IFR Rating: G1000 or round dials?
Having flown single pilot IFR, regional turboprops with round dials. Airliners narrow and widebody, Boeing and Airbus, I can categorically say, it makes no difference what you learn on. If you stuck me in a regional turboprop now with round dials and told me to fly an NDB approach I’d be in trouble. I’d need to relearn and hone that skill. Conversely if you threw me in a glass cockpit back then and and said do the same it would be a similar result.
What does make a difference is if you have the rating or not.
You will be trained to fly the equipment you will be paid to fly. You won’t be let loose until you’re at the required standard.
The scan in a Boeing is different to the scan in an Airbus. The scan in a glass cockpit is different to the scan in a steam driven one. The Airbus you can fly the crosshairs and the aircraft trajectory will be accurate. You can’t do that in the Boeing and have a nice result.
Fly the cheapest aircraft for your rating and get working as soon as you can.
(and the cheapest aircraft is the one with round dials)
I learnt in an aircraft with a DG and a fixed card ADF. An RMI and HSI were considered fancy toys.
What does make a difference is if you have the rating or not.
You will be trained to fly the equipment you will be paid to fly. You won’t be let loose until you’re at the required standard.
The scan in a Boeing is different to the scan in an Airbus. The scan in a glass cockpit is different to the scan in a steam driven one. The Airbus you can fly the crosshairs and the aircraft trajectory will be accurate. You can’t do that in the Boeing and have a nice result.
Fly the cheapest aircraft for your rating and get working as soon as you can.
(and the cheapest aircraft is the one with round dials)
I learnt in an aircraft with a DG and a fixed card ADF. An RMI and HSI were considered fancy toys.
Last edited by Blueskymine; 9th Feb 2020 at 04:56.
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I'd tend to side with Dashtrash, on 737 in a PTF airline I see so many F/O's who below 500' lose it one way or another - generally G/S or LLZ but airspeed /thrust coordination in the mix. Forced ("trained" would be too generous) to be button pushers, standards Vs $$, thus is the majority of modern aviation.
If you want to get some training that will challenge you a bit more go the round dials, will stand you in good stead IMHO.
Cheers.
If you want to get some training that will challenge you a bit more go the round dials, will stand you in good stead IMHO.
Cheers.
Just to throw in another 2 cents, the limited panel skills referred to above, once ingrained, really help you to 'reverse engineer' an idea of what's going on outside in the event one or more instruments, or parts thereof, start displaying incorrect info.
In some of the bad accidents where even with 3 or more attitude displays, wrong assumptions have been made about attitude leading to disaster, those abilities would (I believe) have led to better outcomes. Easy to speak in hindsight, I'm sure, but if the big bright AI in front of you is telling lies and the little unobtrusive one in the middle is correct, then the ability to mentally work backwards in the power + attitude = performance equation and work out one to believe is gold.
In some of the bad accidents where even with 3 or more attitude displays, wrong assumptions have been made about attitude leading to disaster, those abilities would (I believe) have led to better outcomes. Easy to speak in hindsight, I'm sure, but if the big bright AI in front of you is telling lies and the little unobtrusive one in the middle is correct, then the ability to mentally work backwards in the power + attitude = performance equation and work out one to believe is gold.
I’m of the old school boom that learning on old school is the way to go. Then as you learn newer toys it’s easier. Going backwards... well for an old bloke like me I think I would struggle.
I flew many years on in buckets of....... Glass for a long time, going back onto an old 6 pack takes about 3 seconds for it to come back. As said above it also teaches you to think outside the square.
Nothing wrong with glass I love it I just don’t think initially it belongs. In years to come there will not be a choice!
I flew many years on in buckets of....... Glass for a long time, going back onto an old 6 pack takes about 3 seconds for it to come back. As said above it also teaches you to think outside the square.
Nothing wrong with glass I love it I just don’t think initially it belongs. In years to come there will not be a choice!
Agree GA - These days, I frequent the back seat of a A320 sim but recently had the need to occupy the RHS of a six pack GA piston IFR machine shooting and pattering NDBs. I was glad I learned and cut my teeth on dials as it comes back pretty quick.
Last edited by compressor stall; 9th Feb 2020 at 08:03.
Can the G1000 displays be switched from PFD/ND back to the basic 6 like the newer Garmin displays (G3X)?. If so, try alternate days with alternate displays & you'll see how easy the transition is.
