Climbing out of KAVL, Asheville Departure has Billy on vectors until he is clear of terrain; then on course to TUXDO. The segment from TUXDO to IRQ is almost 90 miles and it's off the airway so their primary navigation is GPS. Doug suggests using cross radials from nearby VOR's to confirm their position as they progress enroute. The GPS has failed on Doug before and he routinely prepares for such an event by using the NAV system. This is the way Doug was trained, before the GPS system was in place, so it's second nature to him. For others, it's a good skill to sharpen as it may be the backup you need. Doug recounts the story of a customer in a Bonanza whose Garmin 530 failed several times over the course of the five day trip. They were prepared for such an event and it was not a problem. This is a good habit to make.

You can see more cross radial work in flight on the leg to from KEYF > KFFA and highlights section on Day 3.

View from the pilot in training. What I learned...

"Using bearing pointers and cross radials not only provides a backup to GPS it keeps your head in the game. You're constantly monitoring where you are, what's coming next and what you need to program next. You become much attuned to your surroundings and it dramatically improves situational awareness."

BW