The Journey of Flight.pdf - Valkyrie Cadet

Chapter Chapter 9 9 - - Flight Flight Navigation
Navigation
not be necessary. On the other hand, it might be necessary to use a sectional chart as backup for an area
that is not quite so familiar.
Use of the pilotage navigational technique in completely unfamiliar territory requires more caution
and preparation. This preparation may involve the following steps:
(1) A true-course (TC) line is drawn on the aeronautical chart from the point of departure to the
destination.
(2) Using the scale printed on the chart, or a flight plotter, the total distance to be flown is
measured and the TC line marked off in segments of 10 miles each. These distance segments
help the pilot or navigator locate landmarks and determine the progress of the flight over
unfamiliar territory.
(3) Landmarks are selected along or very near to the TC. The landmarks along the TC are used as
checkpoints, with the word checkpoint meaning the place over which the airplane should be at
a certain predetermined time. It is also good practice to select a checkpoint at the end of the
destination so that the pilot will know immediately if the airport has been overflown.
(4) “Brackets” on each side of the course should be selected. Brackets are easy-to-see surface
features to either side of the TC; they are used between checkpoints to help maintain the
proper course over the ground. If you are very unfamiliar with the area, choose easily recognized
features like large cities or mountains.
Pilotage can involve extensive planning. It was presented earlier how wind affects the airplane’s
rate of progress and direction over the ground. With other navigational methods, this is considered and
calculated prior to beginning the flight. Pilotage, on the other hand, involves observing how much drift
to the right or left of the TC the wind is causing and compensating for the drift by changing the heading
of the airplane. It is a basic, “eyeballs out” method of navigation that is an essential skill.
Flight Plotter
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Navigation by
pilotage, then, can vary
from doing considerable
planning to no planning.
When flights are of short
distances over familiar
territory, most pilots
simply preflight their
airplanes and go.
Dead Reckoning.
Dead reckoning is the basis
for professional-level
navigation. While pilotage
is an “eyeballs out” form
of flying from one place to
another, the dead-reckoning
technique involves the
systematic consideration
of all factors that will and