Exploring Winter Haven: Flying without GPS in a Beautiful Area

Winter Haven (KGIF) is an exceptionally beautiful place, boasting two concrete runways and a water runway. I hope to try out the water runway in a seaplane one day, but for now, I am flying an ASEL (Airplane Single Engine Land) and sticking to concrete or grass runways.

Flying without GPS is an amazing experience. While this airplane has a VOR, I am challenging myself to rely solely on a compass, clock, and paper maps. Today’s flight is not along a coastline, so it is even more challenging.

There is one area along the route where there are no landmarks at all, just a large forest area. I use my clock to fly the calculated course and, after some time, try to identify a clear landmark to figure out where I am and how far off-track I am. It’s fun! After about 10 minutes of flight, I was only about a mile off-course. Not bad for a visual flight relying only on a magnetic compass.

I am attaching some photos to showcase the beauty of the area 🙂


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Milestones

04/09/2017: My First Flight
04/25/2017: EASA PPL written exam (6 exams passed)
05/21/2017: Radio Operator Certificate (Europe VFR)
05/22/2017: EASA PPL written exam (all passed)
05/26/2017: The First Solo!
05/28/2017: Solo cross-country >270 km
05/31/2017: EASA PPL check-ride
07/22/2017: EASA IFR English
08/03/2017: 100 hours TT
12/04/2017: The first IFR flight
12/28/2017: FAA IR written
02/16/2018: FAA IR check-ride
05/28/2018: FAA Tailwheel endorsement
06/04/2018: FAA CPL long cross-country
06/07/2018: FAA CPL written
07/16/2018: FAA CPL check-ride
07/28/2018: FAA CPL ME rating
08/03/2018: FAA HP endorsement
06/03/2019: EASA ATPL theory (6/14)
07/03/2019: EASA ATPL theory (11/14)
07/15/2019: FAA IR IPC
07/18/2019: FAA CPL SES rating
08/07/2019: EASA ATPL theory (done)
10/10/2019: EASA NVFR
10/13/2019: EASA IR/PBN SE
11/19/2019: Solo XC > 540 km
12/06/2019: EASA CPL
12/10/2019: EASA AMEL
02/20/2020: Cessna 210 endorsement
08/30/2021: FAVT validation
05/27/2022: TCCA CPL/IR written
05/31/2022: Radio Operator Certificate Canada