HUD/EVS use

[Doodlebug]

Now that we've finally gotten rid of the old maintenance-nightmare (the Global Express) and have replaced it with the new maintenance-nightmare (the Global XRS) and have been trained on the HUD/EVS, we've started using it. Marvellous toy, and we're finding it fairly easy to get used to arriving with all the gumpf in one's field of vision without tearing the gear off. Quite the opposite to all the horror-stories we'd been hearing out on the line. So where did all the bad press come from? If you have the kit, are you using it? Any bad experiences?

[flydive1]

Don't know what s/n was your GLEX, but if it was an early one I can feel your pain. With the new one you will see a big improvement regarding reliability(except for the CES, which is a nightmare).
HUD, use it as much as possible, is no good to use it only when needed. Only problems, need to find the right head position and get used to it. And sometimes the adjusting of the position/cable.
EVS, did not use it much, got some limitations on what weather can be useful, great if manoeuvring around/approaching a dark airfield, if too many lights can be distracting.

[Doodlebug]

Yes, the old tub was one of the very first ones. Made of bloody wood, it was.
The new one does seem much better. Funny you mention the cabin entertainment, that's where we've been having issues, too. Bombardier also still acts surprised, baffled and completely at a loss when confronted with a spare-part order.

We're using the HUD on every flight at the moment, trying to get comfortable. The EVS seems most useful in nighttime CB-avoidance, seeing as we're told that it's pretty much useless in snow or heavy fog (when you'd need it most, naturally) as well as at sunrise an sunset, the temperature-spread not being sufficiently big. Haven't tried it in anger yet, curious to hear from those who have. Also as to the origin of all the 'the HUD will make you flare the gear clean off' stories.

[flydive1]

Well I used to fly one with the s/n in the teens, so I know what you are talking about.
I can't tell you how many discussions I had with Rockwell Collins about their CES, I took delivery of 2 XRS in the last 3 years. Plenty of issues with it, even if it has improved a little with the software upgrades. It is a over complicated system, a big mess.
There is a new software due out soon, v. 7.0, should improve the GUI quite a bit and solve few problems. After a lot of pressure they finally decided to offer it for free(they wanted money initially).

Other than that the new aircraft should be quite reliable, apart the recent and ongoing spate of GEN failures.

Never heard about the HUD's flare problem, to me it seems to do an ok job.

[Welle]

hello aviators...

just some questions..?

i suppose most glex fly on private or commercial operations on CAT I rules - maybe just a minority under commercial CAT II -

I guess the enhanced vision/infrared/HUD etc gives you some visual clues for landing, well above the minimum...,?

on commercial ops, i guess, the situation is quite clear, you need at least 550 RVR before OM, but what about private??

how do you handle the situation, if you have sufficient visual clues for landing, but the tower states "RVR 450"??

no accusations off course from my side, but interesting to know ( I used to fly on a private acft - but no one could give me a 100% waterproof answer to this...) -

regards from sunny nowhere
welle


ps: i used to do quite a number of actual CAT IIIa using the HUD on the CRJ2 - what a nice and reliable system.... can anyone compare it to the glex?

[Doodlebug]

Agreed, it seems to do an acceptable job.

Commercial and CATII. 300 and we're legal, below that we're uninsured and the potential exists that our careers end right then and there, no-brainer for me. I think the idea is not to enable us to fudge it in, but rather to give us an additional layer of safety in marginal visibility. We were mucking about around an old military field the other night, poor runway lighting. The EVS did make a difference there, like an earlier poster suggested. I like this new toy!