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pointer for tracking DME arcs, as they always point to the station, or 90 degrees from the aircraft’s heading, +/- wind correction. This not only makes position along the arc simple to monitor via the tail of the bearing pointer, it makes wind correction visualization simpler, as well. In short, bearing pointers are simple and versatile devices for navigation that are no less relevant today than they were in the pre-GPS era. Yet, I rarely see IFR pilots commonly utilizing or maintaining proficiency in bearing pointer usage. Those pilots that do, however, generally display some of the best situational awareness skills within the ranks of IFR pilots, professional or otherwise.
Conclusion
I don’t believe for a minute that we should return to pre-GPS navigation. IFR pilots should absolutely embrace and take advantage of the latest and greatest advances in both navigation and flight control. Returning to old-school methods as a matter of routine holds no appeal to myself, nor makes practical sense. However, as technologies advance, it becomes ever more critical that we stay both abreast of them and of the longer established technologies that back them up. It is easy to become complacent when the wonders of GPS make advanced navigation chores seem so simple and routine.
The use of back-up navigation systems becomes nearly forgotten, rarely practiced, and almost never studied. Of course, the problem with this reality is that when the primary navigation tools are compromised, the use of the secondary tools becomes a near emergency in and of itself, rather than the simple inconvenience that it should be. KA
Copyright 2016, Matthew McDaniel.
First publication rights granted King Air magazine via The Village Press. All other rights reserved by copyright holder.
Matthew McDaniel is a Master & Gold Seal CFII, ATP, MEI, AGI & IGI. In 26 years of flying, he has logged over 16,000 hours total, over 5,500 hours of instruction- given, and over 2,500 hours in the King Air and BE- 1900. As owner of Progressive Aviation Services,
LLC, (www.progaviation.com), he has specialized
in Technically Advanced Aircraft and Glass Cockpit instruction since 2001. Currently, he also flies the
Airbus A-320 series for an international airline and holds eight turbine aircraft type-ratings. Matt is one of less than 25 instructors in the world to have earned the “Master Certified Flight Instructor” designation for seven consecutive two-year terms. He can be contacted at (414) 339-4990 or matt@progaviation.com.
SEPTEMBER 2016
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 17