Interesting new way to present old (and IMO obsolete ) information.
A lot of the things we do in flight training have little direct practical value, but does that mean they're obsolete? I don't think so.Interesting new way to present old (and IMO obsolete ) information.
Personally, even before LORAN and GPS replaced VOR navigation I never had any use for the tricks to get a time to a VOR by flying 90° off course. For one thing the wind can screw up that answer big time in a strong wind or a slow airplane and besides who want's to go 90° off course anyway.
And since almost anyone with a cellphone has a GPS these days...
We're heading toward a needless era where you aren't an 'instrument' pilot anymore, but a 'Garmin' pilot or an 'Avidyne' pilot or a 'Cirrus' pilot. Shame on the industry and the FAA for taking this path in the name of competitive innovation. Yet I seem to use algebra daily. Trigamatrick? Sometimes.
dtuuri
So I decided to take a break and check email and found your post hot off the press!Don't get me wrong. I love these kinds of tricks. You never know when it will come in handy in the aircraft you are flying or in some other aspect of life- but why do you think the FAA is to blame for pilots losing instrument skills? When I took my checkride we hardly touched the GPS but did a few VOR exercises. Are you refering to the FAA pushing the use of GPS approaches etc? Just trying to understand where you are coming from.
So I decided to take a break and check email and found your post hot off the press!
Not talking about "losing instrument skills". I was referring to the age of specialization. I hate it. Don't want to be known as a "Cirrus pilot" or "Garmin pilot". I want to fly 'em all, one as well as another. Just like you can use anybody's VOR, you ought to be able to operate anybody's moving map. Shouldn't have to study a 100+ page moving map manual. Garmin is damn lucky I'm not King of the FAA--I'd make it a requirement that NO manual must be required to operate avionics. That'd fix 'em.
dtuuri