Which two methods are most commonly used for navigation?

The most commonly used methods for navigation, especially in general aviation, are pilotage and dead reckoning.

Pilotage involves navigating by visual reference to landmarks. Pilots use charts to identify recognizable terrain features, such as roads, buildings, and bodies of water, to determine their position. This method is particularly effective in good weather conditions where visibility is clear, allowing the pilot to visually confirm their location relative to the charts and the environment.

Dead reckoning, on the other hand, is a more calculative method of navigation. It involves determining one's current position by predicting the future position based on the last known position, accounting for variables such as wind direction and speed, groundspeed, and time. Essentially, a pilot calculates where they would be after a certain period, taking into consideration these factors.

Together, these methods provide a practical approach to navigation, especially when electronic navigation aids are unavailable or during visual flight rules (VFR) conditions. Understanding both pilotage and dead reckoning is vital for pilots, allowing for a versatile use of navigation techniques in varying situations.