000 system at night, with a mountain straight ahead. I've already discussed this with a person who helped implement new procedures too avoid this type of accident. Has something to do with CAP, for those who don't know.

L.Adamson
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I've never really even tried to address that issue lol. Yeah, as for me, I'll take it all thanks. You think because I have the equipment I have I can't still get around? Not a chance. What I buy with technology is a margin of safety and an ease of spotting and correcting my errors. I have never been lost flying pilotage but I have been temporarily misplaced in space time once or twice lol; I always managed to find my way back to the appropriate multiverse pretty quickly by 'flying towards my fence', although occasionally I wonder.
 
Henning said:
I've never really even tried to address that issue lol. Yeah, as for me, I'll take it all thanks. You think because I have the equipment I have I can't still get around? Not a chance. What I buy with technology is a margin of safety and an ease of spotting and correcting my errors. I have never been lost flying pilotage but I have been temporarily misplaced in space time once or twice lol; I always managed to find my way back to the appropriate multiverse pretty quickly by 'flying towards my fence', although occasionally I wonder.
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Out here, in the wild west, we have a lot of restricted military airspace, with narrow corridors of airspace between them and the mountains. Not only that...............much of the mountains & desert areas look the same. Kind of like rows of furrows in a planted field. When a pilot needs to divert due to weather, such as low clouds which are common, it's not the time to be triangulating from distant VOR's; especially when you can't pick up the VOR due to line of sight, because you're below a mountain peak. This is where moving map GPS is "instant" awareness. It's called keeping your eye out for rising terrain on the left, and knowing that you're avoiding F-16's from the right. And since the GPS was on board the whole time.............you'll know exactly where you are, and where you've been.

L.Adamson
 
L.Adamson said:
Out here, in the wild west, we have a lot of restricted military airspace, with narrow corridors of airspace between them and the mountains. Not only that...............much of the mountains & desert areas look the same. Kind of like rows of furrows in a planted field. When a pilot needs to divert due to weather, such as low clouds which are common, it's not the time to be triangulating from distant VOR's; especially when you can't pick up the VOR due to line of sight, because you're below a mountain peak. This is where moving map GPS is "instant" awareness. It's called keeping your eye out for rising terrain on the left, and knowing that you're avoiding F-16's from the right. And since the GPS was on board the whole time.............you'll know exactly where you are, and where you've been.

L.Adamson
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That's why you build visual 'fences' using lines ranging between 2 major landmarks/mountains, Islands and other geological and man made features; e.g. you know class B starts N of whatever freeway, or everything N & E of that mountain and ridge is restricted or that whole salt flat with that butte that defines the far end is way off limits. You may think it all looks alike, but if you study the sectional chart, you'll see it doesn't. I don't think many pilots realize exactly what representational masterpieces the Sectional and other VFR charts really are. I've found myself on the chart by spotting an odd shaped feature in the corner of a small lake. I've recognized what city was passing off my wing at night by comparing the shape of the yellow field with the field of lights on the ground. I have recognized what mountain and ridgeline I was passing by features and shapes as represented on the chart.
 
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N801BH said:
Well, except for that "tracey" girl.. ya see up until yesterday she was a flight attendant for American Airlines.... seems she went "postal" and now the poor gal is wearing a coat with long sleeves.:wink2::rofl:..

Oh yeah,, if ya feel a little bit sorry for tracey feel free to send her some food,,, she is at the shrink ward in cell #54 at BFE..:hairraise::rofl::rofl:
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Send M&M's please. And hey! I was just trying to save everyone on the plane... no good deed goes unpunished. :nonod:

:rofl: :lol: :rofl: :lol:
 
Most of my trips are 100nm or less. I do detailed planning and studying of the charts. I print out a nav log only to program the G1000. I do not use the actual log in flight to check off waypoints anymore. Just eyeballs, magenta line and the clock. I also have an iPad (with Skycharts) for backup and I also keep paper charts.
 
When Dave Gell and I made our grand journey from Ann Arbor MI to Bozeman MT and back starting the day after I got my PPL and six weeks after he got his, we planned it to death. Today, some 42 years and nearly 10,000 flight hours later, I flew up to Reading PA and back with little more nav planning than punching the two endpoints into ForeFlight on my iPad. The difference is that I've internalized the basic concepts and skills of DR/pilotage to the point where I can without much planning at all navigagte from Point A to Point B with nothing more than a sectional, a compass, and a clock. As you move from where I was then to where I am now, you'll slowly reduce the amount of number crunching needed to accomplish that. What's important is that you have a good idea where you are and how you're doing on time, fuel, and direction to your destination, and that you do whatever it takes to have that good idea, knowing the "whatever it takes" will change as you gain experience and polish your skills.
 
Ron Levy said:
When Dave Gell and I made our grand journey from Ann Arbor MI to Bozeman MT and back starting the day after I got my PPL and six weeks after he got his, we planned it to death. Today, some 42 years and nearly 10,000 flight hours later, I flew up to Reading PA and back with little more nav planning than punching the two endpoints into ForeFlight on my iPad. The difference is that I've internalized the basic concepts and skills of DR/pilotage to the point where I can without much planning at all navigagte from Point A to Point B with nothing more than a sectional, a compass, and a clock. As you move from where I was then to where I am now, you'll slowly reduce the amount of number crunching needed to accomplish that. What's important is that you have a good idea where you are and how you're doing on time, fuel, and direction to your destination, and that you do whatever it takes to have that good idea, knowing the "whatever it takes" will change as you gain experience and polish your skills.
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Exactly, once you do it as second nature, you never quit doing it as second nature. I still look out the window and confirm the features displayed on the 'Sectional' type color topo moving map are what I'm seeing out the window, and I know that whether this system fails or not, Vegas is still around the south of those mountains and up the the slot behind. If you hit the river you went too far lol.In fact, it's how I pass the majority of my time flying; quite enjoyably I might add, just looking around and seeing the details. That's why I like low level, I got into it doing photography.
 
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I use pilotage quite a bit. The most fun way to navigate in your typical slow piston aircraft. Sometime if airspace is going to be a factor, I'll break out my Garmin 96 just to make sure I'm good to go, but other than that, I rarely use it anymore. It's amazing how easy it is to locate yourself on a sectional with a set of eyes and a couple of VOR radials. Oh and a manual E6B? I just relearned how to use one of those so I could teach its use to my students, otherwise, I hate them:D. I use Duat printouts and verify that they make sence prior to considering it accurate.
 
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When I'm at home, I just check winds aloft/wind streamlines on Aviationweather.gov, look over the route on Skyvector.com, and use Fltplan.com to make/print a navlog. At this point, I choose cruising altitude based on trip distance and winds aloft.

On the drive to the airport I'll call Flight Service and get an abbreviated briefing with TFRs and NOTAMs.

When I'm away from home and don't have access to a computer with a printer, I just call Flight Service for a briefing, TFRs, and NOTAMs. I'll check the weather on Aviationweather.gov on my phone.

If the trip is not that far away i.e. <100nm and I know the weather is good I just call FSS for TFRs and NOTAMs and I just go. You can easily see 50++ miles on a clear day anyway.
 
Anymore airspace is always a factor, there really no longer an excuse to violate; not there has been one my entire career. If I ever needed assistance avoiding airspace, with very few exceptions due to coverage in the mountains, penalty/attitude free clarification and assistance was never more than a radio call away.
 
I create a Nav Log every time I plan a flight long enough for it to make sense. I fly for entertainment usually. I just like to see how close I can get to my plan.

I expect that everyone flying VFR in a legacy rental airplane will get better at pilotage after the FAAs proposed VOR deactivation plan.

Apparently the nominal network will be set up so that from anywhere in the US, you won't have to fly more than 100 miles by VOR to get to a GPS independent approach.
 
Henning said:
Anymore airspace is always a factor, there really no longer an excuse to violate; not there has been one my entire career. If I ever needed assistance avoiding airspace, with very few exceptions due to coverage in the mountains, penalty/attitude free clarification and assistance was never more than a radio call away.
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Not a single Bravo in my state. We just have to worry about restricted areas and MOAs, but I'm pretty familiar with my state, so I generally know where the airspace is and how to stay clear by just glancing at the chart. Here's a trick for transient pilots crossing NM either north to south or east to west: Just as long as you follow an interstate (any one of the three), you will remain clear of all SUA (assuming it's hot and there are no TFRs) within state lines. Just remember not to bug the Bosque Del Apache wildlife preserve just north of Socorro.
 
I'll typically flight plan on FltPln.com, ForeFlight, WingX Pro, and AOPA Flight Planner. I'll print out the plan from FltPln.com, which will include waypoints 100nm - 200nm apart. If the flight is less than 5 hours, I don't worry about fuel, because I carry more than 7 hours fuel. After that, I'm going to be monitoring fuel burn, fuel level, and ETE like a hawk. En route, I'm doing what Henning suggests, matching the features I see out of the window against the charts. I am now displaying the charts on the iPad. I had recently been leaning towards eliminating paper charts, but my 6+ hour flight put a scare into me, as my iPad was warning about less than 15% power. Since then, I've bought a couple external battery rechargers, but there's always the possibility that my iPad will freeze en route, so I'm going to move back towards having paper backups. They may not be current, however. I should note that all(?) my flights over 150NM are IFR.

All that said, the exercise of doing very closely spaced flight plane was invaluable. I am able to "reality check" the plans being spewed out by the automated tools, and keep a good sense of where I am while flying. Don't skimp on those exercises during your private training!
 
Calling Kimberely!

Me, the last one I ever did was on my PPL checkride. I TRIED to do another one afterwards but it was so irritating I left it midway.

I do, however, plan on ForeFlight; that is, I create all the legs and let FF add up for me. I also use it to review the flight so I know what my diversions are along the route, although here in CA there are so many airports it's kinda pointless unless I'm headed across the mountains. But I find it entertaining to learn of little airstrips everywhere.
 
I haven't filled out a flight log in many years.

I know my fuel usage, I know my fuel at the start of the flight, and plan accordingly.

I use a sectional or a WAC and draw the line, and do pilotage, looking out the window and when the picture ain't right, I fix it.

no, I don't do IFR. I like to see our beautiful country.
 
Tom-D said:
no, I don't do IFR. I like to see our beautiful country.
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Same here. I live too close to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, numerous national parks, etc.............to fly a pre-scribed course, and get excited about taking pictures of different shades of gray. I gave up on the IFR thing a long time ago. Figure I might go back (the IFR route) in my old age, when I'm bored. Might be 70 though...
 
Ron Levy said:
When Dave Gell and I made our grand journey from Ann Arbor MI to Bozeman MT and back starting the day after I got my PPL and six weeks after he got his, we planned it to death. Today, some 42 years and nearly 10,000 flight hours later, I flew up to Reading PA and back with little more nav planning than punching the two endpoints into ForeFlight on my iPad. The difference is that I've internalized the basic concepts and skills of DR/pilotage to the point where I can without much planning at all navigagte from Point A to Point B with nothing more than a sectional, a compass, and a clock. As you move from where I was then to where I am now, you'll slowly reduce the amount of number crunching needed to accomplish that. What's important is that you have a good idea where you are and how you're doing on time, fuel, and direction to your destination, and that you do whatever it takes to have that good idea, knowing the "whatever it takes" will change as you gain experience and polish your skills.
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This is a good way of looking at it.

So for the time being, it's good to continue doing these concepts. Still use the GPS, but back it up with looking out the window, checking VORs, etc.

As time passes, the amount of planning you'll need to do (and checking) will be less.
 
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