I'll pre-fly using MSFS (in VR), selecting prominent features as VFR waypoints and it's never let me down. I'll transfer what I learned in the sim to a paper chart, noting the times and my first solo XC was only off by ONE MINUTE to Top of Descent! All my other checkpoints (save for TOC) were within a minute! I'll make mental notes on what I see as well... "Ok, when get to TOD, I should see the airport North of that highway & quarry". The benefit of having "seen" it before is just amazing, and I plan to pre-fly every flight I can!
Thats a great point about flying over well light area's at night. Flight training in AZ mountains my instructor drove that point frequently. Coming back to Prescott from Phoenix we would follow the highway up at night in case of an emergency. You can see the road night, cant see whats hiding on the mountain slopes, and failure to properly plan altitude a C172 will never out-climb a mountain.
As a fairly new ground school member working on a fix wing add on to my rotorcraft certificate, I can tell you, Jason and his teaching system are worth every penny. Get it! You won’t regret it. Mike G
Thanks Jason. My instructor sent me on my first cross country and when I returned feeling accomplished, he was waiting for me out on the line and broke the news to me that one of the other instructors pointed out to him that the airport he sent me to was only 49 miles away. When I flew to another airport that was farther, it was a very hot day and literally on take off, my IPad overheated. Luckily, like you, I had printed out my flight plan and airport diagrams so I just switched over and didn't lose my flight. Great tips. Thanks again.
Checkpoints: One thing I do on my flight planning is use the sectional and an aerial view to confirm that it's something easily visible. Multiple aerial views showing different times of the year (if you can find them) are also super helpful.
During my first solo cross country in the middle of July, my iPhone , mounted on the windscreen to my left, overheated. I had to fall back to paper sectional. It was at that point I realized the value in the training my instructor gave me on navigating solely by paper sectionals. I wasn’t allowed to use my phone til the dual xc we did before my first solo xc.
You can always use your phone as a backup, or a second iPad 😉. Joke no joke, it’s always good to know the “raw” method. When I was student iPads where a novelty, we did everything with paper, everything, from filing the flight plans, calling to flight service for weather briefing, XC planning… that was a chore. I used to print everything as well. Now I use IPads and iPhones… they are pretty useful.
I use wing-x as a backup to my charts. It is nice to check the phone every so ofter to see how well I am doing. But I prefer to use my charts and printed runway diagrams. no batteries to die (even though I carry battery packs for the phone and iPad).
On PP Checkride, picked a VOR as a visual checkpoint. Missed it. Nice examiner spotted it and let it slide. Use 2 iPads and have iPhone, but still print a basic set of stuff esp runway diagrams of controlled airports.
If you’re going to try to use checkpoints, I think it’s better to look at the TAC Chart rather than the World VFR Sectional. The former will sometimes list specific names for landmarks such as bodies of water, streets, and buildings.
Old Skul Rulz! "What's a VOR Radial"? I still have a carpenters pencil taped to a string on my kneeboard with printed airport diagrams while using a Stratux with iFlyGps while my buddy uses a Stratus with Foreflight. BTW Sectionals are in the flight bag with a hand held compass and Avare on the cell phone. If I get lost it's my fault!
I missed hearing one important part about the 50 mile rule for the Private: besides one leg needing to be greater than 50 miles long, one point of landing needs to be at least 50 miles from the original airport. So for example, go 30 miles West. Then 60 miles East, then 30 miles West back to your start. This does not qualify as the long XC for Private, because no landing was 50 miles away, even though one leg was still greater than 50. An easier rule to follow is to just make sure that either your first or last leg is at least 50 miles (there are ways to do it with only the middle leg being 50, but it takes a longer discussion).
I'll pre-fly using MSFS (in VR), selecting prominent features as VFR waypoints and it's never let me down. I'll transfer what I learned in the sim to a paper chart, noting the times and my first solo XC was only off by ONE MINUTE to Top of Descent! All my other checkpoints (save for TOC) were within a minute!
I'll make mental notes on what I see as well... "Ok, when get to TOD, I should see the airport North of that highway & quarry".
The benefit of having "seen" it before is just amazing, and I plan to pre-fly every flight I can!
Do a video about that
Thats a great point about flying over well light area's at night. Flight training in AZ mountains my instructor drove that point frequently. Coming back to Prescott from Phoenix we would follow the highway up at night in case of an emergency. You can see the road night, cant see whats hiding on the mountain slopes, and failure to properly plan altitude a C172 will never out-climb a mountain.
As a fairly new ground school member working on a fix wing add on to my rotorcraft certificate, I can tell you, Jason and his teaching system are worth every penny. Get it! You won’t regret it.
Mike G
Great Tips!
Thanks Jason. My instructor sent me on my first cross country and when I returned feeling accomplished, he was waiting for me out on the line and broke the news to me that one of the other instructors pointed out to him that the airport he sent me to was only 49 miles away. When I flew to another airport that was farther, it was a very hot day and literally on take off, my IPad overheated. Luckily, like you, I had printed out my flight plan and airport diagrams so I just switched over and didn't lose my flight. Great tips. Thanks again.
Checkpoints: One thing I do on my flight planning is use the sectional and an aerial view to confirm that it's something easily visible. Multiple aerial views showing different times of the year (if you can find them) are also super helpful.
Another great video - Thanks Jason!
Thanks for the wonderful video !
Thanks….great job!
Another great set of tips!
As Always a great video! Thank you for everything you guys do!!!!
During my first solo cross country in the middle of July, my iPhone , mounted on the windscreen to my left, overheated. I had to fall back to paper sectional. It was at that point I realized the value in the training my instructor gave me on navigating solely by paper sectionals. I wasn’t allowed to use my phone til the dual xc we did before my first solo xc.
Being able to do things the “old way” is priceless for safety.
You can always use your phone as a backup, or a second iPad 😉. Joke no joke, it’s always good to know the “raw” method. When I was student iPads where a novelty, we did everything with paper, everything, from filing the flight plans, calling to flight service for weather briefing, XC planning… that was a chore. I used to print everything as well. Now I use IPads and iPhones… they are pretty useful.
I use wing-x as a backup to my charts. It is nice to check the phone every so ofter to see how well I am doing. But I prefer to use my charts and printed runway diagrams. no batteries to die (even though I carry battery packs for the phone and iPad).
On PP Checkride, picked a VOR as a visual checkpoint. Missed it. Nice examiner spotted it and let it slide. Use 2 iPads and have iPhone, but still print a basic set of stuff esp runway diagrams of controlled airports.
If you’re going to try to use checkpoints, I think it’s better to look at the TAC Chart rather than the World VFR Sectional. The former will sometimes list specific names for landmarks such as bodies of water, streets, and buildings.
Old Skul Rulz! "What's a VOR Radial"? I still have a carpenters pencil taped to a string on my kneeboard with printed airport diagrams while using a Stratux with iFlyGps while my buddy uses a Stratus with Foreflight. BTW Sectionals are in the flight bag with a hand held compass and Avare on the cell phone. If I get lost it's my fault!
Thanks 😊😊😊😊
I missed hearing one important part about the 50 mile rule for the Private: besides one leg needing to be greater than 50 miles long, one point of landing needs to be at least 50 miles from the original airport. So for example, go 30 miles West. Then 60 miles East, then 30 miles West back to your start. This does not qualify as the long XC for Private, because no landing was 50 miles away, even though one leg was still greater than 50. An easier rule to follow is to just make sure that either your first or last leg is at least 50 miles (there are ways to do it with only the middle leg being 50, but it takes a longer discussion).
Can you make a video for rusty vfr pilots
Great content as always. Pity that the giveaway is limited to US only and not international.
confirmation bias - essential understanding...