Phil and I spend 3 hours practicing and discussing the best and most comfortable way to fly and how we operate best as a team, which tasks are best Primary and Secondary or shared? We tried a range of configurations and ended up reversing the traditional roles.
- Pilot in the back
- Navigator in the Front
Why? It is easier to see the map in detail when it is on your lap than if it is duck taped to the persons back! The space and viz is better too, all things that the navigator needs, Piloting from the back offers some challenges, however it gets easier the more I do it, however precision landings and landings engine off from 1000ft overhead are tasks that I still need to sit in the front for...
We had to develop a new language or at least one were were not familiar with. What heading do I need from here? Where is my next way point? What photos do we have left to spot, what is our Airspeed and ground speed estimates, and how does that compare to the timing on the track...are on the right track, what is my next way point? What heading should we pick up? The simple truth of all of this is that we needed to organise our minds and our processes into a loop.
- Where are we, exactly! Is it where we are supposed to be?
- What heading should we be on?
- What is the next visual way point?
- Do we see any of our pictures (not the key features)
- What effect is the wind having on us?
- What orientation is the gate?
- What is the next task?
- Are we on a collision coarse?
- What are the engine temperatures and pressures?
- Do we have options?
If we learn to loop this, we may have a chance at the next comp to run up the rankings......oh and if we build some of the devices too! This is Laurie's rather natty "Track up" map holder, Laurie turns out to be one of life's problem solvers, a bit ingenious, we like Laurie he really help us understand some of the insider tips without which we would not have had as many points...thank Laurie! Love the Cushion ;-)
