G-1000 Tips and Tricks

Ventucky Red

Ventucky Red

Pattern Altitude
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Had my first exposure to the G-1000 yesterday while working on the IPC - needless to day I was behind the curve the whole day. The thing that got me was holding my altitude and headings. With the steam gauges I am spot on, however, it seemed like I couldn't get it nailed down.

Is this a normal thing for a first user, or is my brain going to be stuck in the stream gauge world?

Any advice from you seasoned users?
 
There is a G1000 trainer you can get for your PC id highly recommend it. My plane has a G1000 so I’m very familiar with it. I also used to instruct in G1000 airplanes for a while. Biggest thing I noticed with people new to glass is they try to be to precise and wind up chasing. The G1000 with its screen size is very amplified, especially if you have the synthetic vision. You will notice changes in the instrument you’d never see on steam gauges, such as small changes in pitch and roll. What you have mentioned isn’t uncommon. Just a bit more time with the unit and those chasing issues should subside. I would recommend the G1000 computer training to learn how to use it more and if available get a ground power unit and spend some time with the instructor in the real plane with the avionics and master turned on
 
It's normal. I don't believe the interface is intuitive unless you learned with it.

I wouldn't go buy it, but if you have X-Plane and a decent yoke, there are a few G1000 airplanes on there you can go fly with to get familiar with the PFD. Otherwise, do your best and keep working on it, it takes a variable amount of time. I probably have ~7 hours in the plane and ~5 hours on home sims, but I'm an old phart stuck in my ways.
 
IMG_8997.jpg
Ventucky Red said:
Had my first exposure to the G-1000 yesterday while working on the IPC - needless to day I was behind the curve the whole day. The thing that got me was holding my altitude and headings. With the steam gauges I am spot on, however, it seemed like I couldn't get it nailed down.

Is this a normal thing for a first user, or is my brain going to be stuck in the stream gauge world?

Any advice from you seasoned users?
Click to expand...

When I started learning to fly it was with a 6 pack. About half way through my training the school bought a G1000 and I flew it a lot to finish my training. I did not take my check ride in it. But did rent it after I got my certificate.

When I put G5s in my plane it was second nature to me. Glad I got some training in a G1000. I don't remember having any major problems with it and like it a lot. Just could not afford one my self.
 
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Ventucky Red said:
Had my first exposure to the G-1000 yesterday while working on the IPC - needless to day I was behind the curve the whole day. The thing that got me was holding my altitude and headings. With the steam gauges I am spot on, however, it seemed like I couldn't get it nailed down.

Is this a normal thing for a first user, or is my brain going to be stuck in the stream gauge world?

Any advice from you seasoned users?
Click to expand...

It’s a different way of looking, needs practice.
 
JustinD said:
There is a G1000 trainer you can get for your PC id highly recommend it. My plane has a G1000 so I’m very familiar with it. I also used to instruct in G1000 airplanes for a while. Biggest thing I noticed with people new to glass is they try to be to precise and wind up chasing. The G1000 with its screen size is very amplified, especially if you have the synthetic vision. You will notice changes in the instrument you’d never see on steam gauges, such as small changes in pitch and roll. What you have mentioned isn’t uncommon. Just a bit more time with the unit and those chasing issues should subside. I would recommend the G1000 computer training to learn how to use it more and if available get a ground power unit and spend some time with the instructor in the real plane with the avionics and master turned on
Click to expand...

link?
 
It's normal - one of the reasons you need training is because the visual cues are flipped.

With the steam gauge CDI, the plane is the circle (center) and the vertical glide path is horizontal bar.

In the G1000 (or G5, 275, etc.) the circle/diamond is the glide path, and the bar/reference line is you/plane.
 
Ventucky Red said:
Had my first exposure to the G-1000 yesterday while working on the IPC - needless to day I was behind the curve the whole day. The thing that got me was holding my altitude and headings. With the steam gauges I am spot on, however, it seemed like I couldn't get it nailed down.

Is this a normal thing for a first user, or is my brain going to be stuck in the stream gauge world?

Any advice from you seasoned users?
Click to expand...
Yes. Transition training from a CFI familiar with the avionics. I've met like three people who were capable of self teaching glass. It's more than just display.
 
I'd suggest doing this transition in (at least) 2 phases (both as Mark suggests with a CFI familiar with glass):
[the below assumes you're already comfortable "programming" the navigator and basic autopilot functions]

(1) first flying to "raw data" (Flight Director off)... heading bug, CDI, and VDI. Fly climbs, cruise, descents. Then fly instrument approaches/missed-approaches/holds/departures. This should let your scan transition from the 6-pack to the more closely spaced needles/tapes.

(2) once you're good at #1, then turn on the Flight Director... now the scan really gets compressed... and much more efficient! If at first you don't love the FD, keep workin' it... in the end, the FD will be your best friend.

Keep us updated on your progress and tips you learn.
Wayne
 
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wayneda40 said:
(2) once you're good at #1, then turn on the Flight Director... now the scan really gets compressed... and much more efficient! If at first you don't love the FD, keep workin' it... in the end, the FD will be your best friend.
Click to expand...
The FD is a function of the GFC700. The OP may or may not have the GFC700.
 
asicer said:
The FD is a function of the GFC700. The OP may or may not have the GFC700.
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Absolutely true; good catch... perhaps OP has an old analog KAP140, which would mean a bad assumption on my part. If OP has a GFC700, then life (and the FD) is very good.
 
Plug the plane in and mess around with it. It’s a lot more useful sitting on the ground doing 0 kts than in the air not knowing what you’re doing
 
Ventucky Red said:
Any advice from you seasoned users?
Click to expand...
Hi.
Learn the most important items that you need first, don't try to memorize all the features / steps. Ask Your CFI to do it on the ground, s/he should have done this already, and get a good video of it, don't spend time with the video camera set up, set it in a good location and pay attention to the CFI.
If you have a Flight sim like XPlane or MSFSX.. that has an acft C172SP in Xplane, that have those instruments use them they are not fully featured but XPlane, you can get the Demo 10 min at the time, for free but they have many of the important features you need.

Getting used to the Location, Orientation, Combinations of the instruments/ gauges is most of the initial familiarization you need. Many of the Steam gauges are combined in one location / area, they will be much easier to use later because they are combined in a logical order, you can look at one area and you have in view more than one steam equivalent, it just takes time to get used to it.
Get a good Scan order depending on what is Primary... again ask your CFI to tell you what he uses for what approach... but the single instrument priority is still the same just in a different location/ orientation.

Must know the steps on how to select what you need down cold, without having to spend too much time thinking about it. Do it on the ground if you can, get a video of the instrument panel, with all the needed features / steps / buttons you need, take it home and memorize it. Use the sims.
 
I have a copy of Max Trescott's G1000 Glass Cockpit Handbook. I've never flown a G1000, but bought it in preparation for some of the rental C172s I had available. Seemed well-written and he explained things in adequate detail. Pair that book with the G1000 simulator from Garmin and you can get a decent feel about the steps/functions before you get in the aircraft.
 
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