Do you use your magnetic compass?

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:IXppc.15719$6f5.1334133@attbi_s54...
Am I being overly compulsive about this?

Maybe. Although I still religiously set the DG to the compass in flight,
it's more from habit than from need.

I've got two moving map GPSs, two VORs, DME, and the road grids to navigate
with -- any one of which is far more accurate than my whisky compass. And
the odds of losing all of those tools (including battery back-ups) are
almost nil.

Jay
Not to be disparaging by any means, but I've seen total electrical
equipment failure at least twice while IFR, and a few times while VFR.
I learned the use of the wet compass early in my flying career...it
was demanded by my old crusty CFI, and it has worked well to keep me
out of trouble in remote places. It has gotten me back on the ground
right side up in a Pawnee when I inadvertantly ran into early fog in
Louisiana back in the mid 60's. That was when I incorporated the use
of what I called Primitive Panel for training with all my following
Instrument students.
I even had to learn use of a sun compass in addition to all the rest
of the gages when flying up north. Yep there is still plenty of use
for the old wet compass all the new gadgets notwithstanding.
Best Regards
Flyinrock

Rocky wrote:

I've got two moving map GPSs, two VORs, DME, and the road grids to navigate
with -- any one of which is far more accurate than my whisky compass. And
the odds of losing all of those tools (including battery back-ups) are
almost nil.

Not to be disparaging by any means, but I've seen total electrical
equipment failure at least twice while IFR, and a few times while VFR.
I learned the use of the wet compass early in my flying career...it
was demanded by my old crusty CFI, and it has worked well to keep me
out of trouble in remote places. It has gotten me back on the ground
right side up in a Pawnee when I inadvertantly ran into early fog in
Louisiana back in the mid 60's. That was when I incorporated the use
of what I called Primitive Panel for training with all my following
Instrument students.
I even had to learn use of a sun compass in addition to all the rest
of the gages when flying up north. Yep there is still plenty of use
for the old wet compass all the new gadgets notwithstanding.

More significantly, when ATC gives you IFR vectors, they are at least trying
to take wind into account. If approach says "fly heading 250, vectors,
traffic" in strong winds and a slow plane, they might actually want you on a
*track* of anywhere between 220 and 280.

I agree with the original poster that it's unlikely that you'd have an
electrical failure (for the panel instruments) *and* a GPS outage (for the
handheld) at the same time, but it is still worth noting that there is just
one level of redundancy there, since everything but the handheld GPS depends
on the same electrical system.


All the best,


David

David Megginson wrote in message t.cable.rogers.com...
Rocky wrote:

I've got two moving map GPSs, two VORs, DME, and the road grids to navigate
with -- any one of which is far more accurate than my whisky compass. And
the odds of losing all of those tools (including battery back-ups) are
almost nil.

Not to be disparaging by any means, but I've seen total electrical
equipment failure at least twice while IFR, and a few times while VFR.
I learned the use of the wet compass early in my flying career...it
was demanded by my old crusty CFI, and it has worked well to keep me
out of trouble in remote places. It has gotten me back on the ground
right side up in a Pawnee when I inadvertantly ran into early fog in
Louisiana back in the mid 60's. That was when I incorporated the use
of what I called Primitive Panel for training with all my following
Instrument students.
I even had to learn use of a sun compass in addition to all the rest
of the gages when flying up north. Yep there is still plenty of use
for the old wet compass all the new gadgets notwithstanding.

More significantly, when ATC gives you IFR vectors, they are at least trying
to take wind into account. If approach says "fly heading 250, vectors,
traffic" in strong winds and a slow plane, they might actually want you on a
*track* of anywhere between 220 and 280.

I agree with the original poster that it's unlikely that you'd have an
electrical failure (for the panel instruments) *and* a GPS outage (for the
handheld) at the same time, but it is still worth noting that there is just
one level of redundancy there, since everything but the handheld GPS depends
on the same electrical system.


All the best,


David
Can't argue with your post. All I can rely on is my own experience
gained in the last 45 years puttin around the world in remote areas
with some fancy, and some simple equipment. Much of the time I had to
rely on compass and eyeballs while making my own maps. A large part of
territory was marked UNSURVEYED on the map with a light green blank
tint.....
Now I wonder how in the world we ever got along without GPS but I can
still put my finger on the map and say, "We are right HERE".
While not exactly on topic, but very related, was the disappointing
ability of many US pilots who came to fly for me in remote areas, to
navigate without all the fancy electronic equipment we have here in
the USA. There wasn't much room for error out there and none of us
wanted to spend a lot of effort trying to find someone who couldn't
read a map or use a compass, or fly their plan. It appears that is
getting worse instead of better with reliance on avionics as opposed
to gray matter.
Cheers
Ol Shy & Bashful