REQUIREMENTS OF NAVIGATION 

(a) A number of times Pilot may be called upon to navigate the aircraft himself especially in the aircraft types where no navigation is provided or in a single seat aircraft, hence a thorough knowledge of the art of navigation is a must for a pilot. 

(b) Since the pilot has the primary duty of flying the aircraft, it would not be possible for him to carry out the detailed task of a professional navigator in usage of plotting tables, computers, charts etc. He however has to be skilled in map reading and mental DR in order to navigate accurately. 

Techniques used for air navigation in the air can be broadly classified into two groups. 

(a) Visual Flight Rules (VFR): The pilot largely navigates using dead reckoning combined with Visual observations with reference to appropriate maps. This may be supplemented by radio navigation aids. 

(b) Instrument Flight Rules (IFR): Under these rules the pilot will navigate exclusively using instruments and radio nav aids such as beacons, or as directed under radar control by a controlling air traffic controller.