"Checked out" to rent a G1000-equipped C172

[iWantWings]

My local flight school has a G1000-equipped C172. For one reason or another I thought "that's not a plane for me".

Until recently I only rented carburated C172, but then I got checked out in a really nice fuel-injected C172S with "steam, guages": looks and flies great.

i'm not exactly sure why, but a recently available, G1000-equipped C172S could be rented at the same price as the C172S steam guage version. The G1000 172 also has air conditioning - go figure. So i had no more excuses to not spend a little time towards getting checked out - which I did this afternoon and like it very much.

Here's what really helped me get used to some of the features, functionalities, "buttonology", and GUI of the G1000, before flying the real thing:

Simionic Simulator for Garmin G1000; I have this app on an ipad platform - for $10 it's great. Unfortunately it only simulates the PFD with no support for MFD. But for someone like me with no G1000 experience it was a really good way to get started. it also lets the user simulate flights which is very useful.

I don't recall the exact name but Garmin has a Windows platform G1000 simulator that has both the PFD and MFD. This works great on a dual monitor display and it interfaces with CH yoke/rudder devices for a complete flight simulation. This cost me $25.

Finally the school also has a Redbird G1000 simulator. now this thing is cool because instead of using a mouse or touch screen to interface with the simulated knobs on the G1000, it has dedicated button interfaces (as well as the basic flight and engine controls in a c172). This sim was made available along with the g1000 c172 to make it easier for students and other renters to transition to the glass cockpit - and ultimately rent and fly this new plane.

So i used these to learn as much as possible on the ground and make it easier in the air. and it worked really well. no way can i say i know the g1k very well, but feel comfident the basic VFR stuff i can do without spending too much time with my head head in the cockpit and not looking out, as must be the case for a vfr.

Maybe i'll write about the 1-hour flight itself, but at a later time cuz i wrote too much already.

 

[Shawn]

The G1000 is a pretty sweet set up...as you mentioned, there are a lot of on-line resources. You are gonna get pretty spoiled if that is available.

One thing that helped me out more then the simulators was just sitting on the ramp in the plane with the manual and playing around with it for an hour or so on the ground to get familiar with all of the menus and features.

After getting about 45 hours in a G1000 plane, I was bummed that when I bought my 182 that the G1000 was SIGNIFICANTLY outta my price point...so I have to suffer with a 430 and Aspen panel...woe is me...

 

[Alexb2000]

My local flight school has a G1000-equipped C172. For one reason or another I thought "that's not a plane for me".

Until recently I only rented carburated C172, but then I got checked out in a really nice fuel-injected C172S with "steam, guages": looks and flies great.

i'm not exactly sure why, but a recently available, G1000-equipped C172S could be rented at the same price as the C172S steam guage version. The G1000 172 also has air conditioning - go figure. So i had no more excuses to not spend a little time towards getting checked out - which I did this afternoon and like it very much.

Here's what really helped me get used to some of the features, functionalities, "buttonology", and GUI of the G1000, before flying the real thing:

Simionic Simulator for Garmin G1000; I have this app on an ipad platform - for $10 it's great. Unfortunately it only simulates the PFD with no support for MFD. But for someone like me with no G1000 experience it was a really good way to get started. it also lets the user simulate flights which is very useful.

I don't recall the exact name but Garmin has a Windows platform G1000 simulator that has both the PFD and MFD. This works great on a dual monitor display and it interfaces with CH yoke/rudder devices for a complete flight simulation. This cost me $25.

Finally the school also has a Redbird G1000 simulator. now this thing is cool because instead of using a mouse or touch screen to interface with the simulated knobs on the G1000, it has dedicated button interfaces (as well as the basic flight and engine controls in a c172). This sim was made available along with the g1000 c172 to make it easier for students and other renters to transition to the glass cockpit - and ultimately rent and fly this new plane.

So i used these to learn as much as possible on the ground and make it easier in the air. and it worked really well. no way can i say i know the g1k very well, but feel comfident the basic VFR stuff i can do without spending too much time with my head head in the cockpit and not looking out, as must be the case for a vfr.

Maybe i'll write about the 1-hour flight itself, but at a later time cuz i wrote too much already.

If this is a GFC-700 then you really have the hot ticket.

IMC is a dream when you're ready.

Enjoy.

 

[Xscaliber]

I did something similar myself, my usual rental was a 172SP with steam panel, then it came time to hanger the plane for a engine overall and some other stuff so was going to have around three months down time. They have a 172 G1000 equipped airplane on line so it was suggested I do a checkpoint in that one, I was a little apprehensive having never even flown in a glass paneled plane before, but I was pleasantly surprised how in just 1 hour of duel with a CFI I got to grips with the basics, I've followed that up with doing as much as I can with on line tutorials, I'm going to use the plane again for a couple of hours and have a CFI with me to see how much more comfortable I feel before embarking on any x/c trips.

 

[jordane93]

when i was doing private pilot training i flew in a 172N all steam gauge. the plane broke two days before my checkride and i had to learn the g1000 172. after a couple of hours i was pretty comfortable with it. i woulndt say i mastered it but for vfr, all i really needed it to do was show me heading, speed, and altitude. if you use all the resources out there youll be able to transition just fine

 

[iWantWings]

The G1000 is a pretty sweet set up...as you mentioned, there are a lot of on-line resources. You are gonna get pretty spoiled if that is available.

One thing that helped me out more then the simulators was just sitting on the ramp in the plane with the manual and playing around with it for an hour or so on the ground to get familiar with all of the menus and features.

After getting about 45 hours in a G1000 plane, I was bummed that when I bought my 182 that the G1000 was SIGNIFICANTLY outta my price point...so I have to suffer with a 430 and Aspen panel...woe is me...

I also thought about "renting" the airplane just for the purpose of using the G1000 on the ground, while hooked up to an auxiliary electrical power source. But I haven't asked if the school can do that.

I used to wonder why a G1000 costs as much as it does, but now I'm getting the idea that it isn't just a matter of having a digital display to render the flight data, but it's a complete system with multiple LRUs where each unit is dedicated for getting and processing certain "flight data".

Have no idea what the long term cost is for maintaining this.

So, if I couldn't get a G1000 I would consider duct taping 2 (or maybe even 3) iPads to the center console ;-)

 

[iWantWings]

If this is a GFC-700 then you really have the hot ticket.

IMC is a dream when you're ready.

Enjoy.

Nope, the C172S with G1000 doesn't have the GFC-700 (it does have an autopilot - but has been disabled via circuit breaker). The G1000 simulator ("Cessna NAVIII Trainer v12.00) does have the GFC-700 it though. Have no idea how to use it but am thinking that after setting a it up, you can take a nap while flying ;-)

 

[iWantWings]

I did something similar myself, my usual rental was a 172SP with steam panel, then it came time to hanger the plane for a engine overall and some other stuff so was going to have around three months down time. They have a 172 G1000 equipped airplane on line so it was suggested I do a checkpoint in that one, I was a little apprehensive having never even flown in a glass paneled plane before, but I was pleasantly surprised how in just 1 hour of duel with a CFI I got to grips with the basics, I've followed that up with doing as much as I can with on line tutorials, I'm going to use the plane again for a couple of hours and have a CFI with me to see how much more comfortable I feel before embarking on any x/c trips.

Also, in general, the planes that have the G1000 are "new" or newer than most of the rental/training C172. So it's kind of nice to be in a rental C172 where everything works as it should, is (still) clean, etc. At a price, of course.

 

[iWantWings]

when i was doing private pilot training i flew in a 172N all steam gauge. the plane broke two days before my checkride and i had to learn the g1000 172. after a couple of hours i was pretty comfortable with it. i woulndt say i mastered it but for vfr, all i really needed it to do was show me heading, speed, and altitude. if you use all the resources out there youll be able to transition just fine

wow, sounds like you handled the "crash-course", "cliff-notes" version of the transition before your checkride really well. A week before my checkride "my plane" got banged up and I had to get used to another C172, also carbureted, but had some older radios, different layout and just seemed to handle different. That alone bugged me, I can't imagine having to figure out the VFR part of the G1000 for a checkride 2 days before the event. Good job!

 

[Shawn]

Nope, the C172S with G1000 doesn't have the GFC-700 (it does have an autopilot - but has been disabled via circuit breaker).

What, no coupled autoppilot with the G1000?...that was my favorite part about the G1000...punch in the airport identifier then say "Find me airport plane!"

...granted my 430 does the same thing now, it just seemed cooler while in the flying video game!