Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

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By Rob P
#1901464
I found that a Tesco digital cook's timer, at around £5 was the best solution. Huge digits and the ability to count up or down.

Don't wear it on your wrist though, you lose cool points.

Rob P
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By NickC
#1901473
I bought a cheap Casio digital watch with huge digits. It has a stopwatch too, but I did not need that - I just wanted big digits for easily checking the time for my plog etc. So doesn't easily count up/ doesn't count down, but does have the advantage of bolting to your wrist without looking silly.
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By Milty
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1901479
Following. Keep forgetting to look at my watch and think I need something on my knee board.
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By Rich V
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1901495
T6Harvard wrote:May I ask for advice please, on the suitability of this watch for Nav exercises? The bezel does move, either count up or count down.


I've used that same Casio watch model MRW-200H for years. I now have two, both from Argos (£15 then £20 but £nil using nectar points). One I wear on wrist as normal, and one is just the case velcro'd to the panel. Reason for latter is the bezel welded to the case when I doused the watch in fuel! Otherwise it was still ok, and I didn't want to throw it away.

Large digits, rotating bezel, good value. :thumright:

Rich
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By Duncan M
#1901498
Use something that you are used to reading. If you use an analogue watch daily then your example is good. But, if like many a digital presentation is the norm, stick with that.

During nav legs you need to know, start time, end time and elapsed time. Your examiner/instructor will want to know an ETA at turn point or destination, the time taken for that leg and how far along the leg you are.
I like the watch with bezel, but I have used it for years and can add/subtract times and get ETA’s without having to spend too much thinking time on it.
These counters a great for timing flight time or for one leg at a time but don’t actually give you the time of day as well.
The examiner will want to know your eta ie 1035 at the turning point. So, with a timer you also need a watch to convert your 32 minute leg to an actual timing.

There are some stop watches that also show time of day but you need to be proficient in using them so there isn’t too much head down time.

An app on your phone could show all that for zero cost.

The aim is keep it simple so there is the smallest chance of making a mistake.
Adding the leg time to actual time to give eta is what you need to do, and the timepiece which enables you to do that best is the one to use.

Mounting on the panel if possible is best as there is no need to look down or take hands off anything to read.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1901502
T6Harvard wrote:May I ask for advice please, on the suitability of this watch for Nav exercises? The bezel does move, either count up or count down.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9025873 ... lsrc=aw.ds

Thank you


I would say that suits your purpose admirably: Big clear numerals and the easy ability to time short legs .

Quartz and therefore accurate, and shower proof:
And you can even use it away from your aeroplane to tell the time.

EDIT: Remember of course for Nav Exercises you may be asked by ATC for your ETA so reading your ETA off your watch is a doddle. I guess solely relying on your kitchen timer your ETA would be 'five mince pies past spongecake'.

30 years ago when I started flying I bought an ex RAF Nav Seiko: I took the webbing strap off and binned it and fitted a Titanium band £200 in total.

Looked pretty good with easy to read dials in turbulence.

(Get Numerals, not just batons, it really does make a difference as does an analogue display where your brain instantly 'sees' the picture and therefore the time )

I stopped short of a Babygro.

But I never ever used the stopwatch so a big waste of money and when it packed up after 25 years and even Seiko refused to fix it I bought a £30 Pulsar. which still keeps excellent time.

Go for it! :wink:

Kitchen timer?

wtf?

you're flying a 'kin aeroplane not baking a sponge cake. :lol:
Last edited by PeteSpencer on Sat Feb 26, 2022 10:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By NDB_hold
#1901506
I have a pointlessly complicated titanium poseur Citizen watch. I love two features about it: the fact that it is solar powered, and the fact that it updates its time every night from the atomic clock. This means that I never had to change your battery, and my watch is always right. The rest of the features are largely pointless, although I do think it makes me look cool…
Last edited by NDB_hold on Sun Feb 27, 2022 8:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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By Rob P
#1901512
T6Harvard wrote::lol:

Thanks @Rob P . can you enlighten me as to how you kept the timer secure? (I'm envisioning duct tape around kneeboard!)


Many have some form of clip on the back that mates it to a knee board most satisfactorily. Or a magnet, assuming there's some non-aluminium metal on the panel

In fact this one has a magnet on the back. Glue a small bit of metal onto your kneeboard and Bob is your relative. Counts up and down and will display clock which you can leave set on zulu. With change from a fiver.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SK-24-Hours-Up ... 5028&psc=1

Rob P
Last edited by Rob P on Sat Feb 26, 2022 6:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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By Rob P
#1901519
Indeed, don't mount your kitchen timer on the compass whatever you do.

Rob P
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By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1901521
I've never really understood why the aeroplane clock isn't perfectly adequate for VFR nav. It's all I ever used until I got bored with drawing lines on maps.

I also use it for timed turns on instruments, although I can imagine that a seconds timer would make that a bit easier for the outbound/inbound legs in the hold when there's a significant wind.