VFR IN IMC; FLT ASSIST.

Narrative

FLT PLAN CONSISTED OF DEP ESC; ISQ; STX; CVX; TVC. UPON VISUAL ARR OF CHARLEVOIX (4 MI BEARING 090 DEGS) WHILE LISTENING TO TVC ATIS RPT; I SAID TO MY PAX; 'THERE IS CHARLEVOIX AND HERE IS THE WAY TO TRAVERSE CITY'S TVC;' THEN ADVANCING LORAN C. THE DISPLAY CAME UP SHOWING A NEW BEARING OF 122 DEGS AND A NM DISPLAY. AT THIS POINT (W/O IT REGISTERING THAT 122 DEGS WAS WAY OFF COURSE) I EXPLAINED TO MY PAX; 'NOW WE TURN TO 122;' AND I DID JUST THAT; NOT EVEN THINKING THAT I WAS ALREADY ON COURSE FOR TVC (FROM THAT POINT) ABOUT 185 OR 190 DEGS. I STARTED TO EXPLAIN THE LORAN. THIS DISPLAY SHOWS GND SPD OF 135 KTS; 'SO WE HAVE A GOOD TAIL WIND.' STILL DID NOT REGISTER. IN THE NEXT FEW MINS THE VOR GOT MY ATTN AND I KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT UP TO PAR. LOOKING AT THE THEN UNFAMILIAR TERRAIN BELOW; I SAID; 'LOOKS LIKE I-75 JUST N OF GAYLORD OTSEGO COUNTY.' AT THIS POINT I SAID THAT THE LORAN MUST BE WRONG! (LATER INSPECTION FOUND THAT I HAD PUT IN WRONG W COORDINATES IN FOR TVC THROWING TVC SOME 45 MI E OF REALITY.) VIS HAD REDUCED TO 2 MI AT THIS POINT AND I STARTED TRACKING IN TO THE TVC ON THE 240 DEG R 'TO' TVC. WHEN THE TVC TWR ASKED I TOLD THEM I WAS ON THE 240 DEG R (WHEN ACTUALLY I WAS ON THE 060 DEG R INBND). MY INSTRUCTION ON VOR WAS REALLY QUICK AND CLOUDY AND IS NOW BEING RECTIFIED BY A CFII. THANKS TO TVC CTLRS AND A USCG HELI THERE WAS NO INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: COAST GUARD HELI WAS AIRBORNE AND SPOTTED ACFT WHILE HEARING CONVERSATION. TWR TURNED ACFT OVER TO HELI TO GUIDE TOWARD ARPT. PLT DIRECTIONALLY DISORIENTED WITH APCHING COLD FRONT AND HAZY CONDITIONS. KNEW WHERE HE WAS FROM GND REFERENCES; BUT COULD NOT TELL TWR HIS POS CORRECTLY. HAS HAD SEVERAL HRS WITH AN INSTRUMENT INSTR AND FEELS HE HAS BENEFITTED GREATLY.