Air Nav
Air Navigation - The Pilot/Navigator
All air navigation involves basic principles that apply to all aeroplanes, from the simplest trainer to the most sophisticated passenger jets. These basic principles are discussed in this manual.
Since The Air Pilot’s Manual is a training programme for the Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL), we will concentrate on accurate navigation of a light aircraft, flown by a single pilot, in visual conditions.
PPL holders, when flying cross-country, act as pilot, navigator and radio operator. They must:
- Primarily fly the aeroplane safely ad accurately
- Navigate correctly
- Operate the radio and attend to other duties in the cockpit
In short, they must ‘aviate, navigate and communicate’.
To conduct a cross-county flight efficiently, navigation tasks must be coordinated with (and not interfere with) the smooth flying of the aeroplane. It is most important that the pilot/navigator clearly understands the basic principles underlying navigation so that correct techniques and practices can be applied quickly and accurately without causing distraction or apprehension.
Prepare Soundly
Being properly prepared prior to a cross-country flight is essential if it is to be successful, always flight plan meticulously. This establishes an accurate base against which you can measure your in-flight navigation performance.
The Earth
All navigation is done with reference to the surface of the earth – starting from the elementary exercise of ‘navigating’ the aeroplane around the circuit during your initial training (which requires visual reference to ground features such as the runway and points ahead of the aeroplane for tracking) and progressing to the large passenger jets using sophisticated instrument navigation techniques to cover vast distances around the earth.
DIRECTION ON EARTH:
Direction is the angular position of one point to another without reference to the distance between them. It is expressed as the angular
All air navigation involves basic principles that apply to all aeroplanes, from the simplest trainer to the most sophisticated passenger jets. These basic principles are discussed in this manual.
Since The Air Pilot’s Manual is a training programme for the Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL), we will concentrate on accurate navigation of a light aircraft, flown by a single pilot, in visual conditions.
PPL holders, when flying cross-country, act as pilot, navigator and radio operator. They must:
- Primarily fly the aeroplane safely ad accurately
- Navigate correctly
- Operate the radio and attend to other duties in the cockpit
In short, they must ‘aviate, navigate and communicate’.
To conduct a cross-county flight efficiently, navigation tasks must be coordinated with (and not interfere with) the smooth flying of the aeroplane. It is most important that the pilot/navigator clearly understands the basic principles underlying navigation so that correct techniques and practices can be applied quickly and accurately without causing distraction or apprehension.
Prepare Soundly
Being properly prepared prior to a cross-country flight is essential if it is to be successful, always flight plan meticulously. This establishes an accurate base against which you can measure your in-flight navigation performance.
The Earth
All navigation is done with reference to the surface of the earth – starting from the elementary exercise of ‘navigating’ the aeroplane around the circuit during your initial training (which requires visual reference to ground features such as the runway and points ahead of the aeroplane for tracking) and progressing to the large passenger jets using sophisticated instrument navigation techniques to cover vast distances around the earth.
DIRECTION ON EARTH:
Direction is the angular position of one point to another without reference to the distance between them. It is expressed as the angular