Originally Posted by FlyingForFun
Depends on the circumstances. There are circumstances where using a GPS might be appropriate.
...
The weather is distinctly IMC, so the instructor climbs up to VMC on top and carries out the lesson in clear air on top of the clouds. Now, a large part of the instructor's attention needs to be focused on the content of the lesson. Using GPS as the primary means of navigation now is absolutely the right thing to do, especially moving-map GPS, since this makes the navigation a complete no-brainer, and allows the instructor to focus all his attention on what he is being paid to do - instruct.
Couple of points.
1. GPS is NOT legal as a primary means of navigation in UK airspace. If you cannot fly with a map/radio nav aids in that situation then GPS must not be used to perform the flight.
2. Given that 2 years ago whilst teaching I had a PA34 almost 'punt' me up the rear during an instructional flight I wonder how he passed 30' away from me and NEVER saw me....perhaps too busy enjoying his moving map display...which is the primary problem of GPS...too much time in the cockpit causes accidents.
However, although I may seem anti-GPS I agree it can help the instructor with positioning and reduce workload if used in an appropriate manner. Additionally I can use GPS recording facilities for an IMC ADF tracking exercise, and when on the ground load the GPS trace into my laptop (& memory map/RANT) to use as an aid during the debrief - RANT is paritcularly useful here as I can show the student what the needles were saying at the time.
WRT to an instructor using GPS during a VFR DR exercise - my gut reaction is that the the instructor is bang out of order. The point of teaching *how* to navigate appears to have been lost here - no doubt the instructor will be telling the student they were 'off-track' by a certain amount rather than showing them *how* to assess this visually outside.
'bout time that instructor did a flight test/seminar...