Of course the GPS will give you "early situational awareness", but the aim of the exercise is for the student to be confident that he can have sufficient situation awareness using the techniques you are teaching him. By using the GPS to enhance your situational awareness above what is possible using visual techniques alone, you are demonstrating to the student that the visual techniques are not sufficient.
Have to say I dont agree!!! You are not saying that visual techniques are not sufficient you are enhancing you navigation techniques and in some cases the GPS may be required instead of visual techniques. This would come down to your instructing at the end of the day on how you put it across and that is the key. I have instructed before, although in a different field and its how you initially put it across to the student that will be burnt into the minds. I had a student turn upto me for an Advanced course that could have killed him because he misunderstood something a previous instructor had told him, it was down to the way the instructor had put it across!
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.
They could also have had their head in the cockpit staring confused at their map and drawing pencil lines on their map as they tried to work out where they were or a diversion required!!! Unless you know what they were upto in the cockpit you cant make this statement.
A GPS requires a quick glance to determine where you are, the same person who would stare at a GPS would also stare confused at his/her map as well and therefore think its an invalid argument.
[Edited for spelling!]
Julian.
Last edited by Julian; 3rd February 2006 at 09:51.