Narrative:

After a few days in atlanta, GA, my father and I decided to return home to N73-red lion, nj. We had been keeping an eye on the WX and decided that an approaching cold front in PA, was going to be a problem. I am an instrument rated private pilot and he is a student pilot. The WX along the route was VFR but thunderstorms were forecast for later in the day, especially along the northern parts. I have a healthy respect (fear of) thunderstorms and will not fly IFR when they are about. As long as I stay VFR, I wouldn't get into a thunderstorm. Visibilities were 6 mi or better and ceiling even in nj, were higher than 3500'. I planned to follow the same route north as we had flown the other direction, 4 days earlier and the charts were already well marked. Approaching the charlotte area, I contacted the TCA for advisories. We would be below their outer rings. I was using the ADF as the primary NAVAID. Lkr was a turning point and 6a6 with its swy NDB was the refueling stop. ATC provided vectors in addition to our ADF navigation for this segment so we weren't using the charlotte sectional. I set the VOR for the planned course but the ADF was to be pointing to the next airport. A few mins after takeoff, we could see a dark area with lightening off to the west. We were outdistancing it so there didn't appear to be a problem. Then another cell appeared at 1 O'clock. This required a more northerly heading. Then I either did something to the ADF or the storm was interfering with it. It would only point to the right wing, regardless of my heading. I tried to identify another beacon further northeast and I tried a commercial station, all with the same results. While I tried to plot our changing position with the VOR, dad tried to find our position on the map. The charlotte sectional had disappeared into my chart case and we only had a nc, state aeronautical chart as a back-up. Unfortunately, this is printed at WAC chart scale not sectional scale, which we both are used to. I was doing a good job of avoiding the cells but our position was quickly becoming questionable. At one point I saw a fairly large airport about 5 mi ahead, on the other side of a low ridge. Guessing that to be piedmont triad international, I turned east. I looked up greensboro's approach frequency while I continued to try and find our position. Once I had a chance to call them, they confirmed our position at that time as 10 east. Somewhat nervous by all this I asked for vectors to danville, va. They helped me get oriented and advised that their WX filters showed no precipitaion to the north. The next morning, with no thunderstorms present, I completed the trip easily with a combination VFR and IFR flight. Failure to call ATC for assistance early on. The thunderstorms were relatively easy to see and avoid; controled airspace, with its invisible magenta lines, was not. Once 'lost' anywhere on the east coast, it doesn't take long to encounter controled airspace. Because of that, I used pilotage less and less. The ability to determine position quickly by chart over unfamiliar areas does deteriorate. As I fly in my home area, the need to consult a sectional diminishes. On x-country flts, because of the controled airspace, I tend to use ATC services with VOR navigation. The basic VFR skills can lapse.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DISORIENTED GETS ATC ASSIST, VECTORS TO DESIRED ARPT.

Narrative: AFTER A FEW DAYS IN ATLANTA, GA, MY FATHER AND I DECIDED TO RETURN HOME TO N73-RED LION, NJ. WE HAD BEEN KEEPING AN EYE ON THE WX AND DECIDED THAT AN APCHING COLD FRONT IN PA, WAS GOING TO BE A PROB. I AM AN INSTRUMENT RATED PVT PLT AND HE IS A STUDENT PLT. THE WX ALONG THE RTE WAS VFR BUT TSTMS WERE FORECAST FOR LATER IN THE DAY, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE NORTHERN PARTS. I HAVE A HEALTHY RESPECT (FEAR OF) TSTMS AND WILL NOT FLY IFR WHEN THEY ARE ABOUT. AS LONG AS I STAY VFR, I WOULDN'T GET INTO A TSTM. VISIBILITIES WERE 6 MI OR BETTER AND CEILING EVEN IN NJ, WERE HIGHER THAN 3500'. I PLANNED TO FOLLOW THE SAME RTE N AS WE HAD FLOWN THE OTHER DIRECTION, 4 DAYS EARLIER AND THE CHARTS WERE ALREADY WELL MARKED. APCHING THE CHARLOTTE AREA, I CONTACTED THE TCA FOR ADVISORIES. WE WOULD BE BELOW THEIR OUTER RINGS. I WAS USING THE ADF AS THE PRIMARY NAVAID. LKR WAS A TURNING POINT AND 6A6 WITH ITS SWY NDB WAS THE REFUELING STOP. ATC PROVIDED VECTORS IN ADDITION TO OUR ADF NAV FOR THIS SEGMENT SO WE WEREN'T USING THE CHARLOTTE SECTIONAL. I SET THE VOR FOR THE PLANNED COURSE BUT THE ADF WAS TO BE POINTING TO THE NEXT ARPT. A FEW MINS AFTER TKOF, WE COULD SEE A DARK AREA WITH LIGHTENING OFF TO THE W. WE WERE OUTDISTANCING IT SO THERE DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE A PROB. THEN ANOTHER CELL APPEARED AT 1 O'CLOCK. THIS REQUIRED A MORE NORTHERLY HDG. THEN I EITHER DID SOMETHING TO THE ADF OR THE STORM WAS INTERFERING WITH IT. IT WOULD ONLY POINT TO THE R WING, REGARDLESS OF MY HDG. I TRIED TO IDENTIFY ANOTHER BEACON FURTHER NE AND I TRIED A COMMERCIAL STATION, ALL WITH THE SAME RESULTS. WHILE I TRIED TO PLOT OUR CHANGING POS WITH THE VOR, DAD TRIED TO FIND OUR POS ON THE MAP. THE CHARLOTTE SECTIONAL HAD DISAPPEARED INTO MY CHART CASE AND WE ONLY HAD A NC, STATE AERONAUTICAL CHART AS A BACK-UP. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS PRINTED AT WAC CHART SCALE NOT SECTIONAL SCALE, WHICH WE BOTH ARE USED TO. I WAS DOING A GOOD JOB OF AVOIDING THE CELLS BUT OUR POS WAS QUICKLY BECOMING QUESTIONABLE. AT ONE POINT I SAW A FAIRLY LARGE ARPT ABOUT 5 MI AHEAD, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A LOW RIDGE. GUESSING THAT TO BE PIEDMONT TRIAD INTL, I TURNED E. I LOOKED UP GREENSBORO'S APCH FREQ WHILE I CONTINUED TO TRY AND FIND OUR POS. ONCE I HAD A CHANCE TO CALL THEM, THEY CONFIRMED OUR POS AT THAT TIME AS 10 E. SOMEWHAT NERVOUS BY ALL THIS I ASKED FOR VECTORS TO DANVILLE, VA. THEY HELPED ME GET ORIENTED AND ADVISED THAT THEIR WX FILTERS SHOWED NO PRECIPITAION TO THE N. THE NEXT MORNING, WITH NO TSTMS PRESENT, I COMPLETED THE TRIP EASILY WITH A COMBINATION VFR AND IFR FLT. FAILURE TO CALL ATC FOR ASSISTANCE EARLY ON. THE TSTMS WERE RELATIVELY EASY TO SEE AND AVOID; CTLED AIRSPACE, WITH ITS INVISIBLE MAGENTA LINES, WAS NOT. ONCE 'LOST' ANYWHERE ON THE E COAST, IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG TO ENCOUNTER CTLED AIRSPACE. BECAUSE OF THAT, I USED PILOTAGE LESS AND LESS. THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE POS QUICKLY BY CHART OVER UNFAMILIAR AREAS DOES DETERIORATE. AS I FLY IN MY HOME AREA, THE NEED TO CONSULT A SECTIONAL DIMINISHES. ON X-COUNTRY FLTS, BECAUSE OF THE CTLED AIRSPACE, I TEND TO USE ATC SVCS WITH VOR NAV. THE BASIC VFR SKILLS CAN LAPSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.