One of the most heartbreaking events in aviation is when the fixed-wing pilot applicant discovered that a flight they used to meet the cross-county requirements of a particular certificate or rating does not meet the legal definition of FAR 61.1(b)(1), which states “time must include a landing at least a straight line distance of more than 50 nm from the original point of departure.”
This distance is measured using a plotter on a visual flight rule (VFR) sectional—sometimes that can be a challenge as more and more aspiring aviators are using electronic versions of the sectionals rather than paper.
