Question for Cirrus drivers...

[TangoWhiskey]

If you fly more than one Cirrus, is that Cirri? That's not the question I had in mind as I started this post, just as I wrote the subject line, that popped into my head.

ANYWAY... I'm very familiar with the Garmin G1000 and, not being familiar with the Avidyne setup, I wanted to learn more. I went to Avidyne's page and downloaded the PFD and MFD manuals. There are a LOT of similarities in representations of data, which I think is great... this eases the transition.

But, here's my question. I want to know if what is shown below is a documentation error in the book, the way it really is in the plane, or if I'm just having a brain fart today and it's right and I'm not seeing it that way (entirely possible).

Winds are always reported as where the are FROM, not where they are blowing TO (i.e., if the winds are "320 @ 10", they are blowing from the NW, and if you're flying heading 150, you're going to have a tailwind). Right?

So, what's wrong with this picture (specifically, the wind vector data)?

Based on the Groundspeed, he has a tailwind. Shouldn't that label say 217 degrees?

 

[jesse]

Based on what I am reading there it looks like they chose to display the direction the wind is blowing. Not the direction the wind is coming from.

I'm not exactly positive why they would have done this. Remember-- This is the airplane for idiots. Although I could see this causing more confusion than it is worth.

note: no offense meant to cirrus owners by the above comment. i'm more or less just jealous that i'm too poor to touch one..yet alone fly or own it.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Based on what I am reading there it looks like they chose to display the direction the wind is blowing. Not the direction the wind is coming from.

I'm not exactly positive why they would have done this. Remember-- This is the airplane for idiots. Although I could see this causing more confusion than it is worth.

note: no offense meant to cirrus owners by the above comment. i'm more or less just jealous that i'm too poor to touch one..yet alone fly or own it.

I agree!

Plus, if this is really the way it behaves in the airplane, you have to do mental math when doing a PIREP. Not that mental math is wrong... but I bet that if it really behaves the way the book is showing, there are tons of Cirrus pilots making PIREPS with winds 180 degrees opposite what they really are, just reading it off the screen.

I'd like to think it's a documentation error... but I need to hear from a Cirrus pilot with an eye for detail to know for sure.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

This is one of many errors in the Avidyne documentation.

I have a friend who does validation testing work and has worked on both the Garmin and Avidyne systems. He will not set foot in an airplane with Avidyne (and yes, he is a pilot). Something about their corporate culture and not being overly concerned with the errors that were found.

I think I'm beginning to see his point!