Cross country question? How is it done today?

I am fairly green had my PGL for about 3 years now.

Been venturing into cross country, have done my first flight out to another airport, and last weekend, an out to that airport and return, about 30 miles round trip (in a 1-26, no ridges, it's all flat Florida). No it's not very far, but at least I am not just circling the airport for hours, and my enjoyment of soaring has been taken to a new level.

However, I was told recently by an older experienced pilot that using a GPS is "not the correct way to do it". Instead I should be thinking "can I get there... now can I get there... can I get there...". I understand this ideology, but I am pretty sure nearly everyone is using GPS these days.

So, does this mean I should not use modern navigation technology? I know how to plot a cross country flight on paper of course, and required altitudes to the next safe landing area.

Does this mean I should I actually be drawing circles on charts, carrying a slide ruler to calculate arrival height at various distances, and mechanically doing everything my GPS is doing for me? This means I am not looking for traffic, or thermalling but instead flipping through charts and playing with a slide ruler or E6B, and my eyes are not outside the canopy.

Anyway, please enlighten a new pilot, I am listening intently. if I should not be using a GPS at this point I'll go without.

Thanks
Tom

At 14:22 11 September 2013, flgliderpilot wrote:
I am fairly green had my PGL for about 3 years now.

Been venturing into cross country, have done my first flight out
to
another=
airport, and last weekend, an out to that airport and return,
about 30
mil=
es round trip (in a 1-26, no ridges, it's all flat Florida). No it's
not
v=
ery far, but at least I am not just circling the airport for hours,
and my
=
enjoyment of soaring has been taken to a new level. =20

However, I was told recently by an older experienced pilot that
using a
GPS=
is "not the correct way to do it". Instead I should be thinking
"can I
ge=
t there... now can I get there... can I get there...". I
understand this
i=
deology, but I am pretty sure nearly everyone is using GPS
these days.

So, does this mean I should not use modern navigation
technology? I know
ho=
w to plot a cross country flight on paper of course, and
required
altitudes=
to the next safe landing area.

Does this mean I should I actually be drawing circles on
charts, carrying
a=
slide ruler to calculate arrival height at various distances, and
mechanic=
ally doing everything my GPS is doing for me? This means I
am not looking
f=
or traffic, or thermalling but instead flipping through charts and
playing
=
with a slide ruler or E6B, and my eyes are not outside the
canopy.=20

Anyway, please enlighten a new pilot, I am listening intently. if
I
should=
not be using a GPS at this point I'll go without.

Thanks
Tom




What happens if your GPS dies?

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

On 9/11/2013 8:22 AM, flgliderpilot wrote:
I am fairly green had my PGL for about 3 years now.

Been venturing into cross country, have done my first flight out to another
airport, and last weekend, an out to that airport and return, about 30
miles round trip (in a 1-26, no ridges, it's all flat Florida). Snip...

Congratulations on crossing a Major Psychological Hurdle...going XC!

However, I was told recently by an older experienced pilot that using a GPS
is "not the correct way to do it". Instead I should be thinking "can I get
there... now can I get there... can I get there...". I understand this
ideology, but I am pretty sure nearly everyone is using GPS these days.

So, does this mean I should not use modern navigation technology? I know
how to plot a cross country flight on paper of course, and required
altitudes to the next safe landing area.

Does this mean I should I actually be drawing circles on charts, carrying a
slide ruler to calculate arrival height at various distances, and
mechanically doing everything my GPS is doing for me? This means I am not
looking for traffic, or thermalling but instead flipping through charts and
playing with a slide ruler or E6B, and my eyes are not outside the canopy.

Let the religious arguments begin!!!

Writing as one who's never flown with other than paper chart w. self-drawn
circles, a homemade Willie Makeit glide chart, a conservative (used 3
miles/1000' for 1-26s, under most conditions) no-brainer mental calculator and
a desire to have gobs of self-generated XC fun challenges, here's my feedback.

With apologies to Bill Murray: "It doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter. It
REALLY just doesn't doesn't matter!"...whether you use charts or
battery-powered glowing screens.

What matters is that you learn the (safety-enhancing) basics: how to
"relaxedly" pick safe landing fields; how to most safely fly landing patterns
into fields/strange-to-you airports; how to judge IF you can reach your chosen
field(s). Neither charts nor GPS will help you if you can't do these things.
Sure, both have value (for navigation/airspace reasons), but in much of the
U.S. neither is CRUCIAL to safely and legally soaring XC, so use what works
for you, bearing in mind that electronic devices can stop working for a host
of reasons.

Regardless of which navigational approach you use, your brain at all times
should (must?) be fully engaged on what's outside your canopy. Safer, much
more funner, and makes for longer soaring flights, too - woo hoo! What good
will it do you if you (say) hit another airplane while knowing exactly where
you are...or doing the same thing when "navigationally befuddled?" All good
things come only from remaining aloft and plugging away. Knowing where you
are, believing you can reach "some safe out" when you in fact can't, etc. are
all secondary to always being able to safely land somewhere...and only Joe
Pilot controls that.

And Most Importantly, have fun however you skin the cat!

Bob W.

What happens if your GPS dies?

Same things that happens if my ruler ends up behind my seat, or I make a gross error in the slide rule calculations. I fly field to field, until I realize I am not going to make it to the next field (kinda easy to see, the field is rising in my canbopy). I pick one of the 3 fields I have selected as a possible landout for this scenario, and I land in it.

What happens if your GPS dies?

Same things that happens if my ruler ends up behind my seat, or I make a gross error in the slide rule calculations. I fly field to field, until I realize I am not going to make it to the next field (kinda easy to see, the field is rising in my canopy). I pick one of the 3 fields I have selected as a possible landout for this scenario, and I land in it.

Exactly. You already knew the answer to your question.
Make sure your batteries are good and use the GPS. It is far easier and faster to use than the old methods. I can't even imagine unfolding a map in the confines of my sailplane. If the GPS fails, just fly conservatively, stay as high as possible and choose a good field if you can't make it to your goal.

On Wednesday, September 11, 2013 12:53:09 PM UTC-4, Soartech wrote:
What happens if your GPS dies?



Same things that happens if my ruler ends up behind my seat, or I make a gross error in the slide rule calculations. I fly field to field, until I realize I am not going to make it to the next field (kinda easy to see, the field is rising in my canopy). I pick one of the 3 fields I have selected as a possible landout for this scenario, and I land in it.



Exactly. You already knew the answer to your question.

Make sure your batteries are good and use the GPS. It is far easier and faster to use than the old methods. I can't even imagine unfolding a map in the confines of my sailplane. If the GPS fails, just fly conservatively, stay as high as possible and choose a good field if you can't make it to your goal.

Thanks, I really appreciate your opinion on this.

Tom

Good advice from Bob W!

One important thing to keep in mind is to not cede control of your destiny to your devices, electronic or otherwise. They are useful, but not omniscient. They will give you information to guide your decisions, but be leery of falling into the trap of letting them make the decisions for you. Somewhere in the back of your mind, remember how silly it would sound telling an FAA or NTSB representative, or even a sheriff or irate farmer "the box said I could make it, so that's what I tried."

And don't forget to come out west for some real cross-country soaring.

Thanks, Bob K.

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