Modern Avionics

[jumbojohn]

I am doing a project on modern avionics as part of an MSc and would be very interested on pilots views please. Things like - what equipments are user-friendly and liked, what equipments are disliked or are difficult to get on with, what equipments contribute most to flight safety and if there are any equipment related SOPs that could be implemented or changed.

Example: switching TCAS to TA for runway crossings in poor visibility, so thay any landing aircraft can be seen on screen.

I am particularly interested in emerging equipments such as the electronic flight bag, runway awareness systems, ADS-B, CPDLC, modern weather radars, MLS etc - but any views appreciated, even saying HF radio comms is rubbish is setting a trend!

Thanx

[A-FLOOR]

The Airbus MCDU (FMC) is something that as far as I know, not being liked among pilots at all. :sad:

A certain Lufthansa pilot put it this way: "It was obviously not designed by someone who had to work with it".

So, although not a pilot myself (I'm an Aerospace major :hmm: ) and as much as I hate to admit it, I find the Boeing FMC much more pleasant to work with. :\ ;)

[Tinstaafl]

I dislike the trend to keypad data entry. Much, much prefer rotating knob(s) with detents. Any turbulance makes keypad entry more difficult.

Also feel the same way about 4 or 8 way rocker switches to move a cursor around a screen. Too easy to not quite activate the appropriate microswitch, causing the cursor to move differently to expected.

[jumbojohn]

Has anybody got any experience or views on the emerging stuff like electronic flight bag, datalinking, modern weather radars or safety warning systems such as RAAS (runway awarenes advisory systems)?