Top Development in GA (30 years)

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LJS1993

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LJ Savala
Okay gentlemen in your opinion what has been the best development in general aviation within the last thirty years? This can be related to technology, policy, or training methodology.
 
GPS...hands down.

With a low-cost device you got more precise navigation than VOR without the location/distance constraints at any altitude WITH DME! How great is that? Coupled with devices capable of carrying current charts it's a spectacular advance in aviation.
 
Traffic systems such as TIS & ADS-B.
 
No contest - GPS.
 
Active Noise Reduction headsets (albeit the glider folks won't care so much)

It is soooo much nicer to fly without experiencing the temporary hearing loss (which eventually becomes permanant). And it is so much easier to hear ATC, other radio calls, and talk with the CFI and paxs.
 
Mafoo said:
GPS

How about a top 5 list, because most everyone will say GPS.
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The useful thing is moving map. GPS is just another sensor. Before GPS, there was LORAN, and before that DME-DME or VOR-DME.

Of course, the VFR pilot can just look outside the window.
 
Top 3:

1. GPS.
2. In-cockpit weather
3. ANR headphones

When I look back to when we flew without any of those, I wonder how we survived...
 
Boeing- like (or better) glass cockpits, never thought it would be possible for aircraft at this price point.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Top 3:

1. GPS.
2. In-cockpit weather
3. ANR headphones

When I look back to when we flew without any of those, I wonder how we survived...
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Never flew without all of those, but this would be my list as well.
 
I may try to swing some votes here.

I say it's not GPS, it's moving map technology coupled to GPS.

Early GPS units had CDI interfaces or poor facsimiles on their wimpy faceplates. They were regularly ignored for anything but long XC flight where you wanted to go Direct.

Same thing with LORAN.

Putting a moving map on the label or in my hand was the real game-changer.
 
Come on... someone's gotta include iPad/Tablets.... 'making a bigger impact in a couple years than gps did in 10. (although underlying magic is still gps)
 
denverpilot said:
I may try to swing some votes here.

I say it's not GPS, it's moving map technology coupled to GPS.

Early GPS units had CDI interfaces or poor facsimiles on their wimpy faceplates. They were regularly ignored for anything but long XC flight where you wanted to go Direct.

Same thing with LORAN.

Putting a moving map on the label or in my hand was the real game-changer.
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Given, if you want to split hairs, ( I know you can't help it since you are a techie type :D), but I would guess anyone who looks at a GPS unit does not think of it as a moving map display coupled with a database and GPS receiver. They see a GPS.

And as one who did open ocean searches by interpolating LORAN times onto the curved lines of a LORAN chart, just having a read out of Lat/Long was a HUGE step forward. :yesnod:
 
AFter market engine and airframe parts, with out them many of you would not be flying.
 
Threefingeredjack said:
And as one who did open ocean searches by interpolating LORAN times onto the curved lines of a LORAN chart, just having a read out of Lat/Long was a HUGE step forward. :yesnod:
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Any Omega? I only read about it. Never got to see one of those in action.
 
denverpilot said:
Any Omega? I only read about it. Never got to see one of those in action.
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I got to use an Omega system in the Navy back in the early 1970s. POS user interface prevented most from understanding its capabilities, in spite of its incredible (for its day) accuracy worldwide. This in spite of only four transmitting stations globally.

This makes another vote for the moving map interface.

-Skip
 
Threefingeredjack said:
I would guess anyone who looks at a GPS unit does not think of it as a moving map display coupled with a database and GPS receiver. They see a GPS.
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Not me. We had some airplanes with very old GPSs which did not have a moving map of any kind. They took out the old radar display and installed a radar/moving map combination coupled to the old GPS unit. I guess you need to be a dinosaur to think this way, though. :idea:
 
GPS.

Even the early ones which only had a text indication of your current track, the track to your destination, and distance to you destination were a godsend.

Even the loran units which gave the same such information were wonderful. They would easily get you within visual range of your destination airport.

I learned to fly in a C172 that had a Northstar loran unit and it was a tremendous help on my student XC solo flights.
My first plane had an Apollo FlyBuddy 800 loran and it was key in helping me fly the plane home from Iowa to Texas right after I bought it.

Still, to this day, I fly mostly according to my gps ground track and intended heading more so than the moving map.

EDIT: well, to be more honest, now that I've got an RV with GPS-coupled autopilot, I just punch in my destination and let the computer fly me to my destination airport :D
 
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Everskyward said:
Not me. We had some airplanes with very old GPSs which did not have a moving map of any kind. They took out the old radar display and installed a radar/moving map combination coupled to the old GPS unit. I guess you need to be a dinosaur to think this way, though. :idea:
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Yeah the first GPS we had issued just had a tiny display. You could get Lat/Long, ground speed, or course/time/distance to/from a waypoint.
 
I don't fly one, but the Cirrus aircraft.
 
I'll add number two...

Wide deployment of NEXRAD. In the cockpit is great, but even not.

You did say 30 years.
 
Neal Howard said:
Cirrus bah... the RV aircraft! :thumbsup:

(let's extend to the past 40 years)
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I was actually gonna say that but VANs started before 30. Maybe the overall evolution of the kitplane in the last 30 yrs??? :wink2:
 
Velocity173 said:
I was actually gonna say that but VANs started before 30. Maybe the overall evolution of the kitplane in the last 30 yrs??? :wink2:
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Hehe... the RV-6 (Van's first real X-C cruiser) was released in 1986, so it fits in the 30 years timeframe :D
 
AdamZ said:
3)Pilots of America:D
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While that might have been just for fun, how could we have all left out the Web? That's as big as GPS.

So my list.

1. Moving Maps GPS
2. The internet
3. In plane weather
 
LJS1993 said:
Okay gentlemen in your opinion what has been the best development in general aviation within the last thirty years? This can be related to technology, policy, or training methodology.
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Top development: Much improved weather information and forecasting.

We don't need GPS to fly, but we need to avoid the adverse weather.

One way to evaluate whether or not a development deserves the top spot is to think about it from a go/no-go pov.

I fly without GPS, but I won't fly without adequate hearing protection

I fly without GPS, but I won't fly if I can't avoid adverse weather.
 
I agree with GPS and in cockpit weather. What I haven't seen mentioned is the iPad and the resulting death of paper charts. As far as aircraft it is the SR22 based on sales numbers alone. In the experimental space I agree with the inclusion of Van's. The RV series is incredibly dominant in the homebuilt arena.
 
Anyone who doesn't say "GPS" has never had to fly on a regular basis without one.
 
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