Navigation and Flight Planning
What you must know
Understand the sectional chart symbology: airports, airspace classes, obstacles, and special use airspace. Know magnetic variation and deviation, and how to convert true to magnetic to compass headings. Learn the wind triangle: true course, true heading, wind correction angle, and groundspeed. Know fuel planning (reserve requirements) and the difference between true and magnetic courses.
Traps
Variation is east or west of true north; the mnemonic "east is least, west is best" helps when converting. Deviation is aircraft-specific and comes from the compass card, not the chart. Questions often give a wind from the left or right and ask for the correction angle sign; draw the triangle. Do not forget reserve fuel: VFR day requires 30 minutes, night 45 minutes, in part 91 operations. Sectional chart times are in UTC.
Rule of thumb
For a quick groundspeed estimate, if you know true airspeed and headwind/tailwind component, add or subtract it directly. For wind correction, a 10° crosswind at 100 kt gives roughly a 6° correction (small-angle approximation).
Worked example
True course 090°, variation 10°E, deviation 2°W. Magnetic course = 090 − 10 = 080. Compass course = 080 + 2 = 082 (deviation west, add). Then apply wind correction to get heading.