Cross country question? How is it done today?

Why does it have to be one way or the other? Yes. These new gismos are very useful and they help a pilot manage the workload and allow more time to consider options. But, if you can’t navigate without them, you are more of a button pusher and less of a pilot. What happens when the batteries die?

You also need to be able to reason out whether the device is accurately processing the info correctly. Get the settings wrong and the information will be wrong. Most of these flight computers will tell you that you have a glide to somewhere without factoring in the terrain. I try to develop my own rules-of-thumb for making decisions. I always have a paper chart in the glider and I know how to read it.

Enjoy your cross country adventures. Learn all you can from other pilots. Develop your own philosophy for making decisions. Get a GPS and learn how to use it but don’t depend on it to tell you what to do.

Steve Rathbun -R5

I always have a paper chart in the glider and I know how to read it.


Understood, but when heading into a headwind or a cross wind, are you doing these arrival altitude calculations for the nearest airport in the cockpit? Ground school had us pre-calcualate these, but conditions change, and if off course, nearest airport changes also.

Thanks
Tom

You got it right when you said that you monitor whether the intended landing
field is rising or lowering in your windscreen...


"flgliderpilot" wrote in message
...
I always have a paper chart in the glider and I know how to read it.


Understood, but when heading into a headwind or a cross wind, are you doing
these arrival altitude calculations for the nearest airport in the cockpit?
Ground school had us pre-calcualate these, but conditions change, and if off
course, nearest airport changes also.

Thanks
Tom

On Wednesday, September 11, 2013 1:54:37 PM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
You got it right when you said that you monitor whether the intended landing

field is rising or lowering in your windscreen...

Thank you Sir.

Tom

Tom, just remember if you land in a farmers field here is what you do. As he approaches in his Pick em up truck, get down on your knees, close your eyes, clasp your hands in front of you and say, "heavenly father, I thank you for having this wonderful farmer's field here for me to land in. I'm sorry if I scared his prized Hereford bull, I didn't mean to. I'm sure my insurance company will pay for any damages, AMEN." Also remember that if he is wearing a cowboy hat he is a Cracker, a baseball cap means he is a red neck and no hat means he is from New York and doesn't want to look like a Cracker or Red Neck. Call me if it's a Cracker or Red Neck, I can deal with them for you....a New Yakker and you are on your own.

Walt

Because I have come across this issue a second time, being a Brooklyn
native, I must step in and educate the proper way to say "New Yorker." It
isn't New Yakker.. it's "New Yokaah!"

Cheers,
Daniel

At 23:58 11 September 2013, Walt Connelly wrote:

Tom, just remember if you land in a farmers field here is what you do.
As he approaches in his Pick em up truck, get down on your knees, close
your eyes, clasp your hands in front of you and say, "heavenly father, I
thank you for having this wonderful farmer's field here for me to land
in. I'm sorry if I scared his prized Hereford bull, I didn't mean to.
I'm sure my insurance company will pay for any damages, AMEN." Also
remember that if he is wearing a cowboy hat he is a Cracker, a baseball
cap means he is a red neck and no hat means he is from New York and
doesn't want to look like a Cracker or Red Neck. Call me if it's a
Cracker or Red Neck, I can deal with them for you....a New Yakker and
you are on your own.

Walt




--
Walt Connelly

Originally Posted by Daniel Sazhin

Because I have come across this issue a second time, being a Brooklyn
native, I must step in and educate the proper way to say "New Yorker." It
isn't New Yakker.. it's "New Yokaah!"

Cheers,
Daniel

At 23:58 11 September 2013, Walt Connelly wrote:

Tom, just remember if you land in a farmers field here is what you do.
As he approaches in his Pick em up truck, get down on your knees, close
your eyes, clasp your hands in front of you and say, "heavenly father, I
thank you for having this wonderful farmer's field here for me to land
in. I'm sorry if I scared his prized Hereford bull, I didn't mean to.
I'm sure my insurance company will pay for any damages, AMEN." Also
remember that if he is wearing a cowboy hat he is a Cracker, a baseball
cap means he is a red neck and no hat means he is from New York and
doesn't want to look like a Cracker or Red Neck. Call me if it's a
Cracker or Red Neck, I can deal with them for you....a New Yakker and
you are on your own.

Walt




--
Walt Connelly

I stand corrected.

Walt

Understood, but when heading into a headwind or a cross wind, are you doing these arrival altitude calculations for the nearest airport in the cockpit? Ground school had us pre-calcualate these, but conditions change, and if off course, nearest airport changes also.

Hi Tom,

While airport hopping, or hoping as the case may be, is a technique that soothes the neophite cross-country pilot, in the long run it is counter-productive as it has you focus on the wrong things, such as you mention above.

You do not NEED to be able to glide to an airport at all times, but you do NEED to be able to glide to a landable field at all times. So, forget about continuous calculations to each airport enroute. Do the planning pre-flight and use those numbers. As you are flying, continually assess the conditions, your progress and availability of suitable landing options.

Of course, in some parts of the world, airports are the only option and you need to be able to reach a landable option. In FL, you should have plenty of field options. Sure, fields are inconvenient, but it's all part of cross-country soaring.