This is the second in a series of articles dealing with learning to fly a Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA).  By definition, TAA does not imply a glass cockpit, but a glass cockpit does imply a TAA since almost 90% of production aircraft rolling off the assembly lines of the 5 largest general aviation manufacturers have glass cockpits that meet the TAA definition.  FT decided to devote a series to helping you learn most efficiently and most effectively in the TAA trainers that you are likely to encounter at your local airport.  Ed

 

In part 1, we discussed getting to know the Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA) leading up to engine start.  We found that many things were different about this style of aircraft compared to the traditional round dial gauge aircraft that we could have learned to fly.  These differences ranged from how we look at the engine instruments to how we use the checklist during the preflight, to even the order we start the engine in relation to other tasks.  In this installment, we will explore how to handle the cockpit management of the equipment once underway for flight.

 

Garmin G1000 system with knobs and softkeys around the screen bezels

 

One of the most challenging tasks we hear from pilots is trying to master the button navigation of the system in a timely manner.  It is one thing to try to memorize the most basic commands of the glass cockpit system, but it is quite another thing to master the “switchology” to be used to control the TAA cockpit without getting your head stuck inside when it should be outside miles ahead of the aircraft traveling at cruise speed toward the destination.  Flying an aircraft is not the same thing as programming a VCR.  Some people are content to have the time flashing on the controls of the VCR in their living room.  You cannot take the same approach to your aircraft.  You may not need to use every function on the screens in your aircraft every flight, but you at least need to be familiar with the functions of the system and be able to call-up the right functions when you need to.  This becomes more important in maintaining situational awareness when operating in stressful situations such as a busy or unfamiliar airport, deteriorating weather conditions, and anytime an emergency occurs.

 

Regardless of whether you have decided to learn to fly in a Cirrus with an Avidyne Entegra glass cockpit, or a Diamond with a Garmin G1000, the rules of learning the system are the same.  You need to start out with some kind system operational training prior to jumping in and flying.  To do otherwise produces too much inside distraction for the pilot and takes away from the all important task of maintaining vigilance outside the cockpit.  There are a number of system trainers and avionics ground schools available for new and transitioning pilots.  ASA software, the Kings, and Sporty’s each produce a software series that will help you get your arms around the system before jumping in.  Many insurance company approved flight training operations have learned the importance of systems training and have created courses for you to take prior to getting an instructor endorsement to fly these aircraft solo.  Many insurance companies are requiring this approach as well.  You might be surprised to learn that your insurance company will either require you to take an approved TAA overview course or will offer you a premium discount after you do.  Initially, when glass cockpit aircraft started to be delivered to customers in 2003, manufacturers offered special training that accompanied aircraft delivery and that worked great for the early adopters who chose to go to the aircraft factory to pick up their new aircraft.  Factory training programs were developed to strict FAA standards using a special training standard called FITS which stands for FAA/Industry Training Standards.  But in 2007, many aircraft buyers receive their aircraft from a dealer and end consumers are being shortchanged in terms of the transition training they get unless they seek out that training either on their own or at the prodding of their insurance carrier.  Some flight schools have taken the attitude that students will learn these systems on their own and have “dumbed-down” systems training to a simple checkout by a flight instructor who may have never received the proper training either. 

 

Let’s look at how the pilot uses the systems in the cockpit.  Both the Avidyne and the G1000 have some basic similarities that you will learn about in ground training.  The main thing that the pilot in training must learn is how to configure the integrated avionics contained within the Primary Flight Display (PFD) and the Multifunction Flight Display (MFD).  The G1000 has been designed for simplicity and redundancy from the ground up.  Both the PFD and the MFD are identical, and is largely interchangeable except in those aircraft where the Garmin GFC 700 autopilot is installed instead of an external autopilot.  In those cases, Garmin has designed the MFD to serve as the host for the autopilot controls.  We will cover autopilot operation in installment four. 

 

The Garmin G1000 FMS controls

 

A pilot can use either the knobs and controls on the PFD or the controls on the MFD to get the desired result except for the controls in the lower right corner of each screen.  These are referred to as the Flight management System (FMS) and they only control functionality of the menus within that screen.  This means that the pilot may have to reach across the cockpit to grab a knob on the more distant screen.

 

 

Garmin G1000 system installed in a Columbia 400

 

In the case of the G1000, the communication and navigation avionics for the radios the pilot uses to communicate with ATC are integrated into the system and control is embedded within the screen bezel knobs and buttons.  The pilot must use the audio panel to control which transmitter is being activated and to direct audio to the cabin speaker.  The audio panel also controls handy functions like crew isolation, clearance recorder playback, PFD reversionary control, and split/com.  The biggest challenge for the pilot in training is to memorize finger placement on knobs and softkeys along the screen to access buried functions.  Multifunctional knobs such as the FMS knob have an inner and outer knob and the inner knob can be clicked in.  We have come up with an easy way for pilots to remember how to work these multifunctional knobs.  It is called the “bump-scroll and twist”.  It sounds like a new dance, but it is actually an easy way to remember how to get the functions out of the G1000 system.  Screen navigation from chapter to chapter is controlled by “scrolling” the outer knob, pages within the chapter are controlled by “twisting” the inner knob, and the cursor is turned on and off by “bumping” in the inner knob.  If the cursor is on, then the inner and outer knobs drive the user deeper into the current page and call up integral menus.  When the cursor is off, a scroll or twist navigates away from the current chapter or page.  To enter a flight plan from your current airport to another airport, do this by pressing the FPL softkey, “bumping” the cursor to turn it on the first position of the new flightplan, “twisting” the inner knob to call up the first letter of the station identifier, and then “scrolling” to the next position for the next letter of the identifier, “twisting” the inner knob to start the A,B,Cs until they have that letter, then “scrolling” to the next position, etc.  Once the pilot gets this down to a point where they don’t have to stare at the screen to accomplish a task, operating the system becomes considerably easier.  New pilots may think this  cumbersome, but more experienced pilots will recognize it because it is based upon the Garmin GNS 430/530 menu navigation paradigm.  Knowing this will be very useful to the pilot that decides to transition to a Cirrus or a Piper, because the Avidyne Entegra system installed in those aircraft have the GNS 430 installed and the “bump-scroll-and twist” will again be used.

 

 

Finger navigation of the Garmin G1000 FMS control knob

 

The current generation Avidyne Entegra system found on Cirrus, Symphony, Piper, and Adam aircraft uses a different approach to screen integration.  They use a pair of Garmin GNS 420/430 radios to facilitate communication and navigation and a standalone transponder for relaying information to ATC.  The pilot must not only learn the control of the Avidyne Entegra PFD and MFD, but must also learn how to coordinate the Garmin radios and the Transponder in the cockpit, as well.  This leads to an increased training requirement and must be taken into consideration by the training community.  These radios may be intuitively obvious to the seasoned pilots that have been flying for a few years, but will be confusing at first to the new pilot.  It does not take long to learn, but learning curve time consideration must be given. 

 

Avidyne Entegra system as installed in Cirrus Aircraft

 

The Avidyne Entegra panel uses two nicely integrated 10.4 inch screens representing the PFD and the MFD, but most of the information comes from the Garmin GNS 430 radios installed in the panel.  The pilot in training must learn to navigate both the GNS 430 radios and the PFD and MFD menu hierarchy in order to properly operate the system.  Luckily, the “bump-scroll and twist” method of finger navigation works perfectly on the GNS 430 radios.  On the Avidyne Entegra, the bezel mounted controls and buttons apply only to their host screens.  There is no cross filling between the screens.  If one of the screens or their supporting electronics fail, there is no failover to the remaining screen like on the G1000 system.  The Avidyne system is more robust in terms of screen display functions than the G1000.  Onscreen checklists, onscreen navigation charts, and onscreen taxi diagrams are fully functional on the Entegra system and will be appreciated by the training pilot, if they can muster up the mental bandwidth to deal with all the information.  The industry must expect that Avidyne is working on the next generation integrated Entegra system to one-up the integrated approach of the G1000.

 

Avidyne Entegra onscreen emergency checklist on the MFD

 

 

Instructors of TAA aircraft have found that students tend to make the same kinds of mistakes as soon as they start flying glass cockpit aircraft.  The mistakes are classified into two major categories: Programming and Fixation.  The programming challenge can be cured by requiring a thorough ground school or using ground training software.  Instructors will find this will make transition and training more productive and less overwhelming for the student. 

 

The Fixation challenge has the FAA and the TAA training community concerned.  It is human nature to focus on an area of concern or interest.  When a pilot does this at the wrong time, it can lead to unnecessary peril because they fall behind the aircraft.  Students should be taught about scan-flow from their instructors.  Scan flow is a methodical process for moving the pilot’s attention around the cockpit and out the window to avoid fixation.  A Technically Advanced Aircraft has four focus areas that must be repeatedly scanned to avoid falling behind the aircraft.

 

Technically Advanced Aircraft Scan Flow

 

Student pilots already struggle with keeping their eyes outside the aircraft watching for other traffic and to keep a keen awareness of the aircraft’s surroundings.  The bright and vivid colors of the G1000 and Avidyne Entegra PFD and MFD are an irresistible temptation for many pilots.  After all, it contains everything from moving maps, to terrain warnings, to airspace alerts, and to traffic annunciations.  It is very tempting for the pilot to look at the MFD rather than look out the window.  This temptation turns into fixation when the pilot is attempting a programming task and they can’t remember exactly how to do it.  The instructor must intervene and get the pilots eyes flowing again.  It is not uncommon for a pilot to take 30 – 40 seconds to try to spell out an airport or intersection identifier name.  An aircraft traveling at 150 knots covers almost 1 1/2 miles over the ground in that time.  An aircraft traveling 220 knots covers almost 3.  What will happen when Very Light Jets are among us traveling at 340 knots?  After all, these aircraft are being outfitted with very similar glass cockpits to what we are seeing now in Mooney and Cirrus aircraft.  It stands to reason that the problems of programming and fixation will remain obstacles to timely cockpit responsiveness and situational awareness, especially as the speed of the aircraft platform continues to increase. 

 

Conclusion

 

You should now have a better understanding of what it is like to operate these glass cockpit equipped aircraft and the challenges of doing it safely.  Pilot preference will drive you to select aircraft installed with either the G1000 or the Avidyne Entegra.  Take the time to do the studying on the ground before you get in the aircraft.  Take advantage of any available ground training or ground training software that will help you master the buttons and knobs before you fly.  Use the bump-scroll and twist” to keep you from staring at a screen breaking your scan-flow.  Remember to stay in front of the aircraft and you will definitely have the time to enjoy the new generation glass cockpit systems.Q