I have since….

– learnt to keep my head out of the cockpit and look where I’m going at the risk of going outside altitude/heading tolerances. Also helps with the lookout
– remembered (just) that I can calc times using the whizz wheel on my watch bevel :rolleyes:
– I have a 4 minute thumb, at 120knots on a half mil, the most accurate method yet for a diversion
– bent my half mil every which way so have sliced it down just to an extended training area. Stick interferes with amount of lap space available (oh for a yoke). Cut down chart easily folds and fits on my A5 kneeboard (its AFE and grey if Moggy is interested 😉 )
– learnt to keep updating positions with times on the chart with soluble ohp pen
– found that a square protractor on your position can be helpful for course corrections
– have a quarter mil on standby

With the first £2.5k down, we start on the Twin Star next week.

Well I diverted about 15nm into my Hay-on-Wye to Montford Bridge track. Eyeballed about 120 deg to Tewkesbury and ran on 6 minutes for each segment. This pretty much gave me the ETA there but further segments got it to within 30 seconds. Besides external features, I used VOR crosscuts from BCN/SWB/HON to confirm segments. With some bumpy weather (yesterdays download), not knowing the accurate wind and poor track keeping, I ended up 3nm north of track over Malvern town. But for a 40nm-odd divert I suppose that’s not too bad.

Remind me, is the 1:60 rule

Track Error = (Distance Offtrack / Distance Gone) * 60
Closing Angle = (Distance Offtrack/ Distance Remainin) * 60

?

My “hour-building” has taken 5 years 😉 But I went out and did what Rufus, Moggy etc suggested.

Bad habits set in following the PPL. I would say many pilots don’t even go so far as drawing a line on their chart. Some are embarrassingly too reliant on GPS even on short, easy trips. With this mindset, no wonder the NOTAMs don’t get checked…

Tried the 10nm thing again on FS last night using my PPL NFT route (Wellesbourne, Hay-on-Wye, Montford Bridge) works rather well. I’ll try it again for divert today, iirc I did Hay-Montford diverting part way to Tewkesbury with its distinctive river system. (yes EGBJ is also a big giveaway!)