No, not like that at all. I think the training should be updated to modern flight planning tools, like EFBs and online flightplanning websites. That IS what people use after they get their certificate. If the E6B works for you, more power to you, but an E6B is not going to save my bacon, if I get lost and I don’t even count it in my bag of tricks. I do carry several electronic devices with moving maps and I have a paper map, which I don’t expect to need. If an EMP takes out the satellite network while I am enroute, I’ll have much bigger problems on my hands.
It's that last few statements I don't get.
Why do you have a paper map? It's obsolete. If you are in a situation where you have to suddenly rely on old tech like paper maps, wouldn't it be kinda good to have an E6B and be current in how to use it?
An EMP taking out the SAT network would be unlikely, but you chose the situation, and I'm thinking you wouldn't have "much bigger" problems if it happened, you'd still be up in the air and need to land.
But why so armeggeddon? Electronics can fail. I don't know what you ar using or what it needs, but I'm guessing it requires connections. A map and E6B are self contained. Anything electronic can fail or hang. My iPad (an older iPad 2) often hangs, sometimes needs a reboot. If I spill coffee on it, It's kaput. It can fail even without adding water. Having a backup that doesn't require connections, electricity seems like a no brainer when it weighs so little.
I get your point, but as I pointed out, for me as a student I'm very glad to learn it. In many calculations it shows me the relation for many more than the target value, at a glance. The wind side has helped me visualize the underlying wind triangle. It helps me see the relatinship between TAS and CAS, true alt. Etc. at a glance.
It's fun to use in that way.
I'm sure that when I get my PPL, and start flying I'll be using SkyDemon (am on a free trial now, and yeah...pretty cool!") or something, and some apps for calulations, but I'm also sure I will always have a map and E6B in the flight bag. But I am glad that my school requires us to learn it. Maybe it is "obsolete" but for learning. You mention we can be taught the underlying principles, but we ARE and it still helped me a lot using the thing in addition to the taught principles.
I had a similar discussion on a different forum about watches. Was attacked as a Luddite for still using a watch "when all telephones have clocks" and I pointed out my phone is in my pocket, to see the time I have to fish it out, turn it on, which requires using my hands, yet when I want to see the time at a glance all I have to do is slightly turn my wrist.
I can think this was a person that never had their phone in their pocket, so they didn't get that concept. One that always has it in their hands, staring at it. The other person was adamant that it wasn't important. A watch has a second hand, and each mark on it is 30 degrees (each minute mark 6 deg.) so it also helps me visualize the compass headings better. He still insisted it was stupid to have a watch. Old, obsolete.
I would point out too, an E6B is in every way totally, a computer. Advantage is no screen to go bad (unless you leave it out in the sun) no connection needed, no battery. Even more, no updates, no "bugs", no subscription, no yearly fee, your kids won't download a bunch of apps to it using up all the memory, and they sure won't borrow it. But still it is a computer. So really the complaint of it is, you don't like the user interface.
