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Old 27th Dec 2011, 18:35
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Pilot DAR
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Join Date: Aug 2006
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Age: 63
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But "better than nothing", which is what the original poster asked? Of course.
I'm not rushing to agree that GPS groundspeed information would be better than nothing for certain phases of flight. In cruise navigation, sure... In close final approach, I would not agree.

GPS speed information might not be easily perceived with a quick glance, as ASI indications are. (Ever flown a plane where the ASI turns the other direction, or zero is not at the top?) So, if you take your attention away from flying the approach, to look for the unfamiliar, difficult to perceive, GPS groundspeed, and then do the mental math to factor out the wind speed, I ecxpect that you're much further behind, and distracted than you would have been if you had simply continued to fly the approach with what you knew you had.

This is analogous to trying to restart a failed engine while going down final approach. Too distracting, just make a good job of the approach. A stable approach is where things are not changing at a rate which exceeds the pilot's capacity = the pilot is "ahead" of the plane. A pilot probably puts themselves back behind the plane if trying to resolve the GPS into useful IAS for an approach. The same pilot could fly a very stable approach without the the ASI, and the distraction of the GPS information.

We did do it before GPS! Sometimes technology can be more distracting than helpful...
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