Developing Navigation Skills Outside of Tech Still Imperative

Pilots must not rely solely on apps when it comes to not getting lost.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, October 20, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Apps do all the calculations for you—and it’s fine to use them after you’ve learned the analog way to calculate these things. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

Many modern pilots, especially new ones, exhibit an over-reliance on electronic flight bags (EFBs) and GPS, leading to a decline in fundamental navigation skills like pilotage and dead reckoning.
Flight examiners (DPEs) frequently observe pilots losing situational awareness and struggling with manual flight planning when digital tools are unavailable, intentionally creating scenarios to test these basic skills.
It is crucial for pilots to learn and practice traditional navigation methods, including manual calculations and "out the window" observation, to build confidence, maintain situational awareness, and ensure competence even when technology fails.

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“It’s like they don’t know how to look out the window!” lamented a DPE of my acquaintance, describing private pilot applicants who, when deprived of their preprogrammed tablets or panel-mounted GPS, lose situational awareness faster than you can drop a checklist to the floor.

Other DPEs joined the conversation, noting how often they see pilot applicants who can create flight plans with Garmin Pilot, ForeFlight, and other apps. But when those tools are taken away, they often struggle and sometimes fail, as pilotage and its close friend dead reckoning are not skills that are being taught at flight schools and practiced by many pilots these days.