What did pilots use, say, fifty years ago? Are they not still trained in a more basic navigation system?
1) The window. 2) Unlike land travel, dead reckoning, using only a compass and clock, is amazingly accurate but you have to do some math work before the flight for this to viable. 3) AM radio stations can be homed in on using a $10,000 auto-direction finder if you have one. 4) Receiving VOR navigation signals. The system has transmitter stations placed about 50 miles from each other all over. The way they work is the time difference between a beacon signal and a rotating directional signal provides your bearing from the station. Receiving 2 stations you can get a fix. This is currently the most popular method of air navigation. However GPS is taking over as it is more accurate, easier to use, and cheaper.
"What did pilots use, say, fifty years ago? Are they not still trained in a more basic navigation system?"
IFR - I Follow Roads.