Handheld GPS

I am a new pilot with a few hours of solo time. The head instructor told me to get a handheld GPS and it was hard to decide which one. Finally I bought the Garmin Etrex 20 ($200).

It is easy to read in sunlight and has some glider functions like "glide ratio to destination." It is not a real soaring GPS but it does give you groundspeed, distance from "home," and a pointer back to the airstrip. Using this GPS allows me to concentrate on thermaling without worrying so much about getting lost. Also it lets you log your accomplishments!

My first flight with the GPS I soared in a 2-33 for almost 2.5 hours, gained 10k feet of altitude, and traveled 127 miles - all within a 5-mile radius of the airport!