Pilots did actually land, ask someone for directions, and take off again!
It was considered a bit of a 'rookie' thing to do, and definitely lost you face, but it did happen.
See books like Sagittarius Rising, No Parachute, and such.
The issue in Sagittarius Rising was that after landing he hadn't thought to ask the battery to call the field to let them know he was alive and well. The directions themselves weren't his sin.