Cross country question? How is it done today?

On 9/11/2013 8:22 AM, flgliderpilot wrote:
I am fairly green had my PGL for about 3 years now.

Been venturing into cross country, have done my first flight out to another
airport, and last weekend, an out to that airport and return, about 30
miles round trip (in a 1-26, no ridges, it's all flat Florida). Snip...

Congratulations on crossing a Major Psychological Hurdle...going XC!

However, I was told recently by an older experienced pilot that using a GPS
is "not the correct way to do it". Instead I should be thinking "can I get
there... now can I get there... can I get there...". I understand this
ideology, but I am pretty sure nearly everyone is using GPS these days.

So, does this mean I should not use modern navigation technology? I know
how to plot a cross country flight on paper of course, and required
altitudes to the next safe landing area.

Does this mean I should I actually be drawing circles on charts, carrying a
slide ruler to calculate arrival height at various distances, and
mechanically doing everything my GPS is doing for me? This means I am not
looking for traffic, or thermalling but instead flipping through charts and
playing with a slide ruler or E6B, and my eyes are not outside the canopy.

Let the religious arguments begin!!!

Writing as one who's never flown with other than paper chart w. self-drawn
circles, a homemade Willie Makeit glide chart, a conservative (used 3
miles/1000' for 1-26s, under most conditions) no-brainer mental calculator and
a desire to have gobs of self-generated XC fun challenges, here's my feedback.

With apologies to Bill Murray: "It doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter. It
REALLY just doesn't doesn't matter!"...whether you use charts or
battery-powered glowing screens.

What matters is that you learn the (safety-enhancing) basics: how to
"relaxedly" pick safe landing fields; how to most safely fly landing patterns
into fields/strange-to-you airports; how to judge IF you can reach your chosen
field(s). Neither charts nor GPS will help you if you can't do these things.
Sure, both have value (for navigation/airspace reasons), but in much of the
U.S. neither is CRUCIAL to safely and legally soaring XC, so use what works
for you, bearing in mind that electronic devices can stop working for a host
of reasons.

Regardless of which navigational approach you use, your brain at all times
should (must?) be fully engaged on what's outside your canopy. Safer, much
more funner, and makes for longer soaring flights, too - woo hoo! What good
will it do you if you (say) hit another airplane while knowing exactly where
you are...or doing the same thing when "navigationally befuddled?" All good
things come only from remaining aloft and plugging away. Knowing where you
are, believing you can reach "some safe out" when you in fact can't, etc. are
all secondary to always being able to safely land somewhere...and only Joe
Pilot controls that.

And Most Importantly, have fun however you skin the cat!

Bob W.

Good advice from Bob W!

One important thing to keep in mind is to not cede control of your destiny to your devices, electronic or otherwise. They are useful, but not omniscient. They will give you information to guide your decisions, but be leery of falling into the trap of letting them make the decisions for you. Somewhere in the back of your mind, remember how silly it would sound telling an FAA or NTSB representative, or even a sheriff or irate farmer "the box said I could make it, so that's what I tried."

And don't forget to come out west for some real cross-country soaring.

Thanks, Bob K.