HDG TRACK DEV CREATES A NAV ERROR.

Narrative

I'VE BEEN FLYING FAR 135 CHARTER IN 4 JETS AND; RARELY; 2 TURBOPROPS. I HAVE THOUSANDS OF HRS OF IFR; SINGLE PLT; IN MIL JETS AND CABIN CLASS MULTIENG; BUT THIS WAS MY FIRST SINGLE PLT IFR IN 28 MONTHS; MY FIRST TIME IN TYPE IN 3 PLUS MONTHS (98% OF MY TIME IN TYPE WAS 5 PLUS YRS AGO). THIS ONE IS AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE: NO ANNUNCIATOR PANEL; GAUGES AND SWITCHES SCATTERED AT RANDOM ACROSS THE PANEL; ETC. AUTOPLT WORKS; WITH SOME HELP AND LOTS OF SUPERVISION. FLT WAS ASSIGNED THE NIGHT BEFORE. I PLANNED TO ARRIVE A HALF-HOUR EARLIER THAN USUAL; TO REVIEW THE COCKPIT AND CHKLISTS BEFORE THE PAX ARRIVED. PAX RESCHEDULED THE TRIP 1/2 HR EARLIER; JUST BEFORE I LEFT FOR THE ARPT. I FILED FROM HOME; DIRECT A DIRECT B; DIRECT DEST. DURING CLB (IMC) AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEVEL-OFF (VMC); APCHING A; I WAS DISTR BY A LONG LIST OF THINGS: SEARCHING FOR CRUISE CHKLIST ITEMS; ANSWERING PAX QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE TO GET COFFEE CUPS CREAMER STIRRING STICKS NAPKINS; ETC. ('IS THIS STUFF DECAF?' CAN YOU MAKE IT WARMER BACK HERE?'). SCAN FOR TFC. KEEP AN EYE ON 'GEORGE.' THINK AHEAD: NOW THAT I'VE BEEN CLRED FOR WHAT I FILED; I'LL PLOT A COURSE FROM B TO DEST. (AMID THE MYRIAD PREFLT DUTIES; I HAD EYEBALLED IT TO WITHIN A COUPLE OF DEGS -- COULDN'T FIND THE PLOTTER). THIS IS DONE; JUST AS I APCH A AND ANSWER A PAX QUESTION THAT TAKES A MOMENT'S THOUGHT AND TURN...TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL I HAD JUST PLOTTED FROM B TO DEST. (ONLY; AT THIS POINT; I'M STILL SEVERAL MINS FROM B AND SHOULD BE GOING FROM A TO B). ATC CATCHES MY SCREW-UP WITHIN 1 1/2 MINS; ASKS MY POS; I QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY ANSWER -- AS IT OCCURS TO ME WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BE GOING. OOPS! FORTUNATELY; THERE WERE NO TFC CONFLICTS: CTR DIDN'T ISSUE ANY 'CALL THIS NUMBER WHEN YOU LAND' WARNINGS; AND -- SO FAR -- I HAVEN'T BEEN ISSUED ANY VIOLATIONS; EVER. HOW TO AVOID THIS SORT OF THING? THE GUYS WHO SAY 'IGNORE THE PAX; OR TELL 'EM TO SIT DOWN AND 'SHUT UP' HAVE NEVER TRIED TO MAKE A LIVING IN CHARTER FLYING. A PAX COMPLAINT WILL GET YOU FIRED AS FAST AS A VIOLATION WILL. STAY CURRENT IN EACH MACHINE? THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT. HOWEVER; THIS PLANE FLIES ABOUT TWICE/MONTH LATELY; AND I'M ONLY THE 'BACKUP' PLT FOR IT. CONCENTRATE VERY *&%ING HARD; AND 'DON'T DO NUTHIN' STUPID.'