Navigation strategy on a short flight

On Jun 29, 1:24*pm, "Peter Dohm" wrote:
"Stephen!" wrote in message

...



"Flaps_50!" wrote in news:936e4ca2-5f71-402d-ab98-
:

Use your compass / DI and allow for the drift expected from winds at
your altitude.

*Now do it at 1500' MSL from PGSN to PGUM *without* a GPS and you've got
the return leg of one of my student solo cross "country" flights. *57 nm
between visual checkpoints across open water. *At 1500' I was below both
the VOR and the RADAR on Guam. *All I had to keep me company was my Mag
Compass, DG, and the COM radio until I got near Rota. *The VOR was
flagged most the way back.

*An unexpected/unpredicted cloud base moved in and I had the choice of
staying below or trying to get above them. *Stopping in Saipan was *not*
an option. *I wasn't even allowed to make the standard stop for log book
signing. *Touch-and-go only due to Customs and Immigration regulations.
Still proud of my ded-reckoning on that one. *When Rota finally came into
view, it was only 2 off my port bow.

*Here are some snapshots of a time when the weather was better and I was
able to make the flight by visual checkpoints the entire way (I saw Rota
from 57 miles away):

WARNING!! These pictures are *NOT* recommended viewing for those who pee
their pants when they think of flying across open water in a single
engine aircraft!

http://imagesdesavions.com/xcntry/nmi/index.html

--
RCOS #7
IBA# 11465
http://imagesdesavions.com

It looks a lot like the Bahamas, only more grass and greener trees--perhaps
the soil is better.

BTW, I understand that it was always quite common for dual students to be
less than one mile off course when arriving at Bimini from Opa Locka. *That
was about 60nm and KOPF did have a reasonably well maintained compass rose
back when I was familiar there--and I, too, did arrive very nearly on
course. *Then again, the compass variation is small here on the east coast,
so we do have it pretty easy.

Peter

Re the Bahamas: some time ago I decided to go from Grand Bahama Island
to Nassau. While en route was told to delay my arrival time by a half
hour or 45 minutes because of thunderstorms. It was blue skies where
we were, and just to the side was an island with a dirt strip that
looked really inviting. I dragged the strip -- 500 feet, dirty, and it
looked like a great place to stop for a while. "OK" I told my pax,
"let's do that". I got back to about 900 feet, flew a downwind, base,
turned onto final, and we saw some people come out to the runway:
probably only two or three, but at the time it looked like an army
because they were all carrying long guns. I decided the message was,
this was a very private airstrip. Throttle forward, gear and flaps up,
and we got out of there pretty quickly. Then flew in circles for a
half hour.

Same trip after clearing customs in as I remember Hollywood FL, I had
finished a weather briefing and was approached by a guy who asked if I
was flying to Boston. He overheard part of the briefing. I told that
was my plan. He told me he had two hundred pounds of delicate
electronics he needed to get to Boston, and if I could hang around for
an hour he'd get them into my airplane. Then, with a wink, he said if
I took them I could keep a couple of pounds for myself.

I was wheels up very soon after that.

Electronics by the pound: interesting idea, isn't it?