single pilot ifr trip tonight

David Megginson wrote in message ...
(Snowbird) writes:
I agree entirely that a handheld GPS in the flightbag is an excellent
safety investment

Well, just to clarify my views: a handheld GPS in the flightbag
is next to useless. It has to be set up, turn on, and acquired
at the beginning of the flight to have practical value if things
go south.

I can see how that would be helpful, but I'm not sure I would be that
strident about it.

Suit yourself.

We've been in a couple sticky situations IMC, and I can vouch
that the handheld GPS had great value ONLY because it was turned
on and acquired.

If we'd had to dig it out, set it up, turn it on, and let it
acquire it might as well have been located in Cahokia.

Again, the most important thing in IMC is to keep
the plane right-side up

And how do you do that?

You keep the wings level.

How do you keep the wings level?

You HOLD HEADING

My moving map GPS is a great help in holding heading partial
panel. I can fly partial panel with the map shut off, but
it's clearly much easier with the map, especially in nasty
conditions where the compass is waving around like a bobber
with a prizewinning Bass on the hook and the TC is vibrating.

So I feel you underestimate the value of GPS for fundamental
instrument flying. JMO of course.

Cheers,
Sydney