Death of Paper Maps?

[digits_]

but most GA pilots aren't going to run out and buy an ipad and all the extra crap and mounts so they can stare at the little plane symbol while doing circuits on the weekend.

You'd be surprised, but that is exactly what is happening. There are certain levels of course, some go from a simple ipad mount, to multiple ipad mounts added to full glass panels etc. To each his own of course, but it does look like paper maps are somewhat dying.

I have to admit, I carry an ipad as well for personal use on navigation flights instead of a paper map. Partially because I can use it for free though, due to piggy backing on a work subscription. I'd stick to a paper map if I had to fully pay for it myself.

[MrWings]

But your brain is the backup if the calculator fails. What's your backup if you are in in unfamiliar territory and your EFB fails, and you have no maps? Just playing devil's advocate.

Forflight on iPad. Foreflight on iPhone.
2 GPSs in the plane.

[AirFrame]

I'm sure that when the calculator first came out, some people refused to buy one and proclaimed the ease of the battery independent slide rule.

But your brain is the backup if the calculator fails. What's your backup if you are in in unfamiliar territory and your EFB fails, and you have no maps? Just playing devil's advocate.

Also devil's advocate, but what's your brain's backup when you get two six-digit numbers to multiply? It ain't happening between the ears for most people.

[AirFrame]

You would be amazed at the amount of pilots that don't know how to use basic radio nav aids too.

With five GPS's in the cockpit when I fly (Panel, Phone, Tablet, Watch, Stratux), radio nav aids have gone the way of the buggy whip. I don't even have a Nav radio in the cockpit, but I can simulate it on my GPS.

[linecrew]

But your brain is the backup if the calculator fails. What's your backup if you are in in unfamiliar territory and your EFB fails, and you have no maps? Just playing devil's advocate.

Forflight on iPad. Foreflight on iPhone.
2 GPSs in the plane.

Welp, you've got more disposable cash than I do.

[laminar]

I'm sure that when the calculator first came out, some people refused to buy one and proclaimed the ease of the battery independent slide rule.

I must be an odd duck because I still use the E6B primarily, and enjoy it. I just got a friend to snag me a CX-2 for $15 off of Kijiji in the city he lives in so whenever we meet up next, I’ll have taken a giant leap in cockpit technology haha. If I don’t like it I’ll keep the CX2 around as a backup to the E6B

[photofly]

Compared to the E6B, the CX-2 sucks, a lot. It takes ten times as long to use, doesn't have all the features, and the only benefit it gives you - lots of decimal places of precision - has negative usefulness.

[AirFrame]

A Jeppesen CR-2 or CR-3 would be a better choice for reducing cockpit clutter yet still retaining "unpowered" calculating capability.

[Gannet167]

The value in learning on paper is it builds a level of situational awareness that an ipad doesn't. When I taught students, we did 240kts, 500' AGL, flying a nav route that they had to hand plot on paper complete with timings to the second. After a 40+ minute route with multiple turn points and areas to avoid, they were normally expected to be within about 10 or 15 seconds of "on time on target". Ideally, and often, they were within a second. Generally, these students had about 30 to 40 hours total time. It was challenging and required the pilot to use the map as a symbolic representation of the real world, forcing them to look outside and build in their own minds a mental model of where they were and where they were going.

This self constructed situational awareness is extremely valuable. Its a skill set that allows a pilot to assemble an understanding of their whereabouts based on what's out the window and is a very rich, sophisticated, deep understanding of their SA. It is very much the opposite of being a dummy who follows the blue line, aka children of the magenta.

Having learned this skill, an ipad etc is advisory and can be a wonderful tool to supplement actual SA. It provides tremendous amounts of information, easily accessible and current, reduces workload and can increase safety. It's absolutely marvellous. I hate to sound like an old luddite curmudgeon, especially as I type this on my ipad which is primarily a Jeppesen FD Pro tool. But if it's all you've ever known, you're at risk of being a mindless dumb-dumb who obediently follows the line and is lost when the line is gone.

[photofly]

This self constructed situational awareness is extremely valuable.

I have no doubt that you're correct. Can you think of any exercises that civilian student pilots could do to help build this awareness, aside from the planning and flying of one or two cross country sorties and a few diversionary exercises?

[Gannet167]

The cross country and, in particular, diversion are excellent. I can't think of what could better prepare a student for either activity than practicing the actual thing, perhaps in non ideal weather.

The benefit of paper is its not as good as the ipad. Its limitations force thought. Like reading a book requires active engagement in the story and thoughtful imagination to build a mental model. Mindlessly watching the same story proceed along the Magenta line on a screen leaves the audience unengaged. Like reading a book that's a chose your own adventure story, you have to participate in the dialogue, use reason and logic to piece together from clues what the real facts are. Watching it unfold on a screen makes you a passive observer.

[digits_]

This self constructed situational awareness is extremely valuable.

I have no doubt that you're correct. Can you think of any exercises that civilian student pilots could do to help build this awareness, aside from the planning and flying of one or two cross country sorties and a few diversionary exercises?

Isn't that the problem? How can you expect someone to be good at navigations and situational awareness if you only do 2 cross countries?

In Europe for example, about half of the flying time are cross countries (for the PPL). I find that the amount of cross country time in the average PPL syllabus is quite low in Canada. Granted, the airspace is much less complex, but still... I found it quite surprising.

[photofly]

I think my question got lost somewhere in the interpretation.

apart from cross country navigation and diversions can you think of any other exercises that can contribute to this valuable “self constructed situational awareness”?

I don’t suggest that cross country navigation and diversion aren’t good exercises; I merely ask if there are any others.

[digits_]

Diversions without a map. Just have a student find his home airport by using everything he knows and coming up with a plan. Easier to do with an airport next to a big lake, and obviously not something to do on the first navigation exercise, but I think it is a nice twist.

Or do airwork at a different spot. When that is done and they don't know where they are, give them the map to find their way back. Sort of like a lost-recovery exercise.

Situational awareness is built upon confidence. You need to trust your abilities to comfortably know what is going on around you. Even if you are lost or lose all navigation aids. These exercises help with that, but only if completed succesfully. So make sure they are at some point.

[Heliian]

, radio nav aids have gone the way of the buggy whip.

Have they removed all of the vors and ndbs from the world?

[AirFrame]

Have they removed all of the vors and ndbs from the world?

No, but almost any point on the surface of the planet can be simulated as either a VOR or an NDB using a GPS.

[trey kule]

I understand the use of nav computers for student pilots. But after that, other than holding things down, and swatting bugs, exactly what is everyone using flight computers for? I am quite serious, although it does strike me it may be on the same level as those who buy $1000 “pilot” watches to do “serious “ navigation.

Even in the old fly with a map on my knee days, never actually used a flight computer. Didn’t know anyone else who did either.

As to photofly’s question. No more exercises. Flying is not all about continuous , never ending training. Get the student safe. Then let them get experience.

[prettyFLY4awhitegal]

I'm still really new to all of this but I quite enjoying sitting down with my maps and E6B and planning routes out. Sometimes just for the fun of it on a Friday night. I guess this is why I don't have to worry about the "package of rubbers" like C.W.E

[C.W.E.]

I guess this is why I don't have to worry about the "package of rubbers" like C.W.E

I was taught to always put safety first.