Do you flight plan?

You are taught pilotage as a shield against the day when you computer flight
planning software crashes. You do need something to fall back on.

Bob Gardner

"Nasir" wrote in message
news
Having received my PPL recently and been on several cross countries, I was
wondering how extensive of a flight plan do people prepare before the
trip?

Do you guys do all the checkpoints on a map, calculate time/distance/fuel
to
each leg? Do you just draw the line on the map and mark checkpoints that
you
expect to see but not calculate other things? Do you always calculate
winds
aloft and fly the appropriate heading?

I have found myself getting lazy and I dont do all that I did when
planning
x-countries when I was training. I tend to draw my line and mark
checkpoints, make sure I have plenty of fuel to get to my destination
(plus
an hour more) based on 6gal/hr average. But I dont calculate
time/distance/fuel to each leg. I also have a GPS so that makes getting
lazy
easier!

How much do you all plan before each x-country? Am I the only slacker?

Nasir

"Bob Gardner" wrote in message
newsmRAb.53585$_M.258452@attbi_s54...
You are taught pilotage as a shield against the day when you computer
flight
planning software crashes. You do need something to fall back on.

Bob Gardner

Correct, of course, but if you're not using pilotage, it'll be too rusty to
use when you need it. Something you perhaps should schedule in a few times a
year (a pilotage-only route)?

"John Smith" wrote in message . ..

Correct, of course, but if you're not using pilotage, it'll be too rusty to
use when you need it. Something you perhaps should schedule in a few times a
year (a pilotage-only route)?

A few times a year? You must fly IFR a lot. As a VFR guy, I
always have the chart out and follow along, no matter what method of
navigation I'm using. If the nav radio or GPS bites the dust, I'm
already using pilotage.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

"John Galban" wrote in message
om...
"John Smith" wrote in message
. ..

Correct, of course, but if you're not using pilotage, it'll be too rusty
to
use when you need it. Something you perhaps should schedule in a few
times a
year (a pilotage-only route)?

A few times a year? You must fly IFR a lot. As a VFR guy, I
always have the chart out and follow along, no matter what method of
navigation I'm using. If the nav radio or GPS bites the dust, I'm
already using pilotage.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

Actually I fly VFR only, no GPS, and very seldom VOR/NDB, thus always
pilotage. I was only making the point that (to me) it seems a lot of people
rely heavily on GPS and are probably out of touch with dead reckoning. All I
was suggesting is that we all practise the basics as often as we can.

I knew someone would flame me... I wasn't looking for it, really.

"John Smith" wrote in message . ..
"John Galban" wrote in message
om...
"John Smith" wrote in message
. ..

Correct, of course, but if you're not using pilotage, it'll be too rusty
to
use when you need it. Something you perhaps should schedule in a few
times a
year (a pilotage-only route)?

A few times a year? You must fly IFR a lot. As a VFR guy, I
always have the chart out and follow along, no matter what method of
navigation I'm using. If the nav radio or GPS bites the dust, I'm
already using pilotage.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

Actually I fly VFR only, no GPS, and very seldom VOR/NDB, thus always
pilotage. I was only making the point that (to me) it seems a lot of people
rely heavily on GPS and are probably out of touch with dead reckoning. All I
was suggesting is that we all practise the basics as often as we can.

I knew someone would flame me... I wasn't looking for it, really.

Flame?

Just an honest inquiry. It seems that we agree on the value of
pilotage, I only questioned why one would use it only a few times a
year.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)