Navigation: General and Radio Navigation
General navigation
Understand the shape of the Earth and the meaning of great circle versus rhumb line. Learn latitude and longitude, the nautical mile, and how to convert between distance, speed and time. Study the magnetic compass: variation, deviation, and the difference between true, magnetic and compass directions. Know the triangle of velocities: true heading, track, wind correction angle, and groundspeed.
Charts and plotting
Learn to read a chart: scale, contour, airspace, and the meaning of the maximum elevation figure. Understand the plotting steps: measure track, apply variation, apply deviation, apply wind, and compute time. Know how to use a navigation computer for fuel, time and conversion problems.
Radio navigation
Study the principles of VOR (radial, CDI, TO/FROM, cone of confusion), NDB/ADF (relative bearing, bearing indicator, and the effect of wind), DME (slant range versus ground distance), ILS (localiser, glideslope, markers, and the meaning of fly up/fly down), and GNSS (RAIM, integrity, and the difference between accuracy and integrity). Understand the meaning of a radial versus a bearing, and how to intercept a track.
Traps
The classic traps are applying variation in the wrong direction, confusing a radial with a bearing, and forgetting that DME reads slant range (error is largest overhead the station). Another is misreading the CDI sense when the needle is centred with a TO/FROM ambiguity.
Worked example
You are on the 090 radial of a VOR, tracking inbound to the station. Your heading is 270° magnetic. To intercept the 360 radial, turn right to a heading of about 330° and intercept at 30°. Rule of thumb: intercept angle = 30° to the new radial, and re-centre the needle as you approach.