.. a very valid observation and one which is not limited to flying.... with the advent of extensive computerisation in matters near and far over the past 30-40 years, we now have the problem of the younger set's having been brought up with PCs from kindy time on.
Immediate problems -
(a) if the battery goes flat/screen goes blank, what do you do ? .. how many tales in glass ships echo this concern ? .... more than one incident/accident has been associated with ill-considered design or use of electronic displays.
(b) if the intellectual/mental skills are neither developed or, for that matter, not maintained, then how do we guard against the GIGO factor when using either electronics or graphs etc. ?
(c) if the operator is skilled only in gadgetry, then is this going to depress (or destroy ?) the operator's inherent thinking, logic, and research development skills ? ... ie do we run the risk of ending up with a bunch of uncritical automatons ? Is this a desirable trend for piloting ? ... I hear many tales from older pilots regarding such deficiencies in present training and operational philosophies ...
As an aside .. for the wind thoughts ... the AFM figures (limiting or demonstrated) will refer to wind reported at a nominated height .. often 50 ft ... how many of us know the anemometer height at the airport and correct for it using the 1/7 relationship ? Slasher would probably recall approaches into Cooma or King in decades gone by where these matters were of interest ... but it did provide a fine view of the runway out of the side window .... for the pilot on that side ...
Hands up all those under 40 who have even SEEN a scientific slide rule ......
.... of course, all this is easy for me to say ... I'm an outed dinosaur after all ....
Last edited by john_tullamarine; 14th Feb 2003 at 04:30.