Preflight

Flight training is at a crossroads. There’s a major chasm between those training in older, more traditional airplanes, and those training in mind-blowing advanced glass-cockpit airplanes. While many of the maneuvers and the actual hands-on flying is largely the same, managing the airplane and its operation within our common airspace couldn’t be more different.

Which route students take is largely a matter of circumstance. If the flight school has new glass-cockpit-equipped airplanes, such as Cessna 172s or even many of the new light sport aircraft, students will learn considerably more about systems management—but far less about dead reckoning and pilotage, among other things, than will a student flying a conventionally equipped airplane. And that’s sad.

In his story “Working the Wind Side,”, AOPA Publications Editor at Large Tom Horne details some of the useful applications of the wind side of the manual E6B flight computer. At first look, a story such as this may not seem relevant to someone learning to fly in a Garmin G1000-equipped airplane. With a brilliant moving map display, and instant groundspeed and winds aloft readouts, it’s no wonder that the modest E6B seems as ancient as an abacus. Horne helps to put the flight computer into perspective, and he gives a few reasons why it’s in your best interest as a student to learn the important skill of using the E6B. I think it goes beyond a simple backup to the GPS and moving map.

In the office we often debate the merits and pitfalls of aviation’s club or fraternity vibe. Whether good or bad, there’s no question that time spent learning to fly constitutes your “pledge period” for the world’s most exclusive open-membership group. And among its more experienced members, there’s nothing worse than a pilot who didn’t learn the basics of aviation. Most don’t think we need to go back to the era of long-range navigation and nondirectional beacon approaches (ask your instructor), but learning skills such as the E6B will gain you respect in the club.

Most important, however, the E6B is a resource, and a great one at that. Mastering it is a big step forward in mastering one of aviation’s most critical and elusive skills—situational awareness. The importance of knowing where you are in the air at all times can’t be overstated. It applies to the basics of getting from point A to point B, as well as how you’ll enter the traffic pattern once you get there, how you’ll deal with problems along the way—and, ultimately, whether you’re staying ahead of the airplane. Spending all your time figuring out where you are is a waste of valuable time.

The debate, then, naturally comes back to glass-cockpit flying and its effect on learning skills such as the E6B. Many feel, myself included, that while the moving map provides unmatched instant and complete positional awareness, it does it from an outside-in perspective. If the screen goes blank, you’ll have a problem. You say it may never happen, but I think it’s more than just preparing for an emergency situation. Having acute situational awareness is a feeling of confidence and control. It means knowing that you can safely handle any situation.

It’s unfair to say that any pilot learning in a technologically advanced airplane is sophomoric in regard to these tasks, but it’s also easy to imagine that a pilot learning to fly in a more traditional airplane would be better positioned to fly a Piper J-3 Cub from Ohio to Florida with only a map, a compass, and a watch.

Although that may not sound like a skill worth knowing, consider that truly mastering the skies is not about performing a perfect stall recovery. It’s about anticipating the stall before it happens and avoiding it. Being able to look at a liquid crystal display and relay your position is great, but it’s not on the same level as never having to look at the display in the first place.

Instructors no doubt wish they had a dime every time a student asked why they had to learn to use an E6B. Don’t fall into that trap. I can’t think of all the times I wish I had paid better attention in high school math. Trust your instructor when he says it’s time to give the ‘ol whiz wheel a spin. You’ll be thankful you did.

E-mail Ian J. Twombly, deputy editor of AOPA Flight Training, at [email protected].