Top Development in GA (30 years)

Yes, I would agree with GPS, Moving Map, and Nexrad in the cockpit.
 
Gerhardt said:
Anyone who never doesn't say "GPS" has never had to fly on a regular basis without one.
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eh? I'm not poking at the typo, but I'm assuming you meant "Anyone how doesn't say GPS..."

anyway, I've never flown with GPS. The flybuddy LORAN was in my airplane when I bought it in 1994. I've never felt the need to spend the large chunk of money putting in a IFR-certified GPS and a VFR-only GPS wouldn't offer any advantage.
 
Gerhardt said:
Anyone who never doesn't say "GPS" has never had to fly on a regular basis without one.
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GPS is OK. But somehow I made it from Detroit to Fairbanks and back without one. It's not like it's hard to do without.

Sport Pilot is the absolute, without a doubt, top number one thing that has happened in the last 30 years. There is no number two.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
GPS is OK. But somehow I made it from Detroit to Fairbanks and back without one. It's not like it's hard to do without.

Sport Pilot is the absolute, without a doubt, top number one thing that has happened in the last 30 years. There is no number two.
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Did you fly to Fairbanks in an LSA?
 
Ouch, and I proofed that before posting, too. Maybe I need new glasses. And I wasn't dissing anyone who likes something else better than GPS. Just saying that I recall the pre-GPS days when navigating as a VFR pilot was a lot more work than it is now. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I picked up my first Garmin GPS Pilot III...something you couldn't give away now.
 
I personally think Sport Pilot and LSA are a way for the FAA to pacify us into being happy flying around the patch, and not going anywhere, and a way to get us out of the ATC system. I don't think it is a top development at all, but rather a huge step BACK for GA.
 
Anthony said:
I personally think Sport Pilot and LSA are a way for the FAA to pacify us into being happy flying around the patch, and not going anywhere, and a way to get us out of the ATC system. I don't think it is a top development at all, but rather a huge step BACK for GA.
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What would be really good is the driver's license medical being sufficient for Class III. If you're not being tested every 6 months, it really doesn't matter.
 
Gerhardt said:
Anyone who doesn't say "GPS" has never had to fly on a regular basis without one.
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When I was getting my PPL the plane had a GPS but my instructor was not letting me use it, and it took my some time after the checkride to start using the GPS. So my first ~60 hours were without GPS.

Yet I did not say "GPS" :D

MachFly said:
Traffic systems such as TIS & ADS-B.
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1. The incredible advances in weather reporting and forecasting tools now available via internet and in-flight to us non-meteorologist pilots. (end of the weatherfax era)
2. GPS (end of the VOR/DME era)
3. EFIS (end of the mechanical flight instrument era)
4. Composite structures (end of the all-metal airframe era)
5. EFB (end of the paper chart era)
6. AHRS (end of the mechanical gyro era)
7. Digital autopilot (end of the analog computer era)
8. Dr. Laura on XM (end of the no entertainment for my wife on long XC trips era)

I add AHRS because of the development of an affordable and reliable ring laser gyro that lies at its heart. It has no moving parts and is electrically powered. Used now for both primary and standby instrumentation. Technically it is called a Sagnac interferometer that uses the principles of Einstein's General Relativity Theory to measure angular rate in space and time.

Five of the items on my list are all incorporated in the Garmin G1000 and it's competitors.
 
Anthony said:
I personally think Sport Pilot and LSA are a way for the FAA to pacify us into being happy flying around the patch, and not going anywhere, and a way to get us out of the ATC system. I don't think it is a top development at all, but rather a huge step BACK for GA.
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Says the person who doesn't have issues with his medical. Yet.
 
composite airframes are a 50 year old development, not 30.
 
Gerhardt said:
Anyone who doesn't say "GPS" has never had to fly on a regular basis without one.
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I flew without one.
I say GPS is absolutely great and would have been on my list but not at the very top.
If there was no GPS, with today's electronics no doubt we still could have access to RNAV-like environment. We probably would not have had LPV approaches but we could have say RNAV approaches down to 400-500 off VORs (or LORAN). Yes, GPS was absolute godsend in places like Alaska.
 
Gerhardt said:
Anyone who doesn't say "GPS" has never had to fly on a regular basis without one.
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While it's a great tool I still think advanced aircraft design/performance is a more important consideration.

If Cirrus made an SR-20 with analog instruments and no IFR GPS, I'd still take it over a comparable Archer with a glass cockpit at the same price.
 
Velocity173 said:
If Cirrus made an SR-20 with analog instruments and no IFR GPS, I'd still take it over a comparable Archer with a glass cockpit at the same price.
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:rofl: I have yet to meet anyone who would not.

BTW they did make those 10 years ago.
 
Anybody that pooh-hoos the GPS............hasn't smashed into the big vertical rock yet. All those many, that have, would probably list it as number one...if given a second chance. I can guarantee it!

L.Adamson -- GPS is #1
 
MachFly said:
When I was getting my PPL the plane had a GPS but my instructor was not letting me use it, and it took my some time after the checkride to start using the GPS. So my first ~60 hours were without GPS.

Yet I did not say "GPS" :D
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And the instructor probably didn't know how to use it. It's surprising how many are intimidated, and resort to old school.......as an excuse.
 
L.Adamson said:
And the instructor probably didn't know how to use it. It's surprising how many are intimidated, and resort to old school.......as an excuse.
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I doubt that was the case. It was a G430 so it wasn't that complicated, he would always switch it to the TIS page so I would not have a moving map. Also that guy teaches with a G1000 therefore he should have known how to use a G430 (and it was his own airplane).

I actually appreciated that he didn't let me use it, I see too many pilots these days who would be completely screwed without a GPS.
 
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MachFly said:
I doubt that was the case. It was a G430 so it wasn't that complicated, he would always switch it to the TIS page so I would not have a moving map. Also that guy teaches with a G1000 therefore he should have known how to use a G430 (and it was his own airplane).

I actually appreciated that he didn't let me use it, I see too many pilots these days who would be completely screwed without a GPS.
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You got it. To many pilots are using a GPS to try and make up for lack of preflight planning. If the GPS ever takes a dump then they're screwed and might very well fly into "the vertical rock." If IFR and my GPS goes then I revert to VOR and rely on ATC and something called an ELA map. Not very difficult to do.

Seen it many times in the Army when I take away the students use of the GPS. Generally they don't know where they are on the map and then to complicate things they don't know how to use the resources available to them without a GPS.
 
Velocity173 said:
You got it. To many pilots are using a GPS to try and make up for lack of preflight planning. If the GPS ever takes a dump then they're screwed and might very well fly into "the vertical rock." If IFR and my GPS goes then I revert to VOR and rely on ATC and something called an ELA map. Not very difficult to do.

Seen it many times in the Army when I take away the students use of the GPS. Generally they don't know where they are on the map and then to complicate things they don't know how to use the resources available to them without a GPS.
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That happens, but it's a poor excuse. I've spent many years chasing around to accident sites.........in which the poor souls lost their lives, due to lack of information, which could have been obtained within seconds, with a good moving map GPS. Call it a morbid side hobby, if you want. Never the less, a good moving map would have made the difference. BTW-- haven't lost a GPS signal since 1994. I must use quality equipment.

IMO, it's much better to teach a student the use of GPS, while incoroprating it into the flight planning. I've been doing that, since my first moving map in 1993.

L.Adamson --- As I always say.... "If an instructor tells you to throw your GPS into the back seat, with a smirk on their face......then throw them out!"
 
MachFly said:
I actually appreciated that he didn't let me use it, I see too many pilots these days who would be completely screwed without a GPS.
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And to the point..... I've seen too many dead ones....

L.Adamson --- use that GPS
 
In my case when I was flying with him he knew how to use the GPS so if a reason would have came up to use the GPS he could have used it. Then right before my checkride for PPL I learned to use the GPS.
These days I use it everyday.

I agree with you that you should definitely use the GPS if you have it, but if your GPS stops working you need to know how to get back without the GPS.
 
MachFly said:
In my case when I was flying with him he knew how to use the GPS so if a reason would have came up to use the GPS he could have used it. Then right before my checkride for PPL I learned to use the GPS.
These days I use it everyday.

I agree with you that you should definitely use the GPS if you have it, but if your GPS stops working you need to know how to get back without the GPS.
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Yep, but it doesn't hurt to carry at least two.
 
L.Adamson said:
That happens, but it's a poor excuse. I've spent many years chasing around to accident sites.........in which the poor souls lost their lives, due to lack of information, which could have been obtained within seconds, with a good moving map GPS. Call it a morbid side hobby, if you want. Never the less, a good moving map would have made the difference. BTW-- haven't lost a GPS signal since 1994. I must use quality equipment.

IMO, it's much better to teach a student the use of GPS, while incoroprating it into the flight planning. I've been doing that, since my first moving map in 1993.

L.Adamson --- As I always say.... "If an instructor tells you to throw your GPS into the back seat, with a smirk on their face......then throw them out!"
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Sure as a civilian operator I've had a signal go out maybe twice in twenty years. In the Army we could be operating in a high jamming/interference enviroment. Pilots need to be able to complete the mission regardless of electronic nav help. We'd be pretty useless in war without having basic map reading nav skills.

Also while a moving map GPS is great for situational awareness is not going to keep the dirty side down for you. Plenty of people still go IIMC with a moving map and crash. We had a CH-47 crash in a dust storm in Afghanistan that had at least one moving map on board. GPS won't prevent spatial disorientation and it sure won't make up for poor wx decision making process.

I fly a helicopter now that has a glass cockpit with TAWS, Garmin 430, Nexrad, TIS, highway in the sky, and radar altimeter. I know how to use all the tricks at my disposal and I enjoy having them but it doesn't make up for good decision making. If "Bitchin Betty" is telling me to pull up then it's already telling me something I know because I'm maintaining VMC and always giving myself a way out. That's not about using a GPS that's simply using my eyeballs. If I go in the clouds by accident, well then I have an altimeter and I already know the highest obstacle in my area. If I need to turn before mountains then I do it. I don't need a moving map for that. I already have a mental picture of what's out there. That's what preflight planning is all about.

Now the other day I flew our spare helo with analog instruments and none of the toys...yeah that sucked. :D
 
DrMack said:
I add AHRS because of the development of an affordable and reliable ring laser gyro that lies at its heart..
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I don't think GA level ADHARS use ring gyros. I may be mistaken but I think they use accelerometers which are much cheaper.
 
Bob Noel said:
anyway, I've never flown with GPS. The flybuddy LORAN was in my airplane when I bought it in 1994. I've never felt the need to spend the large chunk of money putting in a IFR-certified GPS and a VFR-only GPS wouldn't offer any advantage.
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Well... The main advantage of a VFR GPS over a LORAN these days is... It works! :dunno: :(
 
MachFly said:
In my case when I was flying with him he knew how to use the GPS so if a reason would have came up to use the GPS he could have used it. Then right before my checkride for PPL I learned to use the GPS.
These days I use it everyday.

I agree with you that you should definitely use the GPS if you have it, but if your GPS stops working you need to know how to get back without the GPS.
Click to expand...
I have a T182T with G1000 and a garmin 796 for back up, however at once a month I will take a flight just by dead reckoning to make sure I can do it. I own an Ipad and do not use it in the plane because I just felt it did not add anything to my cockpit. I still use paper charts as I know enough about computers to trust them to fail when I need them most. I still think they are alive and think about how to screw with use mortals at the times we need them most.

I was surprised nobody mentioned affordable autopilot as a top development(unless I missed it someplace). So I will add that into the mix. Also affordable video cams... love watching those videos when I cannot fly.

Doug
 
DrMack said:
I add AHRS because of the development of an affordable and reliable ring laser gyro that lies at its heart. It has no moving parts and is electrically powered. Used now for both primary and standby instrumentation. Technically it is called a Sagnac interferometer that uses the principles of Einstein's General Relativity Theory to measure angular rate in space and time.
Click to expand...

peppy said:
I don't think GA level ADHARS use ring gyros. I may be mistaken but I think they use accelerometers which are much cheaper.
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I did some research on this last year. While ring-laser-gyro-on-a-chip technology is available, I do not believe it is used in GA ADAHRS.

I didn't get Garmin to cough up what technology they use in the G1000, but I strongly suspect that all of the GA glass cockpit AHRS today are using MEMS vibrating structure gyroscopes and accelerometers. And yes, they do use both - I think the G1000 uses 3 gyros and 2 accelerometers.
 
Top developments:

1) Moving map GPS. Honorable mention to the non-map GPS's too, though.
2) Affordable EFB's such as the iPad.
3) Availability of weather products, both preflight via the Internet and now in-cockpit via XM or ADS-B.
4) Glass cockpits.

I've been able to watch the transformation as a result of the latter three, despite having flown for less than 10 years. I also trained in a plane with no GPS, so I can appreciate how that has transformed things as well. It's an exciting time to be a gadget-geek pilot!
 
douglas393 said:
I have a T182T with G1000 and a garmin 796 for back up, however at once a month I will take a flight just by dead reckoning to make sure I can do it. I own an Ipad and do not use it in the plane because I just felt it did not add anything to my cockpit. I still use paper charts as I know enough about computers to trust them to fail when I need them most. I still think they are alive and think about how to screw with use mortals at the times we need them most.
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I usually do it once every few month, should probably do it more often though.
 
I think it's interesting how almost everything mentioned has to do with avionics or computers rather than the airframe.
 
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