Narrative:

My airplane; a cessna 210; was in ZZZ; having its engine overhauled. I needed to get to ZZZ1. A friend urged me to take his impeccably maintained beech debonair; in which I had checked out a couple of yrs prior. It has same engine and performance as mine; and I was confident that I could fly it safely. The WX was beautiful VFR with unlimited ceilings and excellent visibility. It was pretty much a last-min decision to take the plane; and although I reviewed the manual before the flight; I didn't take much time to re-familiarize myself with the navigation instruments; including the HSI; VOR navigation; GPS; and autoplt. I filed an IFR flight plan to ZZZ. From soon after takeoff; however; I started having difficulty following the victor airways; and frequently wandered off-course. I realized that I wasn't sure which navigation radio matched the HSI and the VOR head; couldn't program the GPS en route; and the autoplt didn't help because it would veer off-course upon activation. I was completely comfortable with flying the plane -- power management; engine management; etc; but I felt like and flew my course like a rank amateur. I've never had an HSI and it's been too long since I trained on one. In any event; I wandered off course; overshot a VOR; and possibly busted my altitudes a couple of times. I was informed that I was 400 ft low at 5600 ft MSL; but after a conversation about that; was then told that I was right at 6000 ft MSL. That added to my concerns; and I checked a couple of times with subsequent controllers; but it seemed not to repeat. As I got closer to ZZZ and I realized that I just wasn't comfortable enough with the instruments to go into class B airspace; and tried to find an airport on my charts that would likely have a rental car. None appeared close; and I wandered more while searching my charts. Approach was wonderful and; at my request; called around until they found an airport that could get me a rental car; and diverted me about 40 NM east to ZZZ2; where I landed. I assumed that the IFR flight plan was closed automatically; but discovered later that it may not have been. I called later; and that seemed not to concern them; fortunately. That night; I called an instructor pilot familiar with the plane; and talked about the navigation instruments for about 20 min. The next morning; after much agonizing; I decided to file an IFR flight plan to ZZZ3 rather than to go VFR; and my performance was as day is to night: I followed the victor airways; successfully utilized the HSI and the VOR/navigation 2; was able to program the GPS successfully and thereby xchk the accuracy of my course; and made good use of the autoplt; having found that it navigation'ed or headed off the HSI; at my election. It was a completely different and normal and gratifying experience from the day before. At ZZZ3 airport; however; I did commit a faux pas. To facilitate traffic; I turned off of runway as soon as I could after landing; only to have turned on to also-active runway instead of taxiing beyond it and turned off onto a taxiway. Tower wasn't pleased; even though I had been monitoring traffic and believed I had no conflict with other traffic. My C210 is about ready again; and I look forward to getting back into a plane that I am intimately familiar with. However; the instructor familiar (with the debonair) and I are going to go out soon for a re-familiarization session; just in case I decide or need to fly it again. I do not want to do this type of poor navigation again. In retrospect; I perhaps should have returned and driven to ZZZ1 but I thought I could figure out the navigation instruments and kept forging ahead instead; thinking I could avoid the 7-8 hour drive. I wish I'd gone back and driven; anyway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT CONDUCTED AN IFR FLT IN AN UNFAMILIAR BE33. HE DISCOVERED THAT HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN THE DESIRED COURSE AND WHEN HE BECAME UNCERTAIN OF HIS ALT CONTROL; REQUESTED CLRNC TO AN ARPT OUTSIDE CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: MY AIRPLANE; A CESSNA 210; WAS IN ZZZ; HAVING ITS ENG OVERHAULED. I NEEDED TO GET TO ZZZ1. A FRIEND URGED ME TO TAKE HIS IMPECCABLY MAINTAINED BEECH DEBONAIR; IN WHICH I HAD CHKED OUT A COUPLE OF YRS PRIOR. IT HAS SAME ENG AND PERFORMANCE AS MINE; AND I WAS CONFIDENT THAT I COULD FLY IT SAFELY. THE WX WAS BEAUTIFUL VFR WITH UNLIMITED CEILINGS AND EXCELLENT VISIBILITY. IT WAS PRETTY MUCH A LAST-MIN DECISION TO TAKE THE PLANE; AND ALTHOUGH I REVIEWED THE MANUAL BEFORE THE FLT; I DIDN'T TAKE MUCH TIME TO RE-FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THE NAV INSTS; INCLUDING THE HSI; VOR NAV; GPS; AND AUTOPLT. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO ZZZ. FROM SOON AFTER TKOF; HOWEVER; I STARTED HAVING DIFFICULTY FOLLOWING THE VICTOR AIRWAYS; AND FREQUENTLY WANDERED OFF-COURSE. I REALIZED THAT I WASN'T SURE WHICH NAV RADIO MATCHED THE HSI AND THE VOR HEAD; COULDN'T PROGRAM THE GPS ENRTE; AND THE AUTOPLT DIDN'T HELP BECAUSE IT WOULD VEER OFF-COURSE UPON ACTIVATION. I WAS COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE WITH FLYING THE PLANE -- PWR MGMNT; ENG MGMNT; ETC; BUT I FELT LIKE AND FLEW MY COURSE LIKE A RANK AMATEUR. I'VE NEVER HAD AN HSI AND IT'S BEEN TOO LONG SINCE I TRAINED ON ONE. IN ANY EVENT; I WANDERED OFF COURSE; OVERSHOT A VOR; AND POSSIBLY BUSTED MY ALTS A COUPLE OF TIMES. I WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS 400 FT LOW AT 5600 FT MSL; BUT AFTER A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT; WAS THEN TOLD THAT I WAS RIGHT AT 6000 FT MSL. THAT ADDED TO MY CONCERNS; AND I CHKED A COUPLE OF TIMES WITH SUBSEQUENT CTLRS; BUT IT SEEMED NOT TO REPEAT. AS I GOT CLOSER TO ZZZ AND I REALIZED THAT I JUST WASN'T COMFORTABLE ENOUGH WITH THE INSTS TO GO INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE; AND TRIED TO FIND AN ARPT ON MY CHARTS THAT WOULD LIKELY HAVE A RENTAL CAR. NONE APPEARED CLOSE; AND I WANDERED MORE WHILE SEARCHING MY CHARTS. APCH WAS WONDERFUL AND; AT MY REQUEST; CALLED AROUND UNTIL THEY FOUND AN ARPT THAT COULD GET ME A RENTAL CAR; AND DIVERTED ME ABOUT 40 NM E TO ZZZ2; WHERE I LANDED. I ASSUMED THAT THE IFR FLT PLAN WAS CLOSED AUTOMATICALLY; BUT DISCOVERED LATER THAT IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN. I CALLED LATER; AND THAT SEEMED NOT TO CONCERN THEM; FORTUNATELY. THAT NIGHT; I CALLED AN INSTRUCTOR PLT FAMILIAR WITH THE PLANE; AND TALKED ABOUT THE NAV INSTS FOR ABOUT 20 MIN. THE NEXT MORNING; AFTER MUCH AGONIZING; I DECIDED TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN TO ZZZ3 RATHER THAN TO GO VFR; AND MY PERFORMANCE WAS AS DAY IS TO NIGHT: I FOLLOWED THE VICTOR AIRWAYS; SUCCESSFULLY UTILIZED THE HSI AND THE VOR/NAV 2; WAS ABLE TO PROGRAM THE GPS SUCCESSFULLY AND THEREBY XCHK THE ACCURACY OF MY COURSE; AND MADE GOOD USE OF THE AUTOPLT; HAVING FOUND THAT IT NAV'ED OR HEADED OFF THE HSI; AT MY ELECTION. IT WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND NORMAL AND GRATIFYING EXPERIENCE FROM THE DAY BEFORE. AT ZZZ3 ARPT; HOWEVER; I DID COMMIT A FAUX PAS. TO FACILITATE TFC; I TURNED OFF OF RWY AS SOON AS I COULD AFTER LNDG; ONLY TO HAVE TURNED ON TO ALSO-ACTIVE RWY INSTEAD OF TAXIING BEYOND IT AND TURNED OFF ONTO A TXWY. TWR WASN'T PLEASED; EVEN THOUGH I HAD BEEN MONITORING TFC AND BELIEVED I HAD NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC. MY C210 IS ABOUT READY AGAIN; AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING BACK INTO A PLANE THAT I AM INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH. HOWEVER; THE INSTRUCTOR FAMILIAR (WITH THE DEBONAIR) AND I ARE GOING TO GO OUT SOON FOR A RE-FAMILIARIZATION SESSION; JUST IN CASE I DECIDE OR NEED TO FLY IT AGAIN. I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS TYPE OF POOR NAV AGAIN. IN RETROSPECT; I PERHAPS SHOULD HAVE RETURNED AND DRIVEN TO ZZZ1 BUT I THOUGHT I COULD FIGURE OUT THE NAV INSTS AND KEPT FORGING AHEAD INSTEAD; THINKING I COULD AVOID THE 7-8 HR DRIVE. I WISH I'D GONE BACK AND DRIVEN; ANYWAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.