Pilotage

Pilotage is the technique of visual navigation by reference to landmarks — using identifiable ground features (roads, rivers, railways, cities, lakes, coastlines) to determine position and guide the aircraft along the planned route. It is the oldest form of aviation navigation and remains fundamental for VFR flight.

Pilotage Technique

• Pre-plan the route by identifying major landmarks along the way
• Note distinctive features at each checkpoint: lakes, railway junctions, towns, airfields
• Fly the planned heading and time between checkpoints, using dead reckoning to arrive over each landmark
• Confirm position by matching multiple features to the chart — a single road is not a positive fix; a road crossing a river near a town is
• Note time over each checkpoint and compare to planned time

Pilotage Limitations

Pilotage requires VMC — it is useless in cloud or low visibility. In featureless terrain (flat prairies, open water, dense forest), ground features become difficult to distinguish and DR accuracy becomes critical. Night pilotage relies on lights, which can be misleading.

Related Terms

See also: Dead Reckoning, Fix, Course.