THE USE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FOR NAVIGATION UNDER DAYTIME VFR
(Acknowledgements: EGAST/GA7)
AT HOME AND BEFORE THE FLIGHT
- Plan your flight and prepare maps and log in the normal way
- Understanding your equipment is key, so if it is portable practise at home with it
- Check for and install any software updates in order to ensure that you have the latest available information
- Check your battery condition and/or power cable installation
- Ensure that all required information is programmed while still on the ground
- Use only standard settings and check lists
- Double check your route, and check any computer produced flight plan carefully
- Load possible alternative routes
- Verify the receiver’s displayed position at start‑up
- Remember that such equipment is not
certified as an aeronautical product and therefore no guarantee is
given on its safety and reliability.
IN FLIGHT
- Fly the Aircraft!
- GPS should not be relied upon as your sole navigation reference, so be ready at any time to resume your own navigation with terrain maps, which must remain your primary mode of navigation
- Keep looking out for the ground, other aircraft and navigation features, using the GPS only once you have verified its accuracy against something else, and cross‑check regularly
- Remember that your equipment could become unserviceable, so always be aware of where you are, and keep your written flight log up to date
- Never try to access new modes nor to change equipment options in flight!
- Only carry out instrument approaches if you are trained and can comply fully with the requirements
- Do not invent your own GPS instrument approaches, or rely on ‘overlays’
- Remember that apparent accuracy does not equal reliability. This is not guaranteed
FLY SAFE!