Cleared for the G1000!

ajstoner21

Cleared for Takeoff
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Oct 31, 2010
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Fort Worth, TX
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Andrew
I took the Kings School Cleared for the G1000 course, and went to a local rental place and got checked out in a G1000 Plane, and I love it!

I only spent an hour in the air, and I feel we covered basically everything for VFR anyway, and I felt really confident in it. It is such an amazing piece of technology.
 
You will find you will look at the standby instrument at first but soon the tapes will be easier to use.
 
I took the Kings School Cleared for the G1000 course, and went to a local rental place and got checked out in a G1000 Plane, and I love it!

I only spent an hour in the air, and I feel we covered basically everything for VFR anyway, and I felt really confident in it. It is such an amazing piece of technology.

I am slow, but here's what I did to feel really confident, IFR, in a G1000 C172:
  • King School Course
  • 3 hours ground
  • One VFR flight with instructor
  • Two IFR flights with instructor
  • a couple of local solos, including one in .2 of light IMC
  • throughout, read and made notes in Max Trescott's excellent book on the G1000

After that, I felt ready to do a long (600 NM, round trip) IFR X-C to visit an old professor. That flight really solidified everything for me, and sealed the deal on my attitude that the G1000 system is highly capable and highly desirable. I've never flown anything "below" a complex single that had what the old Cessna 172s and 182s don't usually have: traffic, terrain, and XM weather. (And this one had a stormscope, too.)

There are so many nice elements to the system--all those safety items, the big display, etc. The only thing is, you gotta maintain your memory of the knobology, and you have to watch out for new kinds of gotchas. Make sure you know how the fuel levels are being displayed, don't let the extra "stuff" on the panel lead you into temptation, etc.
 
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I might really luck out with this. My CFII used to fly G1000 all the time but hasnt in a while and wants to split some time with me. So I might get some cheap flight time, and "free" instruction :)
 
It took me about a 100 hours or so before I figured out how much I really liked the G1000. There is enough functionality there to develop your own personal workflow and SOP. I found that once you really get it setup the way you like it, then every time you rent an aircraft you have to spend some time changing it to your taste. The other thing I like about it is when you transition from one aircraft to another ie. 182, Cirrus, G36 it's nice have familiar territory with the same avionics.
 
It took me about a 100 hours or so before I figured out how much I really liked the G1000. There is enough functionality there to develop your own personal workflow and SOP. I found that once you really get it setup the way you like it, then every time you rent an aircraft you have to spend some time changing it to your taste. The other thing I like about it is when you transition from one aircraft to another ie. 182, Cirrus, G36 it's nice have familiar territory with the same avionics.

You can actually set up a pilot profile in the G1000 so that when you start up, you simply select your profile and all of your settings are restored. Assuming you've flown the plane before, of course.
 
You can actually set up a pilot profile in the G1000 so that when you start up, you simply select your profile and all of your settings are restored. Assuming you've flown the plane before, of course.

Thanks for the tip, I'll have to look into doing that.
 
You can actually set up a pilot profile in the G1000 so that when you start up, you simply select your profile and all of your settings are restored. Assuming you've flown the plane before, of course.
Not all planes have the pilot profile, I do know Cessna does not.
 
I am slow, but here's what I did to feel really confident, IFR, in a G1000 C172:
  • King School Course
  • 3 hours ground
  • One VFR flight with instructor
  • Two IFR flights with instructor
  • a couple of local solos, including one in .2 of light IMC
  • throughout, read and made notes in Max Trescott's excellent book on the G1000
After that, I felt ready to do a long (600 NM, round trip) IFR X-C to visit an old professor. That flight really solidified everything for me, and sealed the deal on my attitude that the G1000 system is highly capable and highly desirable. I've never flown anything "below" a complex single that had what the old Cessna 172s and 182s don't usually have: traffic, terrain, and XM weather. (And this one had a stormscope, too.)

There are so many nice elements to the system--all those safety items, the big display, etc. The only thing is, you gotta maintain your memory of the knobology, and you have to watch out for new kinds of gotchas. Make sure you know how the fuel levels are being displayed, don't let the extra "stuff" on the panel lead you into temptation, etc.
Max T and most other training books are too far behind the software that they are not much help but only the basics. The SW in most aircraft change each year and it is like getting new avionics each time on some upgrades. The PILOTS GUIDE (Big Book not the cockpit guide) that is online from Garmin is the best tool of all in that it is written to the SW you are using. And it is free. I have never used any other training book but Garmins.
I myself never did a check out for the G1000. I just studied the Garmin book and picked my plane up and flew it home.
 
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Max T and most other training books are too far behind the software that they are not much help but only the basics. The SW in most aircraft change each year and it is like getting new avionics each time on some upgrades. The PILOTS GUIDE (Big Book not the cockpit guide) that is online from Garmin is the best tool of all in that it is written to the SW you are using. And it is free. I have never used any other training book but Garmins.

True--that's an excellent guide! Trescott's most recent book is VERY recent, though, and it puts everything in plain language, with excellent color reproduction, etc. Good point, though, that it isn't airplane specific (but still very to the point).
 
1) If you know the 430, the G1000 transition is a piece of cake.

2) I miss the G1000 I had in the 182. I'm flying Avidyne Entegra and it's just not the same.

3) The new G1000 with GFC700 A/P is spectacular. Spend an hour learning how to exploit the integrated VNAV capabilities and you'll never want to fly anything else.

4) The Chelton Flight Systems package is in many ways much better than the G1000, but more of a niche product. Too bad.

5) Avidyne Rel 9 will give the G1000 a run for the money. They really knocked it out of the park. Once they finish developing the autopilot, that is.
 
"3) The new G1000 with GFC700 A/P is spectacular. Spend an hour learning how to exploit the integrated VNAV capabilities and you'll never want to fly anything else. "

That is true, the G1000/GFC700 is a true FMS using WAAS, instead of DME DME VOR like the older FMS.
 
"5) Avidyne Rel 9 will give the G1000 a run for the money. They really knocked it out of the park. Once they finish developing the autopilot, that is."

Yes, but there is no OEM that will use it, so I do not see it in anything but retro.
 
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