Any difference between a G300 panel and a normal one?

[TheNakedTrader]

I'm off to Florida soon...to do some flight training.
The school I'm doing my PPL with offers some options
for students to choose from.

1. Cessna Skycatcher 162 with a G300 panel, joystick control

2. Cessna 172SP with Legacy panel ( non-computerized flight instruments), normal yoke control

Does it matter which option I choose, if my ultimate aim is to be a proficient and safe pilot?

For the more experienced pilots here, does it feel very very much different when you transit from using a joystick type control from using a yoke column?

More importantly, does the instrumentation panel mean any differences to training? For example, could a G300 glass panel be bettter and easier for a student instead of the normal style instruments?

Please advise.

[mad_jock]

I haven't flown that panel but have 1000 hours on EFIS.

It all depends what you want to do.

The joystick yoke debate to be honest is personal preference they both do the job and transitioning between the two is no hardship.

The flying with tellys intially involves a steep learning curve learning which buttons to press but once your used to it again no hardship.

You will have a period where in high stress situations you will start looking for information where your used to finding it when switching between the two

So it all depends what you will be flying after going home.

The transition from electronic back to standard 6 is alot harder than going from standard 6 to electronic.

If you are only going to fly electronic from now on go for the fancy electronics. If at any point in the future you are going to fly steam instruments (ie the normal ones) start with them first.

As for ease of learning. Well you you are learning to fly visually ie looking out the window. The instruments although used should only have your attention 5% of the time while you are flying. So you shouldn't be looking at them much.

Now if you had said you were off to learn instument flying the choice would be harder as fancy instruments would have made your life easier.

So in a long winded way I haven't answered your questions :bored:

When it comes down to it go for the cheapest :ok: the instructor makes a huge difference in the learning process alot more so than the hardware. You could have the the highest spec aircraft out there with all the toys and the most horrible beat up C152/PA38 on the planet. With a good instructor the learning experence on the beat up heap will be fun and easy and the with a poor instructor the fancy machine could be a nightmare.

[peterh337]

I would always train in the plane I will be flying afterwards.

Currency on type is vital.

[The500man]

I'm almost sure EFIS requires differences training if you learn on steam. Do you need steam differences training if you learn on EFIS? I suspect not. If that's the case you may as well go with the G300, 162. Or... whichever one is cheapest!

[dublinpilot]

As others have said....learn on what ever is the most similar t what you will be using when you get home.

[Torque Tonight]

Glass cockpits make it a lot easier to assimilate information - that's the whole point of them. Traditional steam instruments demand more effort in training to achieve a good scan rate. It is therefore undoubtedly easier to transition from steam to glass than the other way around. I would advocate setting the higher standard in training to provide solid foundations of good technique. Then at a later date you can easily transition to glass. Do it the other way and you will make your life much harder.

1000hrs traditional, 2000+ hrs EFIS, in that order.:ok:

[mad_jock]

I would go with that as well.

And I think you do need differences training going both ways in the UK at least. But we do have a common SEP class rating which allows you to fly everything in that class.

Other countries have type specific ratings with that class of aircraft so may not have a requirment.

[madlandrover]

Go steam first, given the choice - having taught ab-initio on steam, G1000, Avidyne, and Bendix-King EFIS displays steam gauges will keep life simpler for you in the early stages. I don't know about the Aspen/small Garmin EFIS systems having only used them a couple of times, but for ab-initio would stick with basic stuff every time.