Situational Awareness problem

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tom11011

Filing Flight Plan
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Feb 26, 2014
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tom11011
Hello.

I started taking lessons a few weeks ago. I have a few lessons under my belt in a C172 with standard 6 pack.

I just flew my 10th dual lesson yesterday, however we flew an LSA because the C172 I normally fly was being worked on by the mechanic.

The LSA is nice, its new and has electronic flight instruments.

But I noticed with the LSA and its electronic instruments I am having difficulty with visualizing the runway and entering the pattern.

In the Cessna, I use the DG to visualize the layout of the runway and how to enter the pattern. But with the LSA, I don't have a "compass rose" to help me visualize, all I had was the "tape" at the top of the electronic screen and that was of no help in my visualization.

How best to work around this? It's a question I will pose to the instructor but I will not be seeing him for another 8 days and I wanted to get some tips.

Thanks.
 
Is there another option for magnetic heading presentation other than the tape? Like a superimposed HI/HSI?
 
At this point you should be learning to orient yourself in the pattern without relying on an instrument. Shed yourself of that crutch and learn how to fly on ground reference.
 
Wow.

After almost 40 years I still like a compass rose indicator of some sort to help me visualize things.

I think someone sells a little compass rose you can stick somewhere - even on your kneeboard.

Failing that, even something like this:

8.png
 
Maybe I'm just a little slow, but...

...after all these years, if I'm coming into a strange airport on a heading of 240° and am told to enter a right downwind for RWY5, you can bet I'll be using a heading indicator or equivalent to help me get oriented. In my Sky Arrow I have a vertical compass I use.

I don't NEED it per se, I can always sketch it out on my kneepad, but it sure makes it easier.
 
Silvaire said:
At this point you should be learning to orient yourself in the pattern without relying on an instrument. Shed yourself of that crutch and learn how to fly on ground reference.
Click to expand...

Im not clear on how I do that if you could explain. If im far away i cant really see the runways only the airport area.
 
tom11011 said:
Im not clear on how I do that if you could explain. If im far away i cant really see the runways only the airport area.
Click to expand...

You can see the airport on your chart can't you? It has the runway orientation printed right on it.
 
tom11011 said:
How best to work around this?
Click to expand...
First, don't take lessons in a plane that is significantly different from the one in which you are training. But if the DG in the 172 ever fails, you'll need a method to deal with this anyway. I'd suggest you get a kneeboard with a pad of paper, and start drawing the picture there. You can practice this on the ground during the 8 days until your next lesson, picking random combinations of arrival heading, runway heading, and L/R traffic patterns.
 
Excellent advice from Cap'n Ron.

To keep it interesting, get some index cards and put headings on one side of each one - 010, 020, 030, through 180. Then flip them over and put on the reciprocals. Learn them by heart.

Then shuffle them and grab one to show your inbound heading and one to show the runway heading. From there sketch out a pattern, then an entry.

Eventually you may be able to do it in your head. But some people, like me, don't visualize well. For us, sketching things out really helps.
 
I always referenced the DG when I flew a 172. Then I switched to a low wing Piper Archer and I no longer have any need as I have a full view of the runway throughout the pattern.
 
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