Well, it STARTED as a good idea

[Matthew]

Practiced a diversion yesterday afternoon.

Was looking for a what the sectional showed as a paved private strip.

I spent nearly 10 minutes circling, looking at the sectional, looking at the ground, cross-checking VORs, the whole thing.

Turns out I was right on top of it. The 3000' private paved strip now has a house on the end of a 3000' gravel driveway, along with power/phone lines running along the edge.

 

[Richard]

Practiced a diversion yesterday afternoon.

Was looking for a what the sectional showed as a paved private strip.

I spent nearly 10 minutes circling, looking at the sectional, looking at the ground, cross-checking VORs, the whole thing.

Turns out I was right on top of it. The 3000' private paved strip now has a house on the end of a 3000' gravel driveway, along with power/phone lines running along the edge.

At least your nav was spot on. Next time, try race tracks in leiu of circling. Pick out a prominent landmark to lessen the guess work from drift.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

I remember my first lesson on diversions. Instructor covered my eyes for a while somehow, and flew us around, then dropped us down in unfamiliar, poorly marked territory to 500agl. It was a misty day. I was shocked at how far I couldn't see! And zooming past farm after farm with a bunch of silos and cows, the occasional hamlet and paved road. He said 'find out where you are and take us to xxx(I don't recall where exactly)". Thankfully we were within range of a vor - I think I fixed us with a radial and a road I recognized, then guessed at a heading and it worked - but the lesson of double trouble (a diversion because of poor wx and being forced low) was not lost on me back then as a teen.

 

[Richard]

I remember my first lesson on diversions. Instructor covered my eyes for a while somehow, and flew us around, then dropped us down in unfamiliar, poorly marked territory to 500agl. It was a misty day. I was shocked at how far I couldn't see! And zooming past farm after farm with a bunch of silos and cows, the occasional hamlet and paved road. He said 'find out where you are and take us to xxx(I don't recall where exactly)". Thankfully we were within range of a vor - I think I fixed us with a radial and a road I recognized, then guessed at a heading and it worked - but the lesson of double trouble (a diversion because of poor wx and being forced low) was not lost on me back then as a teen.

Dave, good story.

My PPL checkride featured multiple diversions on a very hazy day. The farmers had been busy all month kicking up a lot of dust. First diversion, no problem. I calculated HDG, CRS double checked by VOR cross radials, ETA, and fuel required while enroute. Found the alternate aprt no problem. When entering midfield downwind to land the DE said let's go land somewhere else. Back up to 4,500 we head towards a small fld he designated. Re calc all the pertinent information.

While en route he pulls the power and declares engine out. Went through all the engine out routines while we continued to spiral down to my chosen fld. Down, down, down. He kept asking weird questions about my choice of flds, I knew something was up but nothing wrong with my choice as far as I knew. Finally, about 400 agl he asked me if I could make the fld. Absoultely, I answered. Then he said look left about 1/4 nm distant. That is when I saw a crop duster's fld. Daymn! Brown strip against brown land on a brown hazy day. That duster's fld was directly under us in the low key position. I can laugh about it now but I have not ever since fallen for that trick.

 

[fgcason]

I remember my first lesson on diversions. Instructor covered my eyes for a while somehow, and flew us around, then dropped us down in unfamiliar, poorly marked territory to 500agl.

Dave, I think you and I had the same instructor. Except he decided I needed an electrical failure to go along with the pretend ceiling in upstate NY. Lost over rolling mountains and unable to climb is NOT something you want to do for real.

 

[Matthew]

I try to eyeball as many of the private fields marked on the sectional as I can, when I have the opportunity.

I was doing circles, ractracks, figures 8s, everything trying to find this field.

This particular strip was surrounded by other gravel roads, access roads, driveways, and other things. I probably looked at it a half-dozen times and disregarded it. After doing a mental Photoshop (remove house, vehicles, basketball goal, powerline, mailbox), I finally figured that it actually was the strip that was depicted on the chart.

My most challenging 'find the field' exercise was when my instructor took me out at night, under the hood, doing unusual attitudes and other instrument maneuvers for about an hour. The GPS, DG, home field VOR were 'out of service' during this time. CFI uncovers the DG, then says, 'find out where we are, find the nearest field, take us there'.

Eventually, I decide I've found the field. CFI lets me take off the goggles and turn on the airport lights. It's a pretty neat feeling to see that field all lit up right underneath.