>These answers were perfect. Some of them I knew but had >forgotten, but most importantly I have a better >understanding of instrument navigation when you aren't >instrument rated. >Need to get to the Hawaiian Islands from the west coast?Then dial it in on your GPS! With enough fuel, food, & bathroom facilities for 2500 miles, the GPS will get you to within a foot or two of your destination runway. I personally DO, consider even my handheld GPS reliable enough to get me there; it's at least as reliable as what my "single engine" would hopefully be. And BTW--- wouldn't have to be instrument rated either.......... unless your "holding" over the ocean with low fuel, because of island cloud cover which is typical during certain times of the day! :)The pilot in this link has flown around the world three times in his homebuilt experimental aircraft. It's quite interesting, navigation wisehttp://www.vansaircraft.com/public/jj-persn.htmL.Adamson

I too am a private pilot, SEL, and I would plan accordingly. File flightplan, sketch out my route using sectional charts and a plotter, plus a handy flight calculator for fuel, winds, etc. And I would make sure I had plenty of sun block, blankets for night, and water. Just incase I end up having to put her down in the desert. Because I filed my flightplan with FSS, they will know to come find me along my plotted route when I don't show up at my destination. So I need enough supplies to last until they rescue me.

I watched the World Air Routes United Airlines Boeing 777 DVD the other day. The Boeing 777 has the most advanced avionics in the world. Yet, UAL pilots sit down and actually PLOT out the checkpoints on a Atlantic Map just as a PPL would on a vfr sectional. The flight was from Chichago to O'Hare to London Heathrow. Increadible avionics in the B777. Their clearance is completely automated they don't need to talk to clearance they simply press a button on the MFD that prints out the exact detailed clearance without haveing to talk to anybody. WOW!! heheHere is the link: http://www.worldairroutes.com/United.htmlChucky,Wanna PLAY??