2 FAA INSPECTORS PRACTICE APCHS AT FXE; FL; IN A C172. DURING A MISSED APCH; THEY ENTER CLASS C AIRSPACE EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE USING A HAND-HELD GPS TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE.

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2 FAA INSPECTORS WERE FLYING A C172 TO WORK ON 'EVENTS BASED CURRENCY' A PROGRAM THAT REQUIRES COMPLETION OF A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF VARIOUS MANEUVERS; APCHS; TKOFS; LNDGS; ETC; EACH FISCAL QUARTER. I WAS THE PIC AND SAFETY PLT. WE HAD JUST COMPLETED A PRACTICE APCH TO RWY 8 AT FXE AND PLANNED ON RETURNING TO OPA-LOCKA AFTER ITS COMPLETION. I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED PERMISSION FOR A R TURN AFTER COMPLETION ON THE MISS. I THEN ASSIGNED THE OTHER PLT 1800 FT AND HDG 240 DEGS FOR THE MISSED APCH ALTERNATE INSTRUCTION. HE COMPLIED. SOON AFTER I CHANGED THE HDG TO 260 DEGS AND IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT WE WERE IN THE OUTER SHELF OF THE FLL CLASS C AIRSPACE. WE IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO BELOW 1200 FT. SEVERAL THINGS LED TO THIS: 1) I USUALLY DO NOT GO TO FXE FOR PRACTICE APCHS DUE TO HVY TFC; BUT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN TO BOCA RATON IN ORDER TO DO A VOR APCH. (THE CLOSEST PLACE ONE IS READILY AVAILABLE SINCE SHUTDOWN OF MIA VOR) AND IT WAS CONVENIENT TO MAKE A COUPLE OF APCHS AT FXE ON THE WAY S (TO OPF). 2) I NORMALLY KEEP A MIAMI TERMINAL VFR CHART ON MY LAP DURING THESE MISSIONS JUST TO MAKE SURE I STAYED OUT OF THE WRONG PLACES; BUT TODAY WAS USING MY HANDHELD GPS (LORANCE AIR MAP) IT HELPED TO CONFUSE ME BECAUSE I HAD THE MAP SCALE SET TO ONLY ABOUT 2 OR 3 MI IN VIEW AND THE AIRSPACE WARNING GOES OFF ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY IN COMPLEX AIRSPACE AREAS SUCH AS THE SE FLORIDA AREA. I HAD NOT USED THE GPS MUCH IN THE PAST FOR THIS PURPOSE AS I HAVE ONLY HAD IT A FEW MONTHS AND ONLY USED IT A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THIS MANNER. BTWN THE TFC (LOOKING FOR AND ATC) AND FOOLING WITH THE GPS I LET MYSELF LOSE MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. 3) APCHS (ILS RWY 8 AND NDB RWY 8 AT FXE) COME DOWN THROUGH THE CLASS C. FXE PROBABLY HAS CTL OF SOME OF THE FLL CLASS C BY LOA. I AM NOT SURE HOW MUCH. HAVING JUST MADE 2 APCHS THERE (FXE) I WASN'T THINKING IN TERMS OF THE 1200 FT OUTER SHELF. WE WERE STILL ON FXE LCL FREQ WHEN WE CLBED INTO THE CLASS C. NO ONE EVER CALLED US AND IN FACT IT IS POSSIBLE WE WERE IN AIRSPACE DELEGATED TO FXE. THERE ARE SEVERAL POINTS FOR ME TO REMEMBER. 1) KEEP THE ESSENTIALS IN MIND. FLY THE AIRPLANE AND KNOW WHERE YOU ARE; BOTH AIRSPACE AND GEOGRAPHIC. 2) DON'T LET NON ESSENTIAL THINGS LOAD YOU DOWN. THE VFR TERMINAL CHART IS QUICK AND EASY TO USE. THE HIGH WORKLOAD OF TRYING TO USE THE GPS HELPED TO OVERLOAD THE SIT.