Avionics News February 2022 - 41

Meanwhile, Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics
devised its SAM and FLEX. The latter being a custom
function designable display, essentially an open
drawing board in a standard 2-inch round package.
Today, FLEX is not alone as uAvionix, Garmin and
Aspen Avionics have fielded multifunction devices that
follow the circular cutout route. SAM, for Standby
Attitude Module, was launched with the TruTrak
simplicity approach yet aimed purposely at the certified
market. It required a rectangular cutout, presenting just
the vitals in a familiar analog fashion.
The virtual pilot
The modern panel essentially strives to replace the
windscreen, like it or not. Flying by the seat of one's
pants, perhaps now uncomfortably numb, has been
removed from the pilot's arsenal (arse pun intended). The
once-popular notions of cockpit situational awareness
and relying on instinct, both acquired by experience, have
actually started their devolution into a virtual affair.
FOR THE EARLY GRASSHOPPERS,
ALL FLYING WAS BY FEEL. FLIGHT
INSTRUMENTS OF ANY CONSEQUENCE
WERE NEITHER SUPPLIED NOR
REQUIRED. A COMPASS AND A FUEL
GAUGE, A TACHOMETER AND AN
OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR WERE
THEIR ONLY LUXURIES BEYOND AN
INGRAINED LOVE FOR FLYING.
An all-on digital affront eliminates analog gauges, adds redundancy
and an autopilot.
In addition to the six-pack, radios and transponders
went the way of glass and digital. The upgrade path
was enunciated by NextGen, referring now to the
Next Generation Air Transportation System (not
the avionics manufacturer). As with anything FAA,
NextGen ushered in another acronym - at last count
6,000 plus - the aforementioned ADS-B. With the " S "
standing for surveillance, make no mistake it is more
about surveillance than alerting, as was Airbox. Today's
transponders, supporting Extended Squitter on the 1090
MHz frequency and broader bandwidth on 978 MHz,
signify digital communications are now all " In " by
federal mandate.
Broadened communications introduced by ADS-B also
meant greater amounts of data sent to the cockpit. This
data arrived as an in-cockpit visual, of course, and while
timely, informative and indispensable, it introduced
obstacles of its own. Primarily, an over-dependency, i.e.
fixation, on the glass panel translates to less time spent
on the actual see-and-avoid (eyes outside the cockpit)
axiom. This is particularly relevant in general aviation
whether flying visual, under instrument rules, or at night.
Looking for possible incursions, be they weather, terrain,
objects, or the sort, still remains a responsibility of the
pilot, with or without the supplemental data of a digital
cockpit. The sanctimonious sequence of aviate, navigate,
communication is beset by clouds even with the glass
panel.
- Operation Grasshopper by Dario Politella
Flat-screen technology is really about integration,
whether panel mounted or handheld, via iPad, Gamin
aera and their likeness, or dedicated displays such as
Garmin G3X and Dynon SkyView. Today's cockpit is a
multi-vendor system with various devices aggregating
data and depending on software to drive them. As
features grow, complexity grows, emphasizing the
trouble with the virtual world. Will there ever be enough
automation, and is reliability ever a sure thing?
Continued on following page
A panel-mounted iPad offers carry-in and carry-out capabilities.
avionics news * february 2022 41
Avionics News February 2022

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