....only a non-pilot can make such a comparison
Really ? 22,000 + hrs over 37 years of commercial / airline flying, and not once hitting a sea wall because I let the speed get too low - QED methinks ?
However, I accept that in this accident it really didn't matter whether or not the ASI was digital or analogue, there was a requirement to monitor the airspeed, and the crew would know where to look for that information if they chose to, whether they would have noticed a rate of change more easily with an analogue presentation will never be resolved.
On the Classic 747 there was a block of 20 engine instruments, 5 for each of 4 engines, in the centre instrument panel. With take-off power selected, all 20 'clocks' pointed to 4 o'clock, not be accident but by design. Should one parameter change, it stuck out like sore thumb. I can't comment on how this was dealt with on the 747-400 digital display, i.e. is it so patently obvious when something is wrong ?
I have very little experience of digital 'glass cockpits', but the few I have flown have had 'standby / backup ' instruments that were analogue. Surely, in the event of an emergency requiring scrutiny of a back up instrument, shouldn't this also be digital ? How will an experienced digital pilot react to a stressful situation at low level, in bad weather maybe, and having to cope with a totally unfamiliar analogue instrument as well ? How to achieve digital back ups isn't my problem, but surely it should be the goal ?
I fly two LSA aircraft, one long in the tooth and equipped with a totally analogue display, the other new and 'glass cockpit', but on this aircraft I can, with a press of a couple of buttons ( if I can remember which ! ) change the 'picture' to a digitalised display of 'round' instruments, to increase my comfort zone.
OK, I'm an Old Fart and don't have to change, but I have to fly as passenger - and do wonder sometimes ? Have we really gone in the right direction ?