Insights

Is it possible to teach a new student the art of flying in a glass cockpit airplane? Of course, but many say no. They're correct if they stick with old teaching methods such as the FAA-mandated integrated instruction. Teaching in our new-technology environment requires a new level of instructor discipline.

I've commented before on the fallacy of integrated instruction where, during initial training, flight instrument reference is taught simultaneously with basic visual training. When the FAA introduced integrated instruction in the 1960s, it made sense because many general aviation accidents occurred during instrument flight. However, by the late 1970s, stall-spin accidents were increasing, a situation that I attribute to the lack of proper training using visual references and the basic elements for controlling airplane attitude and power--seemingly simple concepts that cannot be ignored or glossed over. It takes time to master them and establish the proper habit patterns.

Solid-state, digital electronics enabled rapid advances in avionics technology. The highest priority was automatic landings in extremely low visibility conditions, which saved the airlines millions of dollars in diversion costs. That advancement also spawned the glass cockpit, an excellent advancement that had immense benefits for pilots.

For general aviation, the process has worked in reverse. We're starting with the glass cockpit, and you can be certain that in years to come we too will have autoland capability, which for airliners requires enhanced system redundancy such as two or three autopilots, multiple warning systems that work in parallel, and specialized training.

The airlines then said, Now we can teach our pilots to rely on autoflight and save millions of dollars in training costs. That's what they did, and that's when they crashed. Some terrible accidents occurred, because pilots tried to solve technology conflicts using automation or pushing buttons. I can tell you from experience that in many such situations, survival means that you turn that stuff off and hand-fly the airplane. The airlines soon realized that hand flying skills are just as critical as autopilot and computer flying--the three levels of pilot proficiency that pilots of Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA) must maintain.

Here are a few examples of the instructor discipline that's required to properly train students in a TAA. Before flying, connect ground power to the airplane and turn on the primary flight display (PFD) and the multifunction display (MFD). Tell students that initially they will use very little of what these systems have to offer, because their first requirement is to master visual flying skills. Show them the attitude, airspeed, altitude, heading, and system displays. If the airplane has a traffic alert system, you would certainly use it during training flights, but not when practicing takeoffs and landings in the traffic pattern unless its audio output--"traffic, traffic, traffic"--has a mute button or is wired through the audio panel's unused ADF selector.

For pre-solo training, you should teach all the tasks that you normally teach in a conventional-cockpit airplane, and do it without any expansion of glass-cockpit knowledge. If a student asks about some unrelated feature, just say, "Ignore that and concentrate on what you're doing. That function will be covered during advanced training." That's contrary to what instructors do in conventional-cockpit airplanes where student questions are always discussed.

My favorite feature of the glass cockpit is the PFD's dimming switch. When you introduce a new maneuver to students, dim the screen so that the flight instruments disappear. When students can fly the maneuver using only visual references, turn the screen on and let them refine the maneuver using the airspeed, heading, and altitude displays.

Do not introduce the MFD's moving map (it too can be dimmed) until students master chart reading and basic pilotage and dead-reckoning navigation (see "Dead Reckoning,"), critical skills should the glass cockpit fail--which does happen. For radio navigation, start with GPS and the OBS mode. Put in a waypoint, and have students intercept and fly courses to it and then away from it. VOR navigation, which follows, will then be easy to master. Now advance to full GPS navigation using flight plans and diversion procedures followed by features such as the autopilot--a mandatory item for proper glass-cockpit management.

These new private pilots now have a greater capability for ensuring flight safety and flight awareness than was ever possible in a conventional cockpit. If equipment fails, they can say, "no problem" and get the airplane on the ground with complete confidence. Why? Because they know how to fly with their eyes outside the cockpit. Best of all, learning to fly was easy to do and very enjoyable.

Ralph Butcher, a retired United Airlines captain, is the chief flight instructor at a California flight school. He has been flying since 1959 and has 25,000 hours in fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Visit his Web site.