Where Am I

Fear can be a positive emotion. Without it, we might expose ourselves to danger that we otherwise wouldn’t, because of that knot we get in our stomach. But when we let it overwhelm us, we lose our ability to focus, think, and act. That’s when logical reasoning goes out the window. Fortunately, fear is something we can learn to accept and control. Tackling your fear when your checkpoints don’t appear as expected can help you calmly assess your situation and regain your bearings.

The effects of fear are palpable. “Our bodies tend to stiffen up and our breathing becomes very shallow when we panic, which makes it difficult to do even the simplest tasks,” says Megan Bradley, a psychologist in upstate New York. “So it’s important to relax your body by moving your muscles—starting with just a few fingers, depending on how your body feels. Slow down your breathing and make it a point to exhale completely before taking another breath. Slower breathing helps you lower your heartbeat and ultimately calm down.”

Don’t try to ignore fear or pretend that it doesn’t exist. “Acknowledging fear is positive,” Bradley says. “It allows you to assess the situation accurately and it leads to acceptance, which helps you regain your composure and focus on the task at hand.”

Don’t lose sight of the big picture. You may be unaware of your current position, but you may not be as lost as you think you are. Cannon wasn’t. “I was only a few miles west of my intended checkpoint. But that caused a local private airport to be on my right, instead of my left, and that caused me to panic when there was no need to.”

Instead of fearing the worst, focus on the desired outcome. Then take the steps necessary to achieve it.

“Fear and panic [are] rooted in your belief that a negative outcome is imminent and unavoidable,” Bradley says. “It’s this belief that’s inherently dangerous. Think of it this way: If you believed the outcome would be positive or that a negative outcome is avoidable if you take action, would you panic? That’s why no two people feel the same way when faced with the same situation. It’s all based on their own experiences and what they perceive the future outcome can and will be.”

Talk to yourself. What caused you to panic? You were just flying the airplane and you thought you were on the right course. The only thing that’s changed is you’ve realized you’re not where you thought you were. Feeling a rush of fear warns you that you need to take immediate action and find your current whereabouts.

Remember, the airplane is still flying and you have several resources that you can use to find your current location. Focus on getting back to what you were doing just before the fear swallowed you whole. Fly the airplane. Check your fuel. Keep your visual focus outside the cockpit to see and avoid traffic. Getting back to what you were doing prior to feeling afraid helps you relax.

Chris Schrodt, flight instructor and chief pilot at North Iowa Air Service at Mason City Municipal Airport, says it’s important to maintain focus on the fundamentals of flying. “Fly the airplane first, then navigate. Sometimes the winds change and blow you off course. That’s not nearly as troubling as losing control of the airplane because you were worried about your current location.”

Cannon says that focusing on flying the airplane and counseling himself about why he was afraid made a big difference for him when he was lost. “I realized I was scared because it was the first time I was ever lost, and I was afraid of what might happen. But prior to taking off, I was confident in my ability to navigate well. Planning my course on the map was one of the things I enjoyed the most. I calmed down almost immediately and quickly figured out where I was.”

If you’re lost, continue to fly the same heading and if you can, climb for a better view of the local terrain and conspicuous landmarks. This will also improve your communication and navigation reception. Slow down to conserve fuel.

Be on the lookout for reliable landmarks. Try to locate them on your sectional chart as you fly overhead. If you’re unable to identify your position on the current heading, change your course toward an area of prominent landmarks. Circle the area until you can locate them on the chart. Do not assume that you know where your next checkpoint is located and fly there. This can cause you to begin a cycle in which you become even more lost.

If that doesn’t help, cross-reference your position by using two VORs. Tune in to VORs in your approximate location–and listen to the Morse code identifier, an often overlooked step. Once you’ve identified the VORs, center the needle with a From indication, and draw lines on the sectional chart along the radials that the VOR instruments indicate. The point where the lines intersect is your position.

Schrodt has used this strategy before. “This skill is often overlooked because of GPS technology, but it’s an important skill to master,” he says. “It’s critical that students get into the habit of identifying VORs before any navigational information is obtained and used from them. There’s nothing worse than using the wrong VOR and finding yourself farther off course than when you started.”

If you have a functioning GPS, you can use it to display the names of the nearest airports, along with the bearing and distance from your present position. You also can use
it to locate prominent landmarks and navigational aids
such as VORs.

If you’re unable to find your position using these techniques, ask for help. That means contacting air traffic control. If you don’t know the frequency of a nearby ATC facility, Schrodt recommends transmitting on the emergency frequency of 121.5 MHz and setting your transponder code to 7700. “Setting your transponder code to 7700 will help ATC locate you quicker so they can help you immediately.” You don’t need to declare an emergency when contacting ATC, although it’s perfectly fine to do so. Just confess that you’re unfamiliar with the area and need assistance.