GPS and planning a cross-country

GPS

GPS is amazing, and most pilots use an EFB app like ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot. But on your checkride and in training, you must be able to navigate without it. Keep your chart and nav log up to date, cross-check the GPS against landmarks, and keep the database current. If the GPS fails, you should know where you are at all times anyway.

The navigation log

For a cross-country, choose checkpoints about 10 to 20 NM apart: things you can easily spot from the air, like towns, highway intersections, lakes, rivers and distinctive mountains. For each leg, your nav log has the course, altitude, wind, heading, distance, groundspeed, time and fuel. In flight, record your actual time at each checkpoint and compare with your estimate. If you're getting behind or ahead, your wind estimate was off; update your groundspeed and fuel.

VFR flight plans

A VFR flight plan isn't required, but it's free insurance. You file it with Flight Service or through an app, then:

1. Open it after takeoff (with Flight Service, or automatically in some apps).
2. Close it when you land.

If you don't close it, search and rescue starts looking for you, usually beginning about 30 minutes after your estimated arrival time. Closing it matters.

Flight following

VFR flight following is radar traffic advisories from ATC, available when workload permits. Ask the approach or center controller: "request VFR flight following to Logan." You get a squawk code, traffic calls and an extra set of eyes. It's one of the best safety tools a VFR pilot has.