Glass cockpits

[drauk]

Are glass cockpits that great?

I like technology in the cockpit but I've never flown in a glass cockpit plane. I have used well equipped conventional panels for instrument flights.

I would like to hear from people who have more than a few hours experience behind glass panels AND more traditional set-ups. Ideally, that person won't have just spent £200,000 of their own money on it because I am not sure how objective they can be!

A few specifics:

Functionality
I understand the idea of situational awareness. But do you get much more useful situational awareness than you get from, for example, an HSI and a pair of GNS4/530 which have terrain and traffic info? More generally, what real and tangible functional benefits does it offer? Ultimately you still need charts if I understand correctly what is shown on the moving maps (i.e. no airways, no vertical info). A nice wide artificial horizon might be easier to learn from scratch, but assuming one is already comfortable with a regular AI, are there other benefits?

Reliability
How reliable do you find it? I've read quite a lot about software problems. I'm not talking so much about a rare occasional failure that one could expect of any piece of technology since the backup instruments are there, but every day usage.

Usability
I've heard people complain about using a tape type gauge, as opposed to being able to glance at a dial and get a sense of a number by the position of a needle, but on the basis that both military and airline planes use this newer representation I figure one gets used to it and it's not a problem. But what about the modal nature of these integrated systems, whereby you have to switch modes to do different things or to read different information? Do you miss having a button or knob for each thing you want to do? What about the ability to operate by feel rather?

Legal Considerations
Assuming one wants to fly airways what do you do about the need for ADF and DME? Presumably the need for a second altimeter is taken care of by the standby altimeter? I believe that some kind of ADF receiver can be used which shows the RBI on the MF display? Can this be retrofitted? What about DME?

[IO540]

Last time I looked (1yr ago) the two main players were Garmin (G1000) and Avidyne.

Avidyne is on the Cirrus and Garmin seem to be on almost everything else.

The G1000 will accept inputs from a remote reading ADF and DME and this is how one satisfies the European requirements.

Avidyne could not at the time accept remote ADF/DME, which is why SR20/22 owners had the rather tacky retrofit done.

As for the rest, I can't say as I have never flown behind it. A recent review in the US "Flying" magazine does make the point that these panels do not give full FMS functionality; rather, they are basically a GNS530 with a bunch of the old engine/altimeter/etc instruments added.

[nouseforaname]

We use Chelton EFIS and basically all I can tell you is that i would'nt be able to do what i do without it.

Just the other day I decended through cloud to break at aprx.1000ft agl in quite hilly terrain. The GPS terrain gives you a readout of your height agl at all times. It also draws the valleys for you on the efis. TCAS is also incorporated and it puts the 'dot' of traffic relative to where it is in space.

BUT I had some real trouble with it when i first got it. I'm supposed to be the only person that has had trouble with them but now it's fixed it works like clockwork.

The transition from the conventional instruments is NOT straight forward either. It took me a good 20hrs before i was comfortable enough to fly in hard ifr with the equipment. I have >100hrs with it now and after 50hrs i was still tuning in the conventional stand by stuff because i wasn't 100% comfortable with it. But now it's fantastic, its the future there is no doubt in my mind.

[FullyFlapped]

Nouseforaname,

The Chelton stuff looks very impressive - so would I be right in assuming it's only approved on US-registered aircraft ?

FF :ok:

[Superpilot]

I read somewhere that for the normal category (i.e. not experimental) the FAA and JAA have an agreement whereby they have to issue STC's for any avionics the other body approves.

[IO540]

nouseforaname

What sort of plane do you fly? For most tourers, the paperwork alone for this fit would be a nice little exercise....

[englishal]

I have flown a fair few hours now in Cessna 172's, Cessna 182T's and DA40's with the G1000 in America, and I have to say that it is a massive leap forward in avionics. I also did my instrument rating in a traditional steam powered aeroplane.

The situational awareness is fantastic, in fact the FAA now decree that if you fly one of these aeroplanes and as long as the GPS database is up to date, you no longer need paper charts.

One of the big differences I found is that when flying IFR it is possible to keep the heading within a degree or two, as opposed to 5 if you're lucky on a normal HSI / DI and it is possible to fly at altitudes within +/- 10 feet, as opposed to 50 feet if you're lucky. The main display has been designed to keep all of the pertinent info right in front of you, which makes the scan easier, quicker and because headings / altitudes are also displayed in numbers you really can fly accurately. You can also catch changes in attitude / altitude / speed very quickly due to the wide Ai and speed / alt tapes.

I have not noticed any reliability issues, maybe I haven't flown enough hours in one. However, the supposed reliability far exceeds standard insturments by thousands of hours. However the system is modular, so if one particular part does fail, it is a case of pulling out the box, and slotting a new one in - literally 5 minutes work as opposed to a month in the avionics shop.

The tape displays are excellent, the speed tape clearly shown pertinent airspeeds, such as Vx, Vy, Vs, best glide etc.....as well as the standard colour coding. Altitude tape is fine, you can read off your alt in 10's of feet which helps accuracy, and with the VSI indication being alongside the alt tape it helps you plan your altitude changes. You can also dial in you assigned altitude which appears on the tape, so no more forgetting where you're meant to be. The AI has a really good feature, if you get into an unusual attitude, red arrows show you the way you need to push to get back to a normal attitiude.

The map functions are very good as is the traffic / weather displays which can be overlaid onto the map. In some parts of the USA this is literally a life saver, shame we can't get it over here. Other useful features on the map include being able to overlay fuel range rings and stuff like that. If you enter a flight plan into the map, you can pick up all the frequencies from the database. You would have to be in serious trouble to mess up an approach (GPS anyway), your course to steer is displayed on the map and the HSI automatically turns at each waypoint. Future versions will include vertical guidance in the form of virtual glideslopes (well not future versions, the software is already able to handle it once enabled). The map displays airspace classification / airspace ahead alerts and all good stuff like that. No doubt the 530's do as well.

The engine management functions are very good, and include features like "lean assist" to help get best mixture. I was surprised how much fuel is saved leaning properly, in a DA40 it made a difference from 11-12 gals / hr at 7000' to around 8 gals /hr. You can also read off fuel flow, endurance, duration and stuff like that. Any departure from normal parameters (oil temp / oil pressure / CHT / TIT etc...) and you are alerted straight away on the primary flight display.

Once you get used to the system, it is very easy to use. Most functions can be access through one or two knobs and softkeys and it is very intuitive. It does take a bit of getting used to, I was lucky enough to be allowed to use the Angel City Flyers G1000 sim at long beach where I got used to the system before stepping into the aeroplane. I believe Garmin will have a downloadable G1000 sim sometime soon, I saw the link on their website several months ago. There will be full FMS capabilities very soon, with integrated autopilot....

I'm converted now, whenever I go to America I always rent a G1000 equipped aeroplane. Plus if you get bored of listening to ATC, you can just tune in to the XM radio......;)

[soay]

I believe Garmin will have a downloadable G1000 sim sometime soon, I saw the link on their website several months ago.
That would be handy. At present, you can only order the simulators on CD-ROM here (http://www.garmin.com/products/g1000/), for delivery in the USA. However, if you email Garmin's UK sales, and explain the problem, they will send you one for free!

[englishal]

That would be handy. At present, you can only order the simulators on CD-ROM here, for delivery in the USA. However, if you email Garmin's UK sales, and explain the problem, they will send you one for free!
Thanks, I was looking yesterday and hoped they had it for electronic download. At $3 I was even going to buy it ;) I'll contact Garmin......

Cheers