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This question is directed at student pilots and flight instructors.
How many of you learn/teach cross country navigation using the traditional methods using paper charts, protractors, E6B and navigation logs? During my training more than 10 years ago, xc planning was a fairly elaborate process that involved filling lots of numbers in small boxes. The flight was broken down into approximately 25 mile legs, and each row had distance, true course, winds, temperature, variation, wind correction angle, magnetic heading, time, fuel. Then we add up the columns to get total time and fuel. We also compute the time required to climb and descent. If we want to be more precise, we also compute the fuel needed for taxi and run-up. Once airborne, we religiously write down more numbers at each checkpoint and recompute ground speed. All fine, but I don't do any of these on a typical flight. I use an online source such as skyvector.com to view the charts. Then I use an online software to compute heading and time. That plus a paper chart is pretty much all I need for a VFR flight. I've been toying with the idea of taking a different approach to teaching flight planning by skipping a lot of these things. I don't see the purpose of doing things by hand when it is done much easier on a computer. It feels like using a typewriter instead of a computer. In addition, the less stuff you have in the cockpit, the simpler the organization becomes. All these papers and pens flying around the cockpit becomes an organizational nightmare. So what are your thoughts on this? Is the ability to compute a flight by hand really important? Are there important aspects I am overlooking? |
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