Cone of Confusion

Apparently I am into airplane analogies lately....

 

While navigating an aircraft by instruments, you are essentially saying that you can get where you are going without looking outside.  Your instruments tell you all sorts of things, from how level you are, are you climbing or descending, what direction you are heading.

 

You trust your instruments.  They keep you alive.

 

All over the world there are various types of radio beacons (many, MANY different types).  When you tune to a specific beacon, a little arrow in your plane points to it.  This helps you navigate without actually seeing where you are going.

 

But, there is a problem. (isn't there always?).  These beacons send their signals out sideways, not straight up.  One moment you are flying along, directly to one of these beacons and the next, the needle swings around wildly.

 

This is known as the 'Cone of Confusion'.  It really freaks people out the first few times they see it.

 

What do you do while you are in the Cone?  If you panic, you can head off in the wrong direction, hit a mountain, who knows what?  You may even try to keep following the needle that will forever keep driving you in a circle while you are in the cone.

 

In reality what you do is:

 

• Fly Calmly in the same direction (eventually you will leave the Cone)
• Dial up the next beacon.
• Turn (using your compass) in something close to the right direction.
• Refine your course, using the new beacon.
• Repeat.

 

Sometimes if you are too close to your goals, you can get lost.  You can panic and flail about in a pretty unseemly fashion.  You may even end up circling within your own Cone.

 

Sometimes it is best to get down to principals.

 

• Keep going in the same direction.
• Figure out where you are going next.
• Start doing what you believe it takes to get there.
• Refine your path.
• Repeat.