Aspen PDF-MDF

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DaytonaLynn

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One who misses Daytona!
Has anyone viewed Sporty's Aspen Evoution?
I am training in a plane that has this and wanted to learn more about it.
YouTube isn't much help.
Thanks
 
I know the arrival into Aspen is very steep. Never shot the PDF or MDF approach though...
 
I have the Aspen 2000 setup. I wished Aspen made a trainer like Garmin did for the GTN series. I suspect that Sporty's video is much better than the process I went through to learn it -- fly, fly some more and fly even more. The basics come pretty quickly, but there are a lot of features packed into the system that you will need to spend time reading up on them and then fly with it to get the experience.

The manuals are pretty well written and can be downloaded from Aspen. It still took me a good 10 hours of flying approaches with it to get comfortable launching IMC with them. Once you get the learning curve done, they actually make things a lot easier in terms of situational awareness and actually seeing what you are flying.

If the plane you are flying has GPSS and you haven't flown with it before, you are in for a treat. My STEC 60-2 did a great job of flying VOR and ILS signals -- but once you experience GPSS, you'll be hooked. Let me know if you have any questions on them...
 
We have an airplane with the Aspen EFD1000 Pro PFD (I think that's the full name - the one center unit, not any additional units) at the school I teach at, I've flown with it a few times. It is an amazing upgrade to the airplane. I found the Sporty's video to be a good, but quick, overview of the most common things you'd use in flight. I do wish they had a simulator. As stated, the user's manual is downloaded from their website.

Is there anything specific you wanted to know?
 
If anyone does find a good training course for the Aspen PFD/MFD, I'd like to know about it, because I get trainees with that system from time to time, and it would be nice to have something they can learn from before I get there to start flight training.
 
Ron Levy said:
If anyone does find a good training course for the Aspen PFD/MFD, I'd like to know about it, because I get trainees with that system from time to time, and it would be nice to have something they can learn from before I get there to start flight training.
Click to expand...

Is this what you're looking for?
 
Ron Levy said:
If anyone does find a good training course for the Aspen PFD/MFD, I'd like to know about it, because I get trainees with that system from time to time, and it would be nice to have something they can learn from before I get there to start flight training.
Click to expand...

Ron -- I'd think that a good list of questions from you plus some quality time with the manual should get folks ready.

Start with the basics:
- what's the indication for a standard rate turn?
- what's the indication for a 500fpm descent?
- what's the indication for coordinated flight?
- etc

Systems questions
- describe the AHRS
- describe the ADC
- how does each get their inputs
- what preflight actions should be taken to check the Aspen?
- or ask the questions the other way (how is attitude generated? airspeed, etc)

A/P questions
- what drives the bank on the autopilot?
- how does GPSS work?
- how do you set-up the AP and Aspen to fly a heading/VOR radial/GPS course?

Then into failure modes:
- what happens to the Aspen if there is a pitot/static failure?
- what happens if the alternator quits?
- etc
 
DaytonaLynn said:
Has anyone viewed Sporty's Aspen Evoution?
I am training in a plane that has this and wanted to learn more about it.
YouTube isn't much help.
Thanks
Click to expand...

I have the Sporty's training on my iPad and felt it was worth the investment.
 
Take the manual out and fly ,fly ,fly. I have the pro and it took a few flights with two pilots working the functions till I was comfortable with the system.
 
Couple things I like for my IFR work, it seems (could be my imagination) that I pick up movement quicker, IR turning, altitude change etc. and like the compact scan, just mere inches, not what ever distance part the steam gauges are.
Mainly I am trying to learn the features etc that will best relate to my IR training.

Thanks for all the good input.
 
Sam D said:
Ron -- I'd think that a good list of questions from you plus some quality time with the manual should get folks ready.

Start with the basics:
- what's the indication for a standard rate turn?
- what's the indication for a 500fpm descent?
- what's the indication for coordinated flight?
- etc

Systems questions
- describe the AHRS
- describe the ADC
- how does each get their inputs
- what preflight actions should be taken to check the Aspen?
- or ask the questions the other way (how is attitude generated? airspeed, etc)

A/P questions
- what drives the bank on the autopilot?
- how does GPSS work?
- how do you set-up the AP and Aspen to fly a heading/VOR radial/GPS course?

Then into failure modes:
- what happens to the Aspen if there is a pitot/static failure?
- what happens if the alternator quits?
- etc
Click to expand...

Oooh! I wish avionics companies wrote their manuals better, and provided a quiz like yours, too.
 
DaytonaLynn said:
Couple things I like for my IFR work, it seems (could be my imagination) that I pick up movement quicker, IR turning, altitude change etc. and like the compact scan, just mere inches, not what ever distance part the steam gauges are.
Mainly I am trying to learn the features etc that will best relate to my IR training.

Thanks for all the good input.
Click to expand...

The biggest thing I noticed was the difference in the amount of movement the AI has relative to the mechanical AI. Much easier to see things like pitch change. Having everything in a narrow viewpoint like you stated does help pick up changes quickly.

Some of the IFR related information are the winds aloft displayed, the distance to waypoint on the HSI, the pop up indicators alerting you to messages from the navigator and the ability to set target and minimum altitudes for the approach. With just the PFD, you will also get the moving map under the HSI. Makes it nice to see a holding pattern entry with it right under the HSI.

This video will show you some of the features at work (sorry it was a little bumpy that day): http://youtu.be/o-B_9SzekTo

And a correction on the video. I called the horizontal & lateral deviation indicators "command bars". Aspen calls them deviation indicators...
 
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Sam D said:
Ron -- I'd think that a good list of questions from you plus some quality time with the manual should get folks ready.
Click to expand...
I think your suggestion is a good one for general use, but my experience suggests that with the folks with whom I deal (intensive program clients), an interactive computer training program is usually the best way to keep their attention focused on the problem long enough to learn. For example, for weather review, I have trouble just getting them to read Chapters 11 and 12 of the PHAK, no less Aviation Weather and Aviation Weather Services. OTOH, I've had tremendous success with Electronic Flight Solutions' 430/530 training program -- I wish they had one for Aspen PFD/MFD.
 
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