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When flying VFR by day in early summer over part of central Europe, you have been busy looking at the scenery and NOT concentrating on where exactly you are.

What are the features which would be suitable for you to set your heading towards, when unsure of your position?

1. A motorway
2. A junction of two small roads.
3. A railway.
4. A river.
5. A coastline
6. A fruit farm.
  • A

    1, 3, 4 and 5.

  • B

    3, 4, 5 and 6.

  • C

    1, 2, 4 and 6.

  • D
    1, 2, 3 and 5.

Checkpoints are prominent buildings or landmarks that can be visually easy to identify from the air.

PICKING THE BEST CHECKPOINTS

Finding a good VFR checkpoint is a matter of location, size, and distance. Large objects that contrast well with the surrounding environment are the best choice. Ground features on or close to track are preferred. Here's a list of some of the easiest points to spot from the air:

  • Airports with Paved Runways: The taxiways and runways of nearby airports are easy to spot due to large clearings. They also contrast with the grass around them.
  • Railroads: Railroads are relatively easy to spot due to large clearings made for tracks.
  • Highways: Multi-lane highways are easy to spot from the air.
  • Major Road Intersections: Major road and highway intersections with multiple cloverleaf turnoffs are easily spotted.
  • Large Rivers: Looks for rivers that are drawn with some level of open-water width. Small streams are simple lines, while rivers are drawn wider on your sectional chart.
  • Large Lakes with Definable Shapes: If a lake has an easily definable shape, it'll be easy to spot from the air.
  • Towns with Prominent Features: Does the town you're looking for have a major road, railway, or water tower?

To resolve any uncertainty in the aircraft's position, the pilot should set the heading towards a line feature such as a coastline, motorway, river or railway.

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