Stratus useful for a CFI?

ARFlyer

ARFlyer

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ARFlyer
Any CFIs out there that own a stratus ? I've been thinking about getting one after I pass my II checkride. Currently I have at least two students about to start x/c and I'm hoping I'll pick up more advance students this fall.

The price is kinda steep. I'm looking at more of the FIS-B data. The TIS information will be nice but until our planes get ADS-B out it's not that useful.

So how useful has the devices been to those that own one? At most I'll use it for about a year before I go off to the airlines.
 
When I did my training with Ron Levy, we had on on board. It was used quite a bit for the weather functions.
 
AggieMike88 said:
When I did my training with Ron Levy, we had on on board. It was used quite a bit for the weather functions.
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It's mainly the weather bit I would use it for. I like knowing what storms are doing. Instead of guessing and trying my luck with FSS.

I'm mainly just stuck on the cost. Will it be useful enough to justify $900.
 
Love the geo referenced approach plates,weather works well while IMC. The cost is minor when you use all the functions. Eliminates a lot of paper ,in the cockpit.
 
ARFlyer said:
It's mainly the weather bit I would use it for. I like knowing what storms are doing. Instead of guessing and trying my luck with FSS.

I'm mainly just stuck on the cost. Will it be useful enough to justify $900.
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In aviation terms, they're pretty cheap, considering just a few years ago it cost $2,400 (Garmin 496) + $50/mo. (XM....$600/yr) to have on-board NEXRAD.
 
I don't see how it would be useful at all really for PPL...IFR, sure. I had a FF subscription the entire time I was doing my PPL...just using it for weather, getting used to it, fantasizing places I wanted to fly once I got my PPL...but never used it until I had my license.
 
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kenjr said:
I don't see how it would be useful at all really for PPL...IFR, sure.
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A private pilot can use it to monitor destination and enroute wx to see if he can still get in VFR or if a divert is called for.
 
Well the use would come from my IFR and commercial students. We just went to a mandatory efb usage after our first commercial stage. So the use would really show up then.

I would have to some how pitch it to my parents. They still most pay for everything since I'm still in school.
 
ARFlyer said:
Well the use would come from my IFR and commercial students. We just went to a mandatory efb usage after our first commercial stage. So the use would really show up then.

I would have to some how pitch it to my parents. They still most pay for everything since I'm still in school.
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Why not talk the school into proving a few?
 
Fearless Tower said:
A private pilot can use it to monitor destination and enroute wx to see if he can still get in VFR or if a divert is called for.
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yeah, I get that...but there's really no reason to use this during your PPL training - not even on XC's. I have a Garmin 300XL in my plane so I knew I had an out if I got crooked lost during a XC but thankfully I never had to use it. I am a tech geek but for flying I wanted to learn it the old fashioned way and that's the way my CFI taught me. I knew there'd be plenty of time to fly the magenta line...

Agree though, the in flight METAR's are nice. But, I doubt any CFI is going to let his/her student go gallivanting around for a XC where they'd even need to be checking weather enroute.
 
For the 200nm circle range most hobby pilots live in, flying planes that's average 110kts and don't get above 10k.... It's not needed and just another distraction.

My students don't even have a VOR for their x-countries, let alone a GPS.

Look outside the plane, do good planning and you'll be fine, most hobby pilots will benefit by keeping their eyes outside far more then having another toy INSIDE the cockpit to look at IMO
 
Something well north of 90% of my time is XC, and I'm no stranger to flying around weather.

Somewhere well north of 75% of my XC time is without XM/ADS-B weather. I've always managed to make it work. That said, we're getting a GDL88 installed next month for ADS-B traffic/weather because I like to see where storms are coming from, and I really did like it when I had XM (early on in my flying career). I just didn't like the monthly cost of XM, my WXworx antenna/box was having issues (as was the AnywhereMap they were attached to), and I didn't see a point in an ADS-B option that wasn't going to satisfy the 2020 requirement in the 310.

I think in your position, I would not buy the Stratus. Save your money or buy a nice headset if you don't already have one. Unless you have real radar (or at least a stormscope) on board, you shouldn't be getting yourself too close to thunderstorms and should be avoiding them mostly visually. That said, you could point out the advantages of them to your students and maybe you'll convince some of the students to buy them and you'll get to fly with them as a result. I can't see the flight school buying them, and you won't have a use for them in the airlines.
 
Buy what your students are using. You will be more marketable if you can use and teach these systems. Second, it may very well very tax deductible since you're a professional. (Yes, I know you may not need it)
 
Depends on what kind of weather you intend to go out into and instruct instruments.
For the CFII (at least some) around here, it would be a waste of money. They do not allow themselves to enter even haze, much less a cloud. (not an indictment, just the facts ma'am)
I'm currently thinking of upgrading my two moving maps in Fat Albert. For a few days I got all excited about adding on board real time weather with either Garmin or Stratus. Then rational thought set in.
If there is moving red and yellow stuff I park it and wait until it is mostly green and only a little yellow. Between DUATs and FSS and calling the AWOS's I have plenty of information on what is happening an hour further along my route. Spending 800 bucks to see what he is looking at as he is talking to me seems unnecessary. I may change my mind. We'll see.
 
James, my compliments. You may have saved a life or two when the day comes for one of your graduated students that all the magic smoke leaks out of the glass on the panel - and it will come.
 
jonnyjetprop said:
Buy what your students are using. You will be more marketable if you can use and teach these systems. Second, it may very well very tax deductible since you're a professional. (Yes, I know you may not need it)
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How much you think I'll get off on my Tax? New to this whole thing on filing tax. I made my mother walke through it this year but I was still confused.

I will be the type of II that will take my student to there comfort zone and then a little more. Serveral II around here will not touch a cloud like someone else said. I think that's a disservice. I'll be happy to take my students up in actual. So I want something that I can monitor what's going on up ahead.

I know it's a delayed service. I even preach that to my students. :yes:
 
Not much.

The real question is how many extra students will use you because you're using the latest technology. My guess would be that you'd be making money on the second student that comes your way.

The guy that taught my FI ground school implored us to be the very best instructors we could be, even if our futures were elsewhere.


ARFlyer said:
How much you think I'll get off on my Tax? New to this whole thing on filing tax. I made my mother walke through it this year but I was still confused.

I will be the type of II that will take my student to there comfort zone and then a little more. Serveral II around here will not touch a cloud like someone else said. I think that's a disservice. I'll be happy to take my students up in actual. So I want something that I can monitor what's going on up ahead.

I know it's a delayed service. I even preach that to my students. :yes:
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ARFlyer said:
How much you think I'll get off on my Tax? New to this whole thing on filing tax. I made my mother walke through it this year but I was still confused.
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Price * marginal tax rate. Probably won't amount to a lot.
 
jonnyjetprop said:
Not much.

The real question is how many extra students will use you because you're using the latest technology. My guess would be that you'd be making money on the second student that comes your way.

The guy that taught my FI ground school implored us to be the very best instructors we could be, even if our futures were elsewhere.
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How we assign our CFI is basically a down the list of students vs. instructors. If the student requested a CFI then it's honored.

But yes, I try to teach my students everything that I've learned and was never taught.
 
NOT needed for training. CFI certainly doesn't need it, neither does a CFII. For flying actual IFR cross countries I could see its utility.
 
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