I love my GPS!

Wales GPS track 100705
Originally uploaded by Andy Hardy.

Can you imagine life before the telephone, or the internet? Well what about before GPS..!?

GPS is a fabulous improvement for small aircraft pilots: while I still believe it is important, and right, that we are trained to navigate visually (just map and stop-watch using "ded-reckoning"), in order to pass our private pilot's license. We are also trained to use ground-based radion navigation aids such as VOR, NDB etc.

But small handheld GPS units (my brother gave me mine as a birthday gift!) can be so easily used and make navigation infinitely easier, and safer. The old methods (ded-reckoning and ground-based radio navaids) are used as backups in case of GPS failure.

Oddly, no training is provided for use of GPS during the private pilot's license training... this starting to become a bit controversial in some quarters, but on the other hand modern cheap handheld GPS units are SO easy to use that very little training is needed to use them. However, the temptation for very recently qualified pilot's to rely solely on GPS is very great and so some training in what's the sensible balance between new and old techniques is probably a good idea.

Anyway, one of my favourite things about my GPS is the ability to upload my actual flight track into my PC when I get home - partly to see if I navigated accurately, and partlty so I can relive the flight :-) Sad, eh!?