When flying NOE, which navigational technique is recommended?

When flying Nape of the Earth (NOE), pilotage is the recommended navigational technique. This approach involves using visual references on the ground to navigate, such as geographic landmarks, roads, and buildings. Given the low-altitude nature of NOE flying, where aircraft operate at very low levels, visual cues become crucial for maintaining flight safety and situational awareness.

Pilotage allows pilots to make real-time adjustments to their flight path based on immediate observations, which is essential in a NOE environment where terrain features can change rapidly. This technique helps in effectively avoiding obstacles and following the contours of the terrain, thus enhancing safety and operational effectiveness during low-level flights.

While dead reckoning and radio navigation could be useful in other contexts, they do not provide the same level of situational awareness at low altitudes as pilotage does. Additionally, instruments-only navigation is less suitable for NOE operations where visual reference is essential to navigate the complex terrain effectively.