Navigation strategy on a short flight

In article ,
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OK, thanks. I guess I might have been complicating the navigation more than
necessary. Too many IFR flights, perhaps.


Of course it couldn’t be related to the fact that you never learned how to
do it in the first place.

You enlisted an ATC service (VFR flight following) they will generally want
to know what your intentions are. This should be an easy question, because
if you know what you are doing, you have PLANNED the flight, you know
exactly what to expect at any time, and you will endeavor to execute the
flight as planned. If you know what you are doing you will not be surprised
by the rate of progress of your airplane, because you are keeping a log that
allows you to keep track of progress and respond confidently when ATC
requests an anticipated waypoint crossing. If you knew what you were doing
you would not 'become nervous' due to not knowing where you are, because you
will have planned and execute the methods used to know where you are. You
say the 152 is 'pokey’ yet due to your lack of preparation you still manage
to be way behind it.

Of course you will not do any of these things, which any real pilot would
consider essential to the positive outcome of the flight as you describe it,
as you find them tedious and boring. Well, some things in this world are
just 'made right'. The morning shimmer over the Cordillera of the Andes,
seen from FL210 is one of them. The fact that you will never be at the
controls of any real airplane is another.