On 10/06/2015 13:45, David Molden wrote:
Actually what Tim says matches my experience. From 5,000 ft it was not easy to identify landmarks and therefore not a reliable way to mark out airspace. I can imagine for someone who flies XC in an area frequently you could build up this knowledge, but I challenge anyone to recognise accurate landmarks, bar the big towns and power stations etc from this height on first flight.
Challenge accepted and already done. For some reason I had to redo my low level nav when I did my 3 axis conversion at GS Aviation last summer, and did a 1 hour flight using only a 1:250,000 chart and a compass. No GPS. Not above 1,500 ft AGL. From Clench, so in the TVHGC area. Flying at 60 mph.
And here's the rub, navigation is easier the higher you go.
At 3,000 ft it's easier, and 5,000 ft easier still. From 5,000ft on a good day you see the Solent. and it is unlikely to be passing by at much more than 50 km/h. (30 mph).
You have railway lines, roads, rivers and towns all in arrangements that allow you to identify them by process of elimination and some rough dead reckoning. Cathedrals. White Horses.
Andover was a good example. Were you to fly XC from, Milk, say, the M4 would stick out like a sore thumb. When you leave Combe, the direction to it gives you a back bearing for your drift.
Think of the Dam Busters flying all the way to Germany with no GPS at night. What we are doing by comparison is not very hard.
To cut Tim some slack, he's very skilled and is doing some of the flying thing almost subconsciously.
Prior to 1996 there were no GPS units. We managed, although of course you could then argue there was no proof we stayed out of airspace.
As a constructive suggestion, why don't you "cheat". I do it from time to time. I take my microlight to a ground feature that I may need to see on an XC and have a look in a relaxed style.
Go to Graham Slater at GS Aviation, take an hour with him in a C42 and go looking for the landmarks that correspond to the key airspace features. Take a 1:500,000 map with you. Enjoy.
-- Steve Uzochukwu, Resource/Technical Manager and Support Engineer. 07973 713120.
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