A Plane In Every Garage - "Read while you fly"

[drhunt]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050501/the_family_plane.html

"It used to be that you had to do a geometry exercise to navigate a plane," said Lance Neibauer, the founder of Lancair Co. of Bend, one of a handful of airplane manufacturers helping to transform the way Americans use private planes.

Today's small planes, however, have a "glass cockpit," the system of computerized displays and controls that makes pilots' lives much easier.

"You can literally read a book up there," said Neibauer, who sold Huntsman her first four-seater plane for $326,000 three years ago.

And read is exactly what she does. "Last year, we got through Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn," Huntsman said.
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Jeepers! (ala Dr. B B)) Between the manufacturers and the pilots both hyping the ease of flying with glass cockpits, I think we'll continue to see a lot of low time, well-to-do pilots boring holes into the earth. Shame on you Neibauer! If you want to read a book...fly commercial or charter a flight! You can do a lot of either or both for the cost of a Lancair.

 

[grattonja]

See "the flying family car" thread in HT. Someone beat you to this rant. It is certainly deserved though. I can't believe a manufacturer would say stuff like that. Maybe he was misquoted. The press has been OCCASIONALLY known to get it wrong.

But it's easy, because it is a glass panel. I flew a Diamond Star two weeks ago, and, with three pilots on the plane, one of which was a CFII, we did, finally, manage to figure out which little digital square was the "ball" for the slip coordinator. Took three of us. Go figure easy.

Jim G

 

[drhunt]

Thanks Jim, I missed that one...Yahoo & CNN using different headlines.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

Judging by the way many fly without reading books,
it could actually be an improvement in safety. What's an autopilot for anyway ?

But, I would still make the ungrateful little Brats learn about navigation, aerodynamics & radios at least since they're flying in the family plane.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050501/the_family_plane.html

"It used to be that you had to do a geometry exercise to navigate a plane," said Lance Neibauer, the founder of Lancair Co. of Bend, one of a handful of airplane manufacturers helping to transform the way Americans use private planes.

Today's small planes, however, have a "glass cockpit," the system of computerized displays and controls that makes pilots' lives much easier.

"You can literally read a book up there," said Neibauer, who sold Huntsman her first four-seater plane for $326,000 three years ago.

And read is exactly what she does. "Last year, we got through Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn," Huntsman said.
**********************************************************
Jeepers! (ala Dr. B) Between the manufacturers and the pilots both hyping the ease of flying with glass cockpits, I think we'll continue to see a lot of low time, well-to-do pilots boring holes into the earth. Shame on you Neibauer! If you want to read a book...fly commercial or charter a flight! You can do a lot of eirther or both for the cost of a Lancair.

 

[Richard]

If I were the owner of an airplane mfg and I was talking to an audience (general public) which is largely ignorant and hold negative misperceptions of what it is to fly in small planes I too would make the comment to that audience that it really is easier than you think to fly your own a/c. Especially with the new technology which I have put into my airplanes.

Think of it as irresponsible or merely grandstanding, nonetheless, it is marketing. The audience doesn't know one way or the other but they may reconsider their perceptions based on what the a/c mfg said.

 

[drhunt]

If I were the owner of an airplane mfg and I was talking to an audience (general public) which is largely ignorant and hold negative misperceptions of what it is to fly in small planes I too would make the comment to that audience that it really is easier than you think to fly your own a/c. Especially with the new technology which I have put into my airplanes.

Think of it as irresponsible or merely grandstanding, nonetheless, it is marketing. The audience doesn't know one way or the other but they may reconsider their perceptions based on what the a/c mfg said.

Marketing that new technology simplifies flying in today's advanced aircraft is one thing. Telling people that you can just switch on the autopilot and read a book becomes a liability for GA and certainly for the manufacturer.

 

[corjulo]

I was checking the AP feed this morning an noticed they issues a correction on the original article, the correction had the statement about reading 2 books spiked.

Somebody got their butt kicked

 

[Lance F]

The link to the story with these scary quotes is still available http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7701019/ Personally I think this is a pretty scary thought. I hope it's a blatent misquote.

“You can literally read a book up there,” said Neibauer, who sold Huntsman her first four-seater plane for $326,000 three years ago.

And read is exactly what she does.

“Last year, we got through Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn,” Huntsman said.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

The Europeans are now allowing their comm pilots to not only read, but nap up to 45 minutes while in cruise. They do draw the line at the captain going aft to a bunk for sleep, and fired him. (per AvWeb)