checkpoints

checkride preparation cross-country flight planning cross-country flying cross-country planning dead reckoning flight training maximum elevation figure pilotage private pilot sectional chart student pilot VFR cruising altitude visual navigation

Traffic Pattern Aug 16, 2026

Picking Your Checkpoints, the Pilotage Skill That Turns a Line on the Chart Into a Flight You Can Actually Follow

Learn how to pick unmistakable checkpoints for cross-country flight so your planned course line becomes a flight you can confidently follow.

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Traffic Pattern Jul 24, 2026

Reading the Sectional, the Maximum Elevation Figure, and Picking Checkpoints You Can Actually Find on the Way to Oshkosh

Learn to read the sectional's Maximum Elevation Figure, apply FAR 91.159, and pick checkpoints you can actually spot from the air.

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Traffic Pattern Apr 17, 2026

Picking checkpoints that actually work for visual navigation

Learn how to pick visual checkpoints that actually work for cross-country navigation using the 'big, unique, and on the line' framework.

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