RA-AUS Cross country endorsement

[danny_galaga]

So, I really should get my arse into gear and get this ticked off, now I'm flying my plane. So, what I want to do is learn as much as I can on my own, since there is no flying school nearby anymore. There is a guy at my hanger who is happy for me to come flying with him so I can actually practice navigation. His plane has roughly similar performance to mine which is helpful (because we both have SLOW planes 😄 ) . He isn't an instructor though. I am a slow learner so I feel if I do as much of this as possible before I try and find an instructor, the better.

 

So with that in mind, and bearing in mind I find it harder to study nowadays, would this book be the simplest way to get the endorsement under my belt? 

 

https://raaus.com.au/product/raaus-cross-country-book-only-bob-taits-aviation-theory-school/

[T510]

I did my navigation theory exam a couple of weeks ago.

 

I have the Bob Tait book and worked through it but found Pilot Practice Exams course and practice exams much easier to retain.

https://www.pilotpracticeexams.com/ra-aus-theory-course/

Edited Monday at 06:31 AM by T510

[facthunter]

His stuff is quite well  regarded.. Met info was never easy to obtain. I know of no single comprehensive reference for Met. Air Law needs to be current. Flying with Other pilots X country is always useful provided you don't pick up any bad habits Compile a small note book of all the rules you must remember. .  Do a flight Plan copy and do your Own entries and estimate ETA's and fuel endurances.  You can enter it in your Log Book But it doesn't count as flight time Nev

[BurnieM]

I had the Bob Tait book but I found this book by Dyson-Holland to be better - Dyson-Holland book

 

You probably want to purchase paper copies of your local VNC/VTC charts.

 

You could do a couple of nav exercises with another pilot but naving and flying on your own will be very different.

 

Edited Monday at 06:47 AM by BurnieM

[facthunter]

The Learning process with these things is Never ending.  Nev

[Blueadventures]

2 hours ago, danny_galaga said:

So, I really should get my arse into gear and get this ticked off, now I'm flying my plane. So, what I want to do is learn as much as I can on my own, since there is no flying school nearby anymore. There is a guy at my hanger who is happy for me to come flying with him so I can actually practice navigation. His plane has roughly similar performance to mine which is helpful (because we both have SLOW planes 😄 ) . He isn't an instructor though. I am a slow learner so I feel if I do as much of this as possible before I try and find an instructor, the better.

 

So with that in mind, and bearing in mind I find it harder to study nowadays, would this book be the simplest way to get the endorsement under my belt? 

 

https://raaus.com.au/product/raaus-cross-country-book-only-bob-taits-aviation-theory-school/

Clifton has been mentioned before, if it suits find out what learning material they recommend.  Lone eagle is a good experienced school.

[Kiwi]

Plan your own 25nm Nav. Try

Boonah to Grandchester (24 nm)

Then to Lake Maroon (33 nm) Then Tamborine Village (32 nm) and finally back to Boonah (25 nm)

You are never more than 25 nm from Boonah and get a 4 leg nav of about 1.5 hours.

I used to similar navs out of Archerfield when I was training. 

 

Edited Monday at 09:38 AM by Kiwi

[BurnieM]

And you need to do it all using paper charts, compass and watch.

No grabbing a quick look at your EFB.

Then once you get your endorsement you will never use paper charts again 🙂

 

[PureCaboose]

I do the same thing around YMIG (Mittagong), where I fly up to YWBN (Wedderburn), out to the coast and down to YSHL (Shellharbour), skirt the restricted zone around YSNW (Nowra) and up over the escarpment and then follow the 23nm circle around to ther west, and comeback into YMIG to the south of the Camden training area. I do it clockwise, counter clockwise, count my time, count my fuel etc.

 

 

[PureCaboose]

1 minute ago, BurnieM said:

And you need to do it all using paper charts, compass and watch.

No grabbing a quick look at your EFB.

Then once you get your endorsement you will never use paper charts again 🙂

 

Paper charts, pencil/pen and paper for log, and a wiz wheel not the calculator/electronic version. I do use a big number calculator for the math as I am hopeless with math these days, especially when calculating groudn speed.

[Thruster88]

It is about time we should be teaching cross country using an Electronic Flight Bag. Commercial pilots fly this way, most private pilots fly this way. Being able to demonstrate one's ability to correctly us an EFB for planning, in-flight navigation and diversion, getting notams and weather,  use of traffic info etc would be best done with an instructor rather than winging it alone.

 

Anyone still use a Gregorys street directory?  Anyone failed to reach their destination using Google maps?

[BurnieM]

30 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

It is about time we should be teaching cross country using an Electronic Flight Bag. Commercial pilots fly this way, most private pilots fly this way. Being able to demonstrate one's ability to correctly us an EFB for planning, in-flight navigation and diversion, getting notams and weather,  use of traffic info etc would be best done with an instructor rather than winging it alone.

 

Anyone still use a Gregorys street directory?  Anyone failed to reach their destination using Google maps?

Yes and no.

I believe that the current course gives you an understanding of the priciples. I would like to see an add on for EFB usage perhaps even a brand specific endorsement.

This could also include what you do when the EFB fails. Perhaps an informal course would do it but with the demise of many aero clubs informal training is disappearing.

 

[skippydiesel]

".......what you do when the EFB fails."

 

No panic!

Why? Because you have been keeping a running record of your heading.

Why do you keep a record of your heading? Because it may differ from your planned (EFB) heading and you need to know this, if you loose your EFB.

You will know what altitude you are flying at and the heading should remain as was, until either EFB comes back or you reach a known point (airfield)

On any trip away, from an area that I am familiar with, I have paper maps/plan to fall back on. These days I just screen shoot/print my EFB plan onto paper.😈

[BurnieM]

Making a paper copy of the course legs with distances and bearings is a good idea. 

and noting the times (on paper) you reached previous waypoints.

 

You can also carry a second EFB.

But I still log on paper.

 

Edited Monday at 11:25 PM by BurnieM

[Kiwi]

My tablet shuts down when it gets too hot in the Cherokee. I have ozrunways on two tablets and a phone, but I still carry paper maps and a ersa. (Might not be current, but it will get me home)

Edited Monday at 11:33 PM by Kiwi

[onetrack]

It always surprises me that so many recreational pilots continue to rely on a cheap consumer communication device with multiple known performance faults, for their mapping/navigation information.

Seems to me about the equivalent of heading out to sea in a boat, out of sight of land, with a $2 compass from the Reject Shop.

[Kiwi]

24 minutes ago, onetrack said:

It always surprises me that so many recreational pilots continue to rely on a cheap consumer communication device with multiple known performance faults, for their mapping/navigation information..

$350, not $2.

Never plays up my other aircraft. 

 

[PureCaboose]

I see the need to learn the basics of non-electronic assisted navigation. As someone who learnt land navigation pre-GPS and did many multi-day treks I am glad I have that skill when I see how the general public struggles withouot their phone to just get around the city.

 

Sure, it is easy to just google how you are going to get there. I use Google Maps when I drive but I have the main points on a piece of paper to remind me where I need to turn etc. I have had Android Auto just shut off multiple times when in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney and would have been hoplessly lost, as my kids have been.

 

 

[facthunter]

In Navigating NEVER rely on ONE single Indication. Back it Up. Nev

[T510]

In my training I enjoyed the flying more using the CASA flight planning notepad and occasionally referring to OzRunways or the paper charts to confirm my location.

 

If I did my flight plans on the paper charts I would confirm it on OzRunways and vice versa. 

[sfGnome]

Getting back to kiwi’s suggestion of 25nm navs, I did that too, but I did it as practice sessions between (expensive) nav lessons. I think maybe it’s better to avoid getting the bad habits that may arise from self (or good mate) tuition. 
 

As for using EFB vs charts, I follow the magenta line like everyone else, but I also print the tabular plan for fuel/time tracking, *and* the charts with the plan from the EFB. Got a nice surprise a little while back when the EFB wasn’t working (my fault - config problem), so I pulled out the chart, pointed the plane in the right direction, did a quick calculation on time to the next town, and, hey presto, there it was, right under my nose, right on time. Been a lot of years since I did that… 🙂

[skippydiesel]

1 hour ago, onetrack said:

It always surprises me that so many recreational pilots continue to rely on a cheap consumer communication device with multiple known performance faults, for their mapping/navigation information.

Seems to me about the equivalent of heading out to sea in a boat, out of sight of land, with a $2 compass from the Reject Shop.

What makes you think that?

Student/Low time pilot looking for pointers, does not necessarily indicate that they are just relying on an EFB.

 

As for the $2 compass - don't forget how seafarers navigated before,  what we would recognise, as a compass was invented. 

 

Panic is the enemy when your nave systems "go walk about". A bit of common sense goes along way.  When all else fails, your relationship to large geographic features (may be non existent in Central AU far out to sea) should give strong clues as to flight direction and then there is the friendly voice of ATC .😈

[facthunter]

Often you have only your Magnetic Compass and a Hopefully accurate weather forecast as your fallback Position. On the surface of the Ocean there are NO fixes or signposts . Accurate Heading keep is essential.. Nev

[turboplanner]

2 hours ago, sfGnome said:

Getting back to kiwi’s suggestion of 25nm navs, I did that too, but I did it as practice sessions between (expensive) nav lessons. I think maybe it’s better to avoid getting the bad habits that may arise from self (or good mate) tuition. 
 

As for using EFB vs charts, I follow the magenta line like everyone else, but I also print the tabular plan for fuel/time tracking, *and* the charts with the plan from the EFB. Got a nice surprise a little while back when the EFB wasn’t working (my fault - config problem), so I pulled out the chart, pointed the plane in the right direction, did a quick calculation on time to the next town, and, hey presto, there it was, right under my nose, right on time. Been a lot of years since I did that… 🙂

The magenta line is fine, but you're not navigating. People have covered what to do if yje gps stops; the record so far that I've read is five electronic items fail on the flight. Then you are back to navigating, but you've never learnt reverse navigation. People do run out of fuel and get killed in the forced landing, but the statistics are low. The irony is that Navigation can be taught in a very short time, so why is this thread going? It's been a long time since I've seen a Recreational Aviation Instructor post anything let alone some training on Nav. What's going on with them? Are they just turning you loose without Nav?

[facthunter]

The Average junior Pilot is NOT Interested. They'd rather depend on The gizmos backed by redundancy  GNSS is one form of IMC Navigation  and widely used with Proper training and good systems but It is NOT VMC Flying The reality sets in when you can't see the ground and you only have a Rough idea where you are and you aren't qualified to fly in cloud.. Nev