Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2013-2014 - 40

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GOING GLASS

Continued from page 38

inputs to the HSI or DG read-out on the PFD and the myriad
functions, screens and combinations for the MFD and you suddenly have a source for some serious haywire flying, busting
through clearances or stumbling into restricted airspace while
trying to sort out the display.
If the PFD has a separate 3-D ADF or DG read-out, it may
increase confusion.
Link these boxes to work with the hazard sensors or navigation inputs and add autopilot functionality and learning to use
the package can quickly morph into a scene of massive confusion on the flight deck.
It does not have to be that way; actually, it should not be
that way.
Learning to use this new gear is a significant undertaking
with many permutations of displays.
Sadly, some people insist on making the transition on their
own terms and out of touch with the reality of the distracted pilot in the cockpit that would certainly impact the flight.
Thankfully, avionics manufacturers provide numerous learning tools, simulator software and websites offering basic online
instruction.
Regardless of how they adapt, the pilot should seriously
weigh eschewing flying, alone or with passengers, until after
learning to use the new hardware and software.
Garmin, Avidyne, Aspen and Honeywell (Bendix/King) all offer various introductions, from Internet-based simulators to formal training at an institutional training organization.
Starting with the user manual open, the aircraft plugged into
ground power and the avionics master switch closed, the user
can begin to learn the considerable ropes of these sophisticated systems.
Some let you use facsimiles of their panels on home or notebook computers. Others offer integral simulators that allow you
to plan a mock flight and “see” how the flight plays out on the
display screens, including errors that could have resulted in
bent or broken metal.
This brings us back to the drive behind many pilots’ desire for
glass in their cockpits – increased reliability, redundancy and,
by extension, enhanced safety.
At the end of the flight, that’s the true measure of the tools in
the cockpit, whether steam-gauge era antique instrumentation
or the wonder of a modern glass stack.
No one upgrades expecting worse performance, and this upgrade area actually brings expectations of the best.
It starts and ends with the aircraft owner, pilot or operator
and, if executed well, produces a happy client, thanks to upgrade paths, software and firmware upgrades. q

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Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2013-2014

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