Enjoying Life

[Fluke]

Went for a ride in one of those C172's with the Garmin flight display a few days ago. Been many years out of a lighty but my lasting impression was how much my instructor wanted to push buttons and how much I enjoyed looking out the window. Anyway what a great training kit for aspiring airline pilots, hopefully they will not be sick of LNAV by the time they join an airline.:}

[toolowtoofast]

great thing about the G1000 in a 172 is that it only takes a single piece of A4 to cover the whole screen. then you can really enjoy the view outside

[frigatebird]

They always were a good compromise trainer/tourer, -back even to the 145 hp 6 cylinder Continental days. 'Course if you go crosscountry you will take in the view for a long time.. but isn't that the point..? The 180 hp or even Hawk XP 210 hp mod. would be even better.. but the glass in the Garmins could be a distraction :-)

[Aerohooligan]

Frigatebird, couldn't agree more re the glass being a distraction. I've had the opportunity to do about 20 hrs in a G1000 182 and 10 hours in a G1000 172 and it was only after about 15 hrs on the system that I stopped getting distracted by all the fancy toys and started looking out the window more. On the rare occasion that I fly a G1000 these days I still find myself loading up the RNAV or ILS in VMC and watching the autopilot work its magic.

G1000 is a bad idea in conventional training I think. It should be steam gauges for those going on to GA. The low-time (ie 100hrs or less) people who would reap the most benefit from it I think are airline cadets with a guaranteed job and PPLs who are going on to fly Cirruses and that sort of thing. Still, I think time on steam is vital for all pilots because when those shiny MFD/PFDs fail, you'll need to know how the backup instruments work...and unless taught properly, G1000 training could instil an over-reliance on technology that is potentially dangerous.

That's well more than 2c worth, sorry bout that. :p In summary, G1000 = awesome, provided that like everything else it's taught well and understood properly and treated with care and respect. :ok:

[Massey058]

You are right in that it comes down to proper training. The reality is that it is the future and it will take some time but eventually steam gauges will become but a distant memory. No point in fighting it.

Glass is only a distraction if you let it be, the aeroplane is still the same and again provided you have had proper training you should be able to operate the aircraft in largely the same manner as you do with steam gauges. The big difference is the increase in the volume of information and its ability to really aid situational awareness.

I really enjoy flying the G1000 with or without autopilot but am kind of dreading going back onto our steam gauge models because of the loss of information.

[frigatebird]

A Columbia 400 I flew had all the gear. While I was watching the displays and seeing traffic depicted that I wasn't otherwise aware of, this sexy little female voice told me all about it and where to look.. Startled me the first time.. thought I had either a stowaway, or it was someone on the radio.. And I arrived much quicker than I would have, had I been in a 172.

[AussieNick]

using a G1000 or similar equipped aircraft for training in my opinion is a bad idea. Not so for PPL guys but if your planning on doing a CPL, an aircraft with analogue is the way to go. best to train in an aircraft that is a good represents what your going to fly on your first job. not some flash "airline" trainer with the glass cockpits

[coconut99]

...now i've never flown anything glass that wasn't in the pointy end of a jet. When I did my initial training and hour building some time back it was in the ol' steam-driven cockpit. Standard analogue istrumentation to me seems to have one big advantage for initial training over these fancy garmans...it teaches you how to build an effective panel scan rate rather than combine everything into one screen. I'd love to see a fresh CPL, who has flown only on glass, handle an analogue cockpit while they are bouncing up and down in thick IMC hand-flying a twin ndb approach...whoops, there goes the situational awareness :hmm:

Just my 2 cents...

coco

[PyroTek]

I personally prefer the steam driven gauges, makes me think i'm in a real aeroplane!
Traditional Style:ok: (and I have got my "scan" going which makes it easier)

Pyro:ok:

[Jabawocky]

You will not need your scan in the Piper Cub.......You will need feet!:}

As CC says....an Aeroplane barely capable of killing you!

Traditional Style:ok:

You have not lived yet sonny!:ok:

[j3pipercub]

I got a glass cockpit, there's glass on all the faces of the instruments...

Jaba, don't you be knockin the cubs now, or I'll have to go and key the RV... JCP is a gorgeous little example too, ah buttercub...

j3

[AnyGivenSunday99]

JCP is a gorgeous little example too, ah buttercub...


I've flown her as well J3, best fun you can have with your pants on....

Taught me more about "aviating" than a G1000 ever will.

Good times.... good times......:ok:

[frigatebird]

Now THIS was fun at the time.
One seat, 4 gauges plus one for the engine, and no radio other than a handheld..

http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy129/bird__photo/ultralights/scan0009.jpg

[40Deg STH]

I agree with the rest of you. Steam for fun. Why over complicate a hobby. Infact, take all the dials out and fly by feel and sound. It was a requirement when learning glide and is infact easier than we think.
If I was a GA employer, I would not be eager to let loose a new cPL with new fangled glass time only.
I would also advocate 1 engine and 1 tail wheel too:ok:
Also get a gaagle of you and head off on an airbourne PUB crawl. Doesn't get much better :ok:

I flew and love the C170

[aussiefan]

As someone who is looking to start training and has been asking questions about it, I find it interesting how many people recomend a school because it has these new aircraft with a glass cockpit. Seems bizzare to me....

Anyone who has done a little reasearch knows you won't be seeing another one of those for a long time!