CFI question

[Mcstealth]

My CFI asked me a question last week that I did not know the 'right' answer.

The question; "If you are completely lost in VFR conditions, what do you do."

I said I would contact my nearest approach, state my situation. They would have me squak, and they would give me a radial or some type of direction and with that information, I could regain my lost situational awareness.

What did I say wrong? Everything?

Thanks in advance.

 

[sreid]

If you are completely lost, how would you know what approach control facility to contact, or even what language to use when you called them?  For all you know, you could be in Brazil.

[201er]

Quote: Mcstealth

My CFI asked me a question last week that I did not know the 'right' answer.

The question; "If you are completely lost in VFR conditions, what do you do."

I said I would contact my nearest approach, state my situation. They would have me squak, and they would give me a radial or some type of direction and with that information, I could regain my lost situational awareness.

What did I say wrong? Everything?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Skywarrior]

Climb.

Communicate.

Confess.

[John Pleisse]

I was taught to circle, maintain position and if to no avail, C-C-C.

[johnggreen]

Brazil?

Man you are lost!

Jgreen

[xftrplt]

 

1. Slow to Max Endurance.  (If you don't know where you're going, don't get there fast.)

2.  If fuel not a problem, DVFR, think of landfall navigation.  You must have some idea of where you are, i.e., if roughly east of the Mississippi, head west, find the river, follow it.  Most areas have natural borders, and even the Great Plains states have Interstates, and RR tracks generally lead to towns.   (This may not work in, say, the Australian Outback.)  Circling is unappealing to me, if I don't know where I am, why stay there?  Climbing is generally a good idea.  Now, if you generally know where you're going, Max Range speed is appropriate. 

3.  Transmit Pan-Pan on 121.5, or, if appropriate, Mayday.  (Side note: how many of us monitor Guard on Comm 2?  I always do.)

4.  Squawk 7600.  7700, if fuel is a concern or Mayday declared. 

I could go on, but the above actions are a good start and certainly food for thought. 

Never been lost, just bewildered often. 

 

[TLSDriver]

C-C-C is the correct answer.  Next you need to know why you do those things.

Climb - Many times flying higher allows you to identify landmarks that you may not notice when lower.  Look for bodies of water, cities, rail road tracks etc. (Grab your sectional of course.)

 

[xftrplt]

C-C-C is all well and good.  (nice little mnemonic)  But the devil's in the details of how?  In a word: Aviate. 

[rob]

This reminds me of some interesting chatter I heard on 121.5 a few months back. I was enroute from MS to KS, over the Ozarks and I heard an airliner talking to a student pilot. As it turns out, the student pilot was on the ground, in a field. He had run out of fuel, and he had no idea of his location. The airliner was trying to help determine where the pilot was. Several folks chimed in their position and whether or not they could hear the student. I could not hear him from where I was, and eventually couldn't hear anything. I was, and still am, very curious to hear how that turned out....

The student was not shy in confessing that he needed some help, but it did take a while for the whole thing to come out over the radio. 

[kortopates]

I am stunned because all of these comments assume you have no GPS on board (or don't understand how to use it). Hard to beleive these days there are Mooney's flying x-country without an onboard GPS, regardless of portable or in the panel. Let's use it! In which case the nearest pages gives us location relative to airports, VORs, fixes  including nearest frequencies for a facility to talk too; such as Center, FSS etc. It may not tell us the proper sector frequency for a TRACON sector we're in but a center controller should be able to pass you on to a TRACON frequency quick enough.

[xftrplt]

That's cheating.  Clearly, if you've got a GPS, you ain't lost. 

[MooneyMitch]

Remember the DF steer?  Ok, maybe many of your are not OLD enough to recall this, or actually using it during flight instruction. 

I sure remember it!

[kortopates]

BTW, remember DF steer of pre-historic and pre-GPS days - we used to have the option to call up any flight service and ask for a DF Steer. It's still mentioned in the AIM under DF Guidance, but I assume since the consolidation of local flight service stations about the only chance of getting one now is from a military approach facility with DF equipement.

[Piloto]

Check for roads, they always lead somewhere. Get low and slow enough to read the road signs. If on a remote area land on the road and ask for directions to the next driver passing by. In the early days of aviation with no NAVAIDS or aviation charts this was not uncomon.

José

[rob]

Quote: Piloto

Check for roads, they always lead somewhere. Get low and slow enough to read the road signs. If on a remote area land on the road and ask for directions to the next driver passing by. In the early days of aviation with no NAVAIDS or aviation charts this was not uncomon.

José

[Piloto]

Quote: rob

[Piloto]

Quote: rob

 

You must have really really good eyesight to read road signs from legal altitudes....

[M016576]

Quote: Piloto

 

You must have really really good eyesight to read road signs from legal altitudes....

[sreid]

Quote: johnggreen

Brazil?

Man you are lost!

Jgreen

[bnicolette]

Quote: sreid

Well I'm just saying that if an instructor asks a bad question, he should expect a bad answer!  If an instructor asked me that on a flight review, I would seriously consider sending him on his way.

[jetdriven]

Find a meduim-sized town.  Look around it for an airport.   Then land ,go inside, ask for a phone book.  Look on the cover for the name of the town.  Now, you are unlost.

[FAST FLIGHT OPTIONS LLC]

Two "FROM" radials from two different VOR's and X marks the spot right?  It doesn't get much easier then that!

[kerry]

I would contact flight watch 122.0.  Give them your general location. e.g. Southern California.  They'll give you some ARTCC freq. and they will find you.

[carusoam]

In the flight instructor world I would expect  CCC.....classic answer to a classic question.

 

In the real world, don't get lost, a GPS eliminates the problem and another GPS serves as back up to the solution.

In the common Mooney you might find four GPS on any one day.

(1) panel mounted, IFR capable, connected to an auto pilot

(2) portable on the yoke

(3) iPad on the lap

(4) Garmin nuvi for use in the rental car.

One day I look forward to adding (5) aspen.  

I don't suppose the flight instructor will be interested in the "real world" answer....CCC

Best regards,

-a-