SCANNING in Cruising Flight: Heading, Flight Attitude, Time
Chapter 18.6
Sequential Scanning / LOOP
SCANNING in visual navigation consists of a balanced alternation between airspace surveillance and the following three elements:
H HEADING
A ATTITUDE
T TIME
Engine monitoring and fuel management must also be included in the SCANNING.
Heading, Maintaining Heading
Put the aircraft on the correct HEADING, HDG using the DIRECTIONAL GYRO, adjusted. Adjustment of the gyroscope compass is done by regular comparisons with the magnetic compass. By reading or adjusting headings containing a zero, there is a risk of confusion:
HDG 030 can be confused with 300, 009 with 090 260 with 280 etc.
Heading, Maintaining Heading
Determine a distant visual reference point, crab into the wind with pre-calculated WCA.
Observe the terrain between the distant visual reference point and the aircraft.
If the landmarks shift laterally, it is a sign that there is a lateral component of the wind.
Heading, Maintaining Heading
Navigate from CHART TO GROUND but not GROUND TO CHART: search the terrain points on the map and imagine where these points will be in your field of vision.
Heading, Maintaining Heading
Work this way even when the landscape and landmarks are known to you:
The characteristic landmarks on the ground must correspond to those on the map. If, for example, a double railway line is on your left-hand side, you must ensure to find it there.
Heading, Maintaining Heading
Make sure you’re on the right course by comparing DG to MC regularly.
Flight Attitude
In order to maintain attitude, a reference point on the aircraft is compared to the real or apparent horizon, aided by Al, ALT and the VSI trends.
To stabilize the attitude, the pressure on the controls is neutralized with the trim. During long flights it is necessary to compensate occasionally, since the center of gravity is modified by the fuel consumption
Flight Levels
Maintain altitude:
Defining Flight Levels:
according to semi-circular rule (see VFR-Guide)
depending on height above ground
Make a correct Altimeter-Setting:
below 3000 ft AGL and in the Alps: QNH
above 3000 ft AGL: QNE (Standard 1013 hPa)
Time
Always fly according to a plan about which you keep track of time flowing:
- fuel consumption and reserves
- day and night limits
Time
Calculate the time required to travel the route sections.
During the flight, you do not have a reliable sense of time, so a minute can become very long when you wait for something. During demanding flight phases, time passes faster than you think.
Time
Use a stopwatch.
Use it during the phases where you do not have the time to record it. Examples: TAKE-OFF, ABM THR position, flyover of a CP etc.
Calculate the take-off time using the stopwatch after the TAKE- OFF. Thus the ETO of the destination aerodrome can be calculated immediately.
Time
For each CP calculate the ETO of the next CP.
Lookout for landmarks in time.
You do not see what’s under the airplane!
Time
Compare the flight time with the ETA of the destination aerodrome.
If there are delays, check the fuel state and notify the air traffic control services if necessary.