How to learn 1) Garmin PFD; 2) IFR skills

[Michael Gallagher]

Newly minted sport pilot here. Wanting to learn more. Couple of things:

1. Be more facile with Garmin PFD
Looking for a cheaper/easier way to learn the more nuanced ins/outs of the Garmin PFD than while actually flying. Changing the GPS flight plan midflight is difficult for me. I build my flight plan with ForeFlight and import it to the GTX (now using a new G1000, but haven't imported directly to that yet). If I need to change bc of ATC or weather, I have a hard time.
What about MS Flight Sim? Any Garmin PFD Sim apps?
I could consider building a flight sim with RealSimGear. Seems very expensive, but could be fun and maybe worthwhile. At $230/hour on the aircraft I rent, it makes it comparably less expensive.

2. Learn Instrument skills
I am a sport pilot and want to learn instrument approaches and skills to have the knowledge in case I need them. Sporty's online course? There is an IFR Skills for VFR flying course from PilotWorkshops.com. I will probably take some IFR lessons eventually.

Thanks!

 

[ahmad]

Have you tried playing around on MSFS? I am serious.
There is a website called pilotedge.net. Look into that. That's the cheapest way IMO.

 

[TCABM]

The free Garmin Aviation Trainer Suite for GTN is likely what you’re looking for. I know it says for GTN, but you get to pick a PFD to go with.

Garmin: PC Trainer Suite for GTN, G500/G600 TXi, GDU 620, GNX 375, GNC 355/355A, and GPS 175 Launcher Updates & Downloads

PC Trainer Suite for GTN, G500/G600 TXi, GDU 620, GNX 375, GNC 355/355A, and GPS 175 Launcher Updates & Downloads

www8.garmin.com

If G1000, search Garmin Aviation Trainer G1000 and order the dongle.

ETA: I’m not aware of any EFB, to include Garmin Pilot, that’s has 2-way flight plan swaps with any of the trainers however, I could be wrong. I may try that out today if I can get to it before my trial ends.

The best you can get is with XP sending GPS to the EFBs for a georeferenced moving blue dot.

 

[tsts4]

Do not try to teach yourself instrument flight-- that is a recipe for disaster. You stated you have trouble changing a flight plan now which is a relatively simple task. Trying to do basic things like that in !MC, much less actually execute an approach, is mentally 100 times worse. Of course you can make yourself more knowledgeable about IFR flight by getting one of the computer based ground schools and by reading the free FAA literature (Instrument Procedures Handbook, etc) but that will not substitute for actual instruction with a CFII.

 

[TCABM]

I second that ^^. The only way to learn instrument flying is with a CFII.

 

[murphey]

Unfortunately, I'm not great on self-paced learning, even with all the books and videos. Fortunately, I can take ground school at the university for free (the joy of being faculty) and use the Frasca sims.
For the OP - which Garmin PFD? To start learning, check out Max Trescott's books (amazon) and, as noted above, Garmin has a G1000 emulator (Windows only, does not work on any VM) for about $50.
And to repeat what others have said here, go find a CFII and take at least 2 lessons to understand why you need a CFII to learn even the basics to get you out of trouble.

 

[MauleSkinner]

2. Learn Instrument skills
I am a sport pilot and want to learn instrument approaches and skills to have the knowledge in case I need them.

Instrument flying is an extremely perishable skill. In order for it to be a practical option, you’ll need to spend the time and money for an instrument rating AND continued proficiency.

And as @tsts4 stated, you need to become proficient in operating the airplane and its equipment before you try to add more stuff.

 

[Tools]

Short story…. Instrument flying is 3 things in this order:

1. Control of the aircraft by reference to instruments. Needs to be SECOND NATURE

2. Navigation of the aircraft by reference to instruments.

3. Rules.

For 1 get a trusted safety pilot and a pair of foggles. Have him give you headings and altitudes. You become his voice activated auto pilot. For 2 a gps simulator. For 3, study for the written.

 

[eman1200]

just start pushing buttons. sort of kidding but not entirely. that's how I teach my parents to use an iphone. just push a button and see what happens. now you know what it does.

 

[Michael Gallagher]

just start pushing buttons. sort of kidding but not entirely. that's how I teach my parents to use an iphone. just push a button and see what happens. now you know what it does.

View attachment 136752

Thanks. That is what I've done so far. But it is easy to run the battery down just sitting there - or expensive to do it with the hobbs running. I may try the app as suggested above. We'll see.

 

[Michael Gallagher]

Do not try to teach yourself instrument flight-- that is a recipe for disaster. You stated you have trouble changing a flight plan now which is a relatively simple task. Trying to do basic things like that in !MC, much less actually execute an approach, is mentally 100 times worse. Of course you can make yourself more knowledgeable about IFR flight by getting one of the computer based ground schools and by reading the free FAA literature (Instrument Procedures Handbook, etc) but that will not substitute for actual instruction with a CFII.

I am a sport pilot and can't fly into IMC. I am just wanting the understanding of how instrument flying works. And I am interested in trying a few lessons with a CFIi to learn it. But if it won't do me any good in an emergency, then perhaps it is not worth it.

 

[eman1200]

Thanks. That is what I've done so far. But it is easy to run the battery down just sitting there - or expensive to do it with the hobbs running. I may try the app as suggested above. We'll see.

the app/trainer is def good.

heads up, although this was a coupl'a years ago, the G1000 trainer from garmin (for the baron) was very buggy, almost to the point I couldn't use it. I emailed garmin, they were able to reproduce the issue, not sure if it ever got fixed. don't know if it's for the other planes, maybe try one of those or ask if the bug was fixed. it prob was but who knows.

 

[tsts4]

I am a sport pilot and can't fly into IMC. I am just wanting the understanding of how instrument flying works. And I am interested in trying a few lessons with a CFIi to learn it. But if it won't do me any good in an emergency, then perhaps it is not worth it.

It’s an admirable goal, but I think you simply don’t grasp the magnitude of what you’re asking which as Sport Pilot is understandable. Barring getting supervised training with a CFII and not your buddy acting as a safety pilot, my advice is to focus on honing your ADM skills so that you avoid placing yourself as a Sport Pilot anywhere near a situation that would require instrument skills.

 

[chemgeek]

Here is some random relevant advice:

1. The best way to learn how to use your GPS NAV equipment is to go fly XC and use it. A good session of RTFM and/or using simulator software (available for many Garmin nav products is a prerequisite. You might want to make your own cheat sheet for the proper buttonology for common tasks, like inserting an waypoint into a leg, deleting a waypoint in a leg, going direct to the next waypoint in the flight plan, etc.

2. Flying XC frequently (almost always) includes frequent reroutes, especially IFR. I usually put my requested and expected IFR route of flight down on paper, but it always changes. The reality is that I rarely put in more than the first few waypoints in my clearance, as I know it's gonna change. There is plenty of time enroute to fill out the next few waypoints. Learn your buttonology and then go fly the airplane in the system. If you are flummoxed about waypoint management in your GPS, then you need more time studying in #1 above.

3. Learning to fly instruments is NOT something you want to do by yourself. And you are not going to "learn instrument flight" in a few hours. If you want to go this route, get a proper instructor. Any time you spend "self-learning" bad IFR flight habits is additional time that will have to be spent "unlearning" them. There is a specific progression to IFR training that starts with learning to fly your aircraft by the numbers, then adding procedures and navigation tasks (for which you can't be chasing your aircraft control), working the ATC system with its many rules and regulations, and finally piling on with weather management, if you are doing this right. You will also want to get as much time in real IMC as possible.

For now, you will get the most bang for your buck by learning to fly VFR XC using ATC for radar advisories (flight following), and learning your buttonology to perform routine in-flight re-routing tasks with your navigation system. During this experiential phase, you will learn a lot about fuel management, weather avoidance, and in-flight decision making. These skills will serve you well if you decide to earn a PPL and start instrument training for real. "Instrument" training for PPL is quite frankly, pretty bare-bones, and not at all like real instrument flying. It is an emergency procedure to keep you from killing yourself if you accidentally fly into a cloud, and little more. Learning sustained instrument flight takes many hours of training, and recurrent training to remain proficient. It is well worth it, and should be encouraged for anyone that wants to use their aircraft for XC trips on a regular basis. The IR mostly takes all the angst out of MVFR operations.

 

[Lndwarrior]

If you have an autopilot become perfect at selecting it to do a 180 without thinking about it. That will get you out of some inadvertent IMC.

Secondly, learn enough about the GPS and autopilot that will let you descend safely thru a cloud layer.

As a sport pilot these two skills would be useful.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Newly minted sport pilot here. Wanting to learn more. Couple of things:

1. Be more facile with Garmin PFD
Looking for a cheaper/easier way to learn the more nuanced ins/outs of the Garmin PFD than while actually flying. Changing the GPS flight plan midflight is difficult for me. I build my flight plan with ForeFlight and import it to the GTX (now using a new G1000, but haven't imported directly to that yet). If I need to change bc of ATC or weather, I have a hard time.

This is a useful skill even VFR. Which "Garmin PFD" are you speaking of, and what type of aircraft is it installed in? (If you have a panel picture, that would be helpful.) There are a lot of similarities between different Garmin gear, but there are also important differences.

What about MS Flight Sim? Any Garmin PFD Sim apps?
I could consider building a flight sim with RealSimGear. Seems very expensive, but could be fun and maybe worthwhile. At $230/hour on the aircraft I rent, it makes it comparably less expensive.

Even RealSimGear isn't likely to work exactly like what you'll have in the plane. A home sim setup without it probably isn't going to do you any good at all. Garmin has a trainer app for G1000 on Windows and for their aftermarket stuff there are iOS trainer apps.

2. Learn Instrument skills
I am a sport pilot and want to learn instrument approaches and skills to have the knowledge in case I need them. Sporty's online course? There is an IFR Skills for VFR flying course from PilotWorkshops.com. I will probably take some IFR lessons eventually.

What is your end goal here? Are you medically restricted to stay at the Sport Pilot level, or do you plan to eventually pursue a Private Pilot certificate and an Instrument rating?

If you're going to be staying at the Sport Pilot level, I'm with @Lndwarrior and @tsts4. Learn how to keep from getting into that position in the first place, and learn how to use the autopilot to do a 180 and/or descend through a layer, as well as learning how to ensure how to determine the minimum safe altitude for that descent and that the cloud bases are above that minimum altitude.

If you're going to eventually pursue the Private and Instrument, it's worthwhile to find a CFII and take a couple of lessons to see what it's like as well as knock out some of the instrument requirements for the Private.

just start pushing buttons. sort of kidding but not entirely. that's how I teach my parents to use an iphone. just push a button and see what happens. now you know what it does.

Avoid pushing any buttons that are red or are under a guard.

Otherwise, I agree. Going on a long cross country, preferably with another pilot along to focus on looking out the window, gives you an opportunity to play around and learn the features of your avionics. I find that reading the manual once at the beginning is a good thing, but only by actually doing things will the information stick.

2. Flying XC frequently (almost always) includes frequent reroutes, especially IFR. I usually put my requested and expected IFR route of flight down on paper, but it always changes.

Depends where you're flying. I can get "cleared as filed" pretty much anywhere within 500nm except the Chicago area, and any flights that avoid the Chicago area I can get direct. Coastal flying is a different story. ZNY especially likes their airways. No matter what, it's good to be able to confidently and quickly edit your flight plan.

And now, OP, go read the rest of @chemgeek's post again, it's great advice.

 

[4RNB]

A few lessons is not enough. Especially if you are confident and would allow it to try and save yourself.
What GPS and AP are you using? Have you read those manuals a few times?

I think the best approach would be to take the steps for an instrument rating.