In the interest of opening my own fuel vessel and passing out the matches,
I'll offer that a book I read addresses this issue specifically from a
gender perspective. The research showed that men will typically orient
north up and do the mental gymnastics in their heads - the male brain is
built such that this is a strength. Women's brains are apparently wired
differently and don't cope with the 3-D spatial analysis as well and so they
will typically orient along the track and turn the map every which way,
keeping the left on the left and so on.

Of course there are always exceptions so you don't all have to individually
respond to say this doesn't apply to you. Funnily enough, I blow the theory
as well by being a male but moving the map. As a student I used to do the
north up routine but I think I didn't get enough testosterone in the womb or
something because I kept getting lost. So an instructor tipped me off to
the "move the map" method. I still get lost, but at least I'm more
definitive about it!!

By the way, the book was called "Why Men Don't Listen and Why Women Can't
Read Maps". A hilarious look at physiological differences between the
genders that really explains a lot. Should be mandatory reading!

Shawn

"Daniel L. Lieberman" wrote in message
...
I have been advised that some people when using a sectional always hold it
with North up even when they are flying South rather than orienting it
along their flight path. This is an option on moving map GPS systems.

Do you a) keep North up or b) orient the map in the direction in which you
are flying?

TIA