solo cross country

N48302P

N48302P

Well-Known Member
I will be flying my first solo cross country in just over a week. I have a stage check coming up in a few days before the solo. One big thing my instructor noted was that I need to work on my pilotage skills and being able to reference stuff on the ground to the map. Therefore, any advice you guys can offer me that will help for my first solo CC? or any tips/pointers that helped you for your first solo CC?
Thanks!
 
N48302P said:
One big thing my instructor noted was that I need to work on my pilotage skills and being able to reference stuff on the ground to the map.
Click to expand...
Plan your x/c by only following the map. Plan on following rivers, back roads, bridges, railroads, etc., to find your way around. Not big major highways, but less obvious roads and such so that you learn to follow yourself on a map.

Later, in the real world, you will mostly follow electronic navigation devices, but they are all subject to electrical failure and you should become intimately familiar with the old map standby.
 
choose landmarks & checkpoints that are too big to miss or mistake for something else. and, no, that's NOT cheating
 
Whenever possible use checkpoints that have multiple features like where a railroad crosses a river (two major elements), or where a town is on an Interstate and there is a major power line going to the north out of it, or there is a race track on the north of two towns very close together.... things like that which are pretty unique within a 25 mile square.

It's easy to get confused in unfamiliar areas and you may assume that a particular bend in a river is the one you are looking for even though it's not, then you just keep getting more lost because you end up convincing yourself that what you see on the ground is what you are looking for. But if you can select good checkpoints with multiple features, it's much easier to be certain you're on the right track, or know that you are not and take corrections early.
 
After planning your route with all of the advice above, don't be afraid to use google earth. Things will look different from the airplane, but it will give you an idea of what to expect.
 
As soon as you get to your planned cruising altitude and established on course, pick up a visible reference waypoint as far as possible at 12 o'clock. It could be an elevation on a ridge, a lake, an artificial obstacle but it should be unique and far. This way if your vacuum is low on psi you will be able to maintain your track. Keep that reference at the back of your head, remember Whiskey and use pilotage you were taught. Then choose another farthest point it's a lot of fun, enjoy it.
 
The higher you go, the more things look like the map. However, you might not be able to read water towers. Also, I use the rule of 3. If I can positively identify 3 things in relation to the map, the likelyhood that I have made a mistake is low. It's very easy to mistake one city for another, it's very hard to mistake a city, a railroad, and a large lake in relation to each other.
 
Go big and bracket your course with easily identifiable visual references. I'm always surprised when students use towers and abandoned airports instead of city limits, bays, large ponds and the like. Airports that have single runways that are at 90 degrees to your course (and highways for that matter) can be hard to see from a distance if they lined by trees.
 
I love to use the bends in the river for guidance. I can be 20 miles away from the river but still have a good idea of where I am based on my alignment with a bend in a river. However, if you're not flying around the Mississippi like I am, try using interstate. They are my favorite when I am away from a river or large lake
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top