(Snowbird) writes:

With that totally correct set of priorities, that means you're
also going to be setting up your GPS "when the opportunities
present themselves", vs. *having it set up and ready to use*.

Just out of curiosity, do you fly with your cell phone plugged into
your headset and ready to use, with ATC and FSS numbers on the speed
dial? I'd expect that that would be significantly more valuable in an
IMC emergency, but I have to admit that I do not (yet) do that either.
If you do, then please accept my honest admiration.

Well here's another I don't get (how does the altimeter help you
head towards VMC?

Airspace is 3D -- sometimes the nearest safe and accessible VMC is
above or below you.

That said, my handheld GPS often is on already

Alright, than what are we arguing about? I thought you were
taking the position that it was just as useful to you in your
flightbag.

If you look back at Google, I said that I thought the statement was
too strident. I don't argue that there are benefits, but I think it's
an exaggeration to say that lack of a fully set-up handheld GPS in a
vacuum or electrical failure would normally be a life-or-death issue,
or that a GPS still in the flight bag is virtually useless. If we go
around telling pilots that *everything* is life-or-death, we get into
a boy-who-cried-wolf syndrome, and people start to ignore the things
that really do matter. There are a lot more important things to have
prepared in IMC, including (in approximate order of importance to me):

- more than one flashlight right at hand, with fresh batteries
- a very accurate knowledge where I am all the time
- a knowledge of current weather, including the closest VMC
- the highest nearby obstructions and bodies of water *memorized*
(i.e. the CN tower in Toronto, the highest hills in the Adirondacks,
the approximate distance and direction to Lake Ontario, etc.)
- charts and plates already open and folded appropriately
- a timer
- a cell phone and headset adapter (I don't have that yet, but I'm
going to order one) with ATC and FSS on speed dial

The set-up handheld GPS is undoubtedly a benefit, but it comes a bit
further down the list, probably after a couple more things I haven't
thought of yet -- I don't think I'd say that it was life-or-death,
since it's not something you should be worrying about during the first
few critical minutes of an emergency, whether it's on your lap or in
the flight bag. Often mine's already on, but sometimes it's not, and
I don't think that my risk profile changes much either way.


All the best,


David