| General Aviation in the twenty first century desists in | | | | officially being phased out, the V.O.R system will be |
| pursuing the technology of it's larger heavier cousins. | | | | with us for the foreseeable future and most GA |
| affordable computers and new technology has now | | | | aircraft use this type of navigation coupled with |
| bridged the chasm between GA aircraft avionics | | | | Distance Measuring Equipment. (D.M.E) So, which |
| suites and the glass cockpit behemoths of the sky, | | | | system do you decide to use to acquire you IFR |
| and to the private pilot, offers an exciting new | | | | rating? Having spoken to a good cross section of |
| dimension to flying. | | | | people including D.P.E's (Designated Pilot Examiners), |
| There can be no doubt that such instrumentation | | | | FAA inspectors, other CFII's it seems the general |
| offers extra safeguards with visual representation of | | | | consensus of opinion is that it would be advantageous |
| terrain, moving maps and courses, you name it, it's all | | | | to the IFR candidate to learn the V.O.R based system |
| there at a glance. Everyone would agree that such | | | | first, acquire the rating and then transition to a glass |
| instrumentation offers the VFR pilot a level of safety, | | | | system. If you happen to be flying an aircraft that has |
| never enjoyed before, and yet, some would argue | | | | both the analogue system and a say a Garmin 530 |
| (myself included) that the temptation of a glass | | | | also, you will have to learn not only the analogue |
| presentation might encourage the pilot to push into an | | | | system but also learn to use the GPS system also, the |
| ever deteriorating situation that he or she may not | | | | rule states that you must be able to use the equipment |
| have previously considered pushing had their aircraft | | | | that is in the aircraft. This will add extra training hours |
| been furnished with analogue gauges. We should not | | | | to your rating. If your a renter, and wish to rent an |
| forget that a VFR pilot with a thousand hours, is still | | | | aircraft that has analogue gauges, and you decided to |
| just a VFR pilot, and only trained to that level, and is | | | | learn on a glass system, odds are when you go to |
| required to have their eyes on the natural horizon. With | | | | rent that aircraft, you will not be able to fly IFR with it. |
| the introduction of glass cockpits in GA, there will be a | | | | Simply put, you will be incompetent to fly that system. |
| natural tendency for those pilots to start spending | | | | The final conclusion, you are, and always will be, so |
| more of their time inside the cockpit. VFR pilots | | | | long as the old system is around, an incomplete, and |
| delighted with their new modern avionics will find | | | | sub-standard IFR pilot. |
| themselves relying on it more and more and may | | | | Case in point, an young airline pilot who visited Kona |
| result in getting into more trouble with it than if they | | | | some time back, wanted to rent a Cessna 182, no |
| were without it in the first place. Without the correct | | | | GPS of any kind, could he file IFR, no he could not. |
| training and guidance, the outcome could be disastrous, | | | | Why? He learned on a E.F.I.S and was unable to fly |
| as the pilot will be have been lulled into a false sense | | | | IFR using the analogue gauges, he even admitted as |
| of security thinking that they are equipped to deal with | | | | such. He was however willing to give it a whirl, I won't |
| situations that will likely spiral out of control. | | | | bore you with the details, except to say he was not |
| There are many varied types of pilots, but we can | | | | much better than a VFR pilot. The simple fact of the |
| reduce them to two kinds. Visual pilots and number | | | | matter is, not to learn the land based V.O.R system of |
| pilots. Most of you will fall into the visual category, the | | | | IFR puts you at such a disadvantage, it clearly is |
| remainder of us are number pilots, and then there are | | | | detrimental to your skills as an IFR pilot. It will be far |
| the very few who are adept at both. My friend and | | | | easier to advance to glass systems than to learn on a |
| colleague is a visual pilot but is a very accomplished | | | | glass system and then go back, who goes back to old |
| IFR pilot also. He uses a visual picture in his mind, but | | | | systems when you have learned a new one? |
| uses numbers to confirm his situational awareness | | | | Remember, once you have your ticket in hand, you |
| picture. I myself am a number pilot, all the way, and do | | | | can transition at your leisure to any glass system you |
| not use a visual picture at all, the numbers tell me | | | | want to fly. In today's world, everyone is after instant |
| everything I need to know. Number pilots I think, will | | | | gratification, ten day Instrument Ratings, bare bones |
| make generally better IFR pilots than there visual | | | | minimum standards as stated in the P.T.S and bare |
| counterparts. It is important to clarify however, | | | | bones minimum hours, as little studying as possible. If |
| whatever kind of pilot you happen to be, neither one | | | | that's the kind of IFR pilot you want to be, good luck, |
| way or the other is right or wrong, ultimately, your | | | | fact is you will probably end up on a piece of |
| training should be tailored for the way your mind | | | | government paper as another FAA statistic, because |
| processes information. | | | | you just won't be prepared to fly real solid IFR when |
| And so, we have reached the point and subject of this | | | | the time arrives, and it will some day. Any pilot with |
| article. Adding the IFR rating to your certificate, old | | | | mediocre skill can fly IFR when all is hunky dory, it's |
| analogue or new glass? | | | | when you have an instrument failure or two, it's night |
| As most of you know, GPS, EFIS systems employ | | | | IFR, the weather is bad, visibility is nothing and the only |
| satellites to compute a position in space, and presents | | | | company you have are the outside strobe lights and |
| that information to you on a colourful logical display, | | | | yourself, that's when the true test of your instrument |
| complete with terrain, intersections, and all manner of | | | | training will be revealed. The simple fact of the matter |
| numbers in the form of a tape, like headings, courses, | | | | is, your standard of IFR piloting will be considerably |
| altitudes and the list goes on. Essentially, your being | | | | higher having mastered a analogue system first. One |
| presented visual and numerical information. The currant | | | | last note before I conclude this article, if you do have |
| land based navigation system for pilots is usually in the | | | | anyone else in the plane with you, you're responsible |
| form of V.O.R's and N.D.B's. Although N.D.B's are | | | | for their lives, get the picture? |