How does pressing "direct to" replace a detailed flight plan? What do
you do if the GPS fails?

*chuckle*

Then, my boy, we have to NAVIGATE! Every pilot is taught how to do
this, even if we'd rather just push "Direct to" and GO.

GPS has only failed me once, back when I had a Lowrance Airmap 300. I
took off solo from Maquoketa, IA in marginal VFR (after having some
upholstery work done on our old Warrior), and as I climbed to pattern
altitude I noticed that the GPS wasn't updating. It was just staring
at me stupidly, showing me stationary on the ground.

It was/is very unusual for me to fly solo, so I had some "three-handed
flying" to do while I messed around with the stupid thing, trying to
remember how to clear-start it whilst aviating into not the greatest
visibility and ceiling. After a few minutes, I just said "To hell with
it" and took up an approximate heading for home.

Somewhere en route I managed to get the thing to re-boot, and was quite
pleased to discover that I was precisely where I expected to be.
Straight-line navigation isn't all that hard, it's just inconvenient
compared to GPS.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"