We may have telligence in the 172, but I’ve never messed around with it. Maybe I will one day. Anyways, when you speak of VNAV page, are you referring to configuring the point to VNAV to or are you referring to the set descent rate or angle VNAV page? For VNAV descent rates, I rarely change from 500fpm although I do understand the scenarios where that would happen more often.
The "configuring the point to VNAV to" is just in the flight plan, so very easy to get to. I'm talking about Utilities -> VNAV. I usually need to lower the angle below the default because when the plane accelerates in the descent, the standard angle gets to be too quick of a descent.
This is not uncommon. I had a friend with a pressurized twin Cessna and he added a fantastic batch of goodies to the panel---but basically refused to fly through a cloud--even with ATC barking at him for deviations. It was a great plane in many aspects, but the fuel burn and general issues with cylinders and turbos and exhaust---very time consuming and pricey.
I’m only going to point out something a lot of people don’t think about. I want bought a series SR 20, it was fully loaded and magnificent, all glass, all the goodies… software update for the MFD was $6000 and that was eight years ago. The software update was necessary to install ADS-B. AND ALL THAT GLASS NEEDS CONSTANT UPDATED DATABASES! Glass panels our gifts that keep on taking.
That's been true for more than 30 years. IFR GPS usage has always required database updates.
True! IMHO, is the single smartest thing Avidyne ever did was build the IFD series Navigators on the same form factor as the GNS-430/530 making the upgrade an allen wrench, 2 minutes, and a log book entry . . . (assuming you already had a WAAS antena) but at least the box to box upgrade was simple.
I agree, I just did not think about that when I bought the Cirrus.
Define “standardized”?
When you get more exposure to different glass cockpit systems, you’ll find that they are far from standardized.
I'm sure that's true with respect to navigation. The changes will probably be relatively slow, though, just because of the cost and lag associated with swapping out the gear in airliners and the military. I think it's just jamming of GPS that has caused the FAA to maintain the almost functional VOR network.
I guess that’s what one means about standardized. I’m completely unfamiliar with airline systems, but there seems to be some degree of standardization in the 6 pack sense. At least across the ones I’ve seen, airspeed tape on the left, altitude in the right, ADI over HSI. Maybe even the lack of a glideslope needle. Stuff like that. That may be what he is seeing as standardized. But a lot of that is really all about basic consistency with what has gone before. Switch the locations of the airspeed and altitude tapes, and you’d get a lot of confused pilots.
You paying too much of attention to the air speed indicator. Use your primary instruments more or look out the window, attitude controls air speed.
Maybe. Maybe not. For example, the GTNs require Ethernet because the GNS wiring doesn't have the needed capacity. But we'll deal with it whatever it is in the future. If we all get to buy something new because of changing avionics, we can just add it to the list of things we buy for these planes.
he might be talking about IFR but even then, you don’t want to chase needles (or numbers). Makes no difference if analog or digital.
The presentation of the "six pack" seems to be standardized. I've never seen anything that doesn't have airspeed tape on the left, altitude/VSI tape on the right, AI in the middle, HSI below. I'm learning the Pro Line 21 right now and the PFD is pretty well usable right out of the gate. The FMS portion is different of course, still finding some things there. Setting all the speed bugs is different. Other than that, it's just another PFD.
I suspect the reason you have this issue is because you control pitch with the airspeed indicator instead of outside references VFR or the attitude indicator IFR. A pilot who does this chases the analog AS too, but when transitioning from steam to glass, the digital display magnifies the effect and it becomes quite objectionable to the pilot.
Four of the six pack are standardized, but that’s definitely not standardization of glass. You’re learning PL 21 in the Hawker, IIRC, which is different than PL21 in Citations. PL21 has significant differences from earlier versions of Collins EFIS…location of VS, colors (Magenta for altitude preselect and blue for VNAV altitude on PL4, the opposite in the Hawker PL21). In the Hawker you set “Baro” or “RA” minimums; PL4 calls them “MDA” and “DH.” And that’s just some of the surface differences on the PFD.The presentation of the "six pack" seems to be standardized. I've never seen anything that doesn't have airspeed tape on the left, altitude/VSI tape on the right, AI in the middle, HSI below. I'm learning the Pro Line 21 right now and the PFD is pretty well usable right out of the gate. The FMS portion is different of course, still finding some things there. Setting all the speed bugs is different. Other than that, it's just another PFD.
I changed the default VNAV angle. That’s the last time I opened that page. My “descend at cruise power” SOP was a bit rapid at the factory default of 3 degrees.
No, I control airspeed with pitch. Same way the AP does.
Take advantage of the digital attitude display and use finer pitch control, and you won’t need a dumbed-down airspeed indicator to hide your overcontrolling.
I think you’ve gotten some unfortunate comments to your post. Let me try something else.
No DB updates required for the PFD though (6-pack replacement instruments). Only for GPS-related instrument, which are required for any GPS being used for IFR (and even for that, only the Nav Data DB needs to be updated). I rarely update the others, although I don't fly IFR and to large unfamiliar airports as often as I used to.
I learned to fly with needles (we flew T-38s at 300 kts down low navigating with just an HSI) and find they are easier and faster for me to scan and interpret, which allows me to keep my eyes outside of the cockpit. When I redid the shotgun layout original panel on my 250 Comanche I used the six pack layout generally, with modern adaptations. It works very well for me. No vacuum system. I chose the Aspen for the ADI and HSI over the Garmin 275s because I could disable the tapes and have a cleaner display. The Aspen requires you to keep the steam ASI and ALT anyways, and I didn’t want two displays of the same info to be conflicting. I have never liked the T&B, so it is relegated to the side, under a AV-20S clock which also has a good attitude indicator for backup. I also replaced the old King NAV2 CDI with a 275 MFD which can display a lot of good data, besides the CDI which I have wired to be able to display on the CDI page either NAV1 VLOC, GPS, NAV2 VLOC, and internal VFR GPS. This is a good IFR panel that serves me well in the VFR flying I do. The Aspen works well with the Trio autopilot which fit in the stock 3” guage stack.
We have a G3X in a plane as well and it’s amazing. I completely agree it is way safer. The information and the situational awareness are incredible.
I,ll second that and add the VSI, every thing else is great
“ I do not like the speed tape. I’m always over-correcting”.
Again, attitude controls the air speed. A stable approach requires a constant air speed and therefore, a constant attitude, VFR OR IFR. If you’re trimmed out for a constant attitude, you don’t have to look at the speed. It’ll always stay the same.
Not sure why that was in response to me since we agree completely.
