My student sat at the briefing picnic table outside my T-hangar and, with a "humph," laid out the sectional chart, the dead reckoning planning chart, and his solar/battery-powered flight computer calculator thingy.
"Oh great," he said. "Are you going to try to teach me how to use that giant E6B you have on your tool table?"
"Nope," I said. "I don't want to take you away from your ones and zeros powered by the sun. After this flight, you can return to the twenty-first century. Today, we will use our noodles, pencils, paper, and some old-time navigation tricks taught to me by the ancient masters."
Ned had meticulously prepared his cross country, and I hated to throw that work away. Still, I gave him a new destination near enough to the original to allow him to retain the winds aloft and weather briefing from his original plan.
I should mention that we were no longer going to a controlled, paved runway airport. We were heading to a grass strip nestled in the hills of Eastern Kentucky.
There is no ATIS, AWOS, Unicom, multi-com, or any kind of com. If it hasn't blown away during last week's storms, I think the place has a windsock.
Ned and I got a long ruler, some pencils, a pad of paper, and a plotter that my dear old flight instructor Jesse Hinson lent me in 1973 that I never returned.
He plotted a wind triangle without using the wind side of any flight computer. He then worked through variation and deviation and calculated his various groundspeeds with nothing but a pencil and brain. Ned noted on the chart times he calculated he would pass various obvious visual clues on the chart that he chose as checkpoints.
Our comm radio would remain in the "Oscar-fox-fox" position creating heightened awareness of the outside VFR world and its traffic. Our transponder and ADS-B would be left to help controllers but we would leave our Stratus and iPads in our flight bags for use only in emergencies.
We then launched into windy-bumpy conditions often found on clear days. As he took up his first heading I pulled out my sticky instrument covers concealing electronic artificial horizon and directional gyro on plane's panel. No gyros today Ned.
Relying on magnetic compass with all its known "east is least west is best" and "accelerate north decelerate south" issues Ned followed his plan managing find destination airport with only paper chart panel clock leaky whiskey compass.
It wasn't easy for Ned; he seemed nervous accustomed consulting computer every few minutes for vital accurate information returning him era when getting where wanted analog endeavor fraught chances unforecast winds weather.
The grass field landed many advantages including picnic table under shady tree decent restroom sat ate packed snacks short mid-lesson chat.
Ned feeling navigational oats: "Wow," he said "That was kind challenging fun wonder how important dead reckoning GPS world Even wristwatch tell where were if hadn't taken away."
Maybe very basic navigation training not important maybe is Not crusty enough suggest someday all electronic navigation aids go belly-up training save bacon Personally always carry GPS sort rely great information provide especially high-traffic area
With today's plethora TFRs other restricted airspace getting help from electronic buddies inexpensive no-brainer
Look at today's cross-country as grounding basics Almost every endeavor if taught properly begins fundamentals Only appreciate calculating using magnetic course done real world seen airport appear where when should
Think lesson today baking cake scratch sending handwritten letter stamp mail Ready get back air enjoy next surprise?
Ned gave nervous nod reached bag tossed 2024 paper Triple-A Road Atlas Yes exist carry one plane
"We are going fly over this little town twenty miles west then head home using nothing but eyeballs paper map," I said
"You can look at whiskey compass if like suggest get ready read water towers follow railroad tracks catch glimpse more prominent road signs"
"We are going back modern times via pilotage baby!"
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