"There's just something hypnotic about maps"- Ken Jennings
Upon entering any flight school, one is greeted by huge aeronautical charts stuck somewhere along the corridors, classrooms or some place else within the facility.
Usually, one's first reaction is that of awe due to the size and detail covering the map, then, almost as if guided by some invisible hand, they are drawn to edge closer and closer until they are fixated at the canvas with only a thin film of air separating the map canvas and the persons face.
They stare and stare at the canvas until something or someone breaks them from that powerful trance--------
So, before we delve deeper into what these secret powers that maps seemingly possess are, it is good to know that apart from monitoring instruments and listening in on communication, a considerable part of the pilots job is to ensure that at all times, the aircraft is flying at the correct heading following the path prescribed on the maps and making corrections where necessary, more-so in these aircraft without autopilot systems and with analog instrument gauges.
During one of my right seat adventures with a fellow student doing his circuits, I quickly realized how easy it was for one to get disoriented while up in the air especially where there are large portions of terrain that look so identical and without any significant visual aids that could help the pilot get back on course if they got lost. This, and also having to periodically scan the instruments and communicating with ATC can be overwhelming because your attention is scattered attending to many things at the same time in a fast moving aircraft.
In fact, many stories have been told and documentaries have been made describing how even seasoned pilots sometimes lose spatial awareness resulting in some of the most embarrassing incidences such as landing at the wrong airport and others even landing in the wrong countries short of fuel!!!!!!!!!!!
It may sound bizarre considering that many new aircraft have advanced navigation systems already installed in their avionics systems and pilots can even buy their owns GPS devices like those from the Garmin brand, but these mistakes still do happen from time to time.
So, what is it about maps that make them such an important tool to any aviator?
One way of looking at this is that maps simply tell the pilots that what they see represented on the chart is actually what is on the ground or vice versa, and so as they fly, they go cross-checking that along the planned route, they can make out various physical and man-made features on the ground, which then indicate whether they are on the right track or not.
As a matter of fact, this is a technique that has been in use since the very early days of aviation and it goes by the name pilotage. Pilots would navigate to their destinations using road networks and other physical landmarks because at the time, aircraft and vehicles arose at more or less the same period and so roads were a handy navigation aid.
Much later on, railroads (or the 'iron compass' as they were commonly referred to) also provided aid to the pilots and eventually, as more infrastructure came up, detailed aeronautical charts were developed which then became the pilots "best friend".
Alright! Let us now identify some of these 'potent' capabilities that maps come with. While some of these seem pretty obvious I'd like to know what other hidden powers you guys think maps have....
Apart from all the eye catching symbols and demarcations to lure you in, maps are able to tell a pilot how far a particular point is from his origin and by extension, how long the trip will take and also how much fuel he is expected to carry or use based on various calculations. Maps are therefore an integral flight planning tool.
2. They tell a pilot what to expect ahead of his journey; almost like a clairvoyant of some sorts. For pilots new to a route, maps give a forecast of what terrain to expect, what airspace boundaries to avoid, how to enter and exit routes among other important details. In this way, nothing really comes as a surprise to him because he is forewarned and therefore forearmed with intel.
3. Maps provide a doorway for the pilot to have the best inflight experiences by showcasing the best views the earth has to offer. What I mean by this is that maps indicate where mountain ranges, water bodies and other cool physiographic features are. These are usually the best places to take stunning videos and photos. All the pilot has to do is fly towards these features, of course taking great care especially around hilly/mountainous regions and sight-see to his heart's content. In this way he gets to experience the best of two worlds all facilitated by maps!!!
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