Ab initio training on Glass Cockpit

[B2N2]

Out of personal and professional interest;
What are your opinions on conducting primary flight training on glass panel( G1000 or Avidyne) aircraft.
Should a PPL be introduced to this world by glass or steam?
Advantages? Disadvantages?

[FlyingForFun]

For a PPL, I would say it depends on what the student is going to be flying after he completes his PPL.

The vast majority of PPL students, after they complete their training, will hire an aircraft from the club where they did their training (if they do any more flying at all, that is). So in that respect, it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever - because whichever they are trained on, that's what they'll most likely be flying afterwards.

Of course, there will always be people who want to convert from one to the other. But, for visual flying, there is so little difference that again, I don't think it will really matter. A PPL might choose to use the advanced features of the GPS, etc, but should be able to fly and navigate with his head outside the cockpit anyway, so whatever's going on inside shouldn't make a big difference.

There is, of course, the danger of having your head inside the cockpit too much as you experiment with all your new toys. But this is nothing new - it's an issue which has been around since the dawn of panel-mounted GPS, whether the aircraft has dials or glass. Anyone moving to a GPS-based system should ensure they familiarise themselves with that system properly on the ground, and not spend time heads-in when in flight, and that's just as true of the G1000 as it is of the G430-generation and previous generations of GPS. Search the Private Flying forum for GPS threads - especially some of the older ones when GPS was less accepted that it is today.

As for moving the other way - training on glass and moving onto dials - I believe this might be a challenge for an instrument pilot, which would require a bit of further instrument training to ensure the scan is up to scratch. But for a PPL who flies visually, it should make no difference, as PPLs should be taught to fly with minimal reference to the instrument panel whether it is glass or dials.

Just my thoughts!

FFF
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[B2N2]

Thanks FFF, I am obviously biased since we train on glass.
I can see the advantages and disadvantages.
Thinking back to my own PPL training, I was hesitant to fly anything else but what I trained on. Curiousity to fly something different prevailed at a later stage.
The integrated goodies take a lot of the guess work out of flying, which in my mind makes it safer.
It is just harder for us instructors to still teach the "old" skills since they are not as obviously necessary.
I am sometimes still nostalgic but this glass "thing" does add a whole new dimension to flying.

[B2N2]

The interest in this topic and the number of replies are a little disappointing.
I was hoping for a good discussion concerning the introduction of advanced avionics at an early stage of flight training.
The sense and non-sense surrounding these avionics and naturally the best interest of the student.
Anybody...........?

[Say again s l o w l y]

I personally don't think there is any problem doing ab-initio training on a glass cockpit a/c. A student will just learn how to operate the machine they are flying.

The same goes for a machine with a tail-wheel or V/P prop.

The major issue for me is that the FI's teaching have enough knowledge, rather than just "giving it a go". I know Atlantic run a course for the G1000, but with no real requirement for differences training (yet) then there is a risk.
Though obviously no FI worth their salt would ever do that.

I would far rather teach a student from scratch in a TAA, rather than convert someone who may be rusty anyway in a relatively short period of time.