An instructor pilot reported that his student; a licensed helicopter instructor; had difficulty navigating their fixed wing aircraft in a complex LAX VFR transition corridor using a GPS; a compass and also lacked basic navigation skills. He trained in an advanced navigation cockpit.

Narrative

Student was off course on the initial inbound to the Coliseum routing - west of the 120 radial SLI. Some discussion revealed that the student was using a GPS track number as a compass heading. Pointed hints to turn right to get back on the SLI inbound radial were to no avail. Compounding the error was a frequency change intended for another aircraft with identical last three characters; which we both mis-interpreted. The interesting thing about this deviation is that the student holds an instructor rating in helicopters and is taking a fixed-wing commercial test imminently. It was clear that the concept of GPS navigation was not mastered; and just as clear (later in the flight) that dead-reckoning and pilotage were likewise not in the skill set of this student. I was initially told I would be on board to provide company. I let it get too far off course because; first; I had confidence in the student's basic navigational skills; not having any reason to doubt them; and second; because I could not see the compass; and could not read the GPS numbers with my reading glasses from the back seat. Glimpses of the ground through the marine layer were my first clue that my student was unable to track an inbound course. Is there a lesson here for folks who learn from primary using glass cockpits? Should we go back to requiring navigation using a compass; a watch; and a sectional chart?