PACE
The reason that the aircraft generates the problems is that a lot of the guys flying these aircraft rely totally on the technology and have no plan two as well as not fully understanding the system, I talk on these forums of using a basic HSI mode for the navigation display and I get told that I can't turn off the avionics and fly an approach.
At no time did I say I was going to turn off the avionics, I was talking about switching to a more appropriate display mode that decluttered the screen. There also seems to be an inability to understand that the heading display on the "glass" is just a gyro compass...........the basic tool of navigation!
I fear that a lot of the problems for these guys is due to information overload because they don't de-clutter the screens and just display the information that is appropriate for the phase of flight. I quoted flying the VOR 22R at NIce in basic HSI mode and got a "what a luddite" reaction, I could have flown the approach fully automaticly in LNAV/VNAV but because of the short cuts and speed control that ATC demand the lowest cockpit workload is obtained by a basic HSI display and flying the aircraft in HDG select & vertical speed.
The other advantage is that by flying the aircraft in this way the crew are eyes up rather than heads down in the FMC, this is always a good idea when you have low level VFR helicopters flying along the coastline and at the MAP will be transitioning to a curving visual approach.
The nub of the Cirrus (& Daimond) glass cockpit problems are making sure that the display used is APPROPRIATE to the phase of flight and not letting the technology become the master of what you are trying to achieve, I think that display management and information overload are key factors in the Cirrus not being as safe as the technology should have made it.
007you have just confirmed my suspicions that you think a total Glass display failure in weather close to the CAT1 minimums is likely to be best handled by using the chute, What is wrong with flying a PAR down to CAT 1? If I fly IFR in a single I always have a hand held VHF radio to enable me to recover the aircraft with a total electrical failure to an airfield with PAR in CAT 1 Weather.............the cost, a few hundreds quid vs the chances of writing off the aircraft & maybe yourself................... But maybe I should look at the upside to your attitude, a few more ballistic recoverys is bound to keep the cash coming in when we have to fix them !
Last edited by A and C; 15th Jul 2012 at 09:04.