When reintercepting your course with GPS after being vectored away, what is the first step you should take?

When reintercepting your course with GPS after being vectored away, the first step is to activate the appropriate leg of your flight plan. This action ensures that the navigation system is correctly aligned with your course and ready to guide you back to the intended route. Activating the leg essentially tells the GPS system which waypoint you are heading towards, allowing it to provide accurate guidance for the remainder of your approach.

Once the leg is activated, the GPS system will display your position relative to the course, and the Course Deviation Indicator (CDI) will update accordingly. This is crucial for effective navigation, as it allows you to monitor your progress and make the necessary adjustments to reintercept the course efficiently.

Considering other actions, adjusting the CDI needle's rate of closure and beginning the turn to intercept the course depend on first having the GPS correctly oriented to your desired leg of the flight plan. Speeding up your approach to the course without first activating the proper leg might lead to confusion or misalignment, potentially affecting your situational awareness and navigation accuracy. Thus, activating the correct leg is a foundational step that supports safe and effective flight navigation.