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TRAINING TIME

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Pilots can take advantage of cockpit time with Bendix/King glass in its classroom at AirVenture.

TRAINING TIME

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them – using two different teaching methods. The first method covers each function in a linear lecture, starting with turning on the power. The second method is scenario-based, teaching the functions as pilots would use them in different phases of VFR and IFR flight. The teaching method that works best depends, whether or not the pilot wants to know every detail no matter how small, or the pilot is Joe “Just the Facts” Friday. Most are good at selfselecting when given a choice. Sporty’s Pilot Shop offers a great selection of avionics training materials. In its Air Facts DVDs, Richard Collins covers a wide range of equipment and operational situations. What you should know programs focus on specific equipment, such as Flying the Aspen Evolution, or operation, like WAAS approaches, which flies them with G1000 and the 430/530. Sporty’s is in the process of formatting many programs for downloading to computers and portable devices like the iPad, said Brett Koebbe, “so you always have the training with you.” Sporty’s teaches real-world operations, often with video shot in real-world conditions, with the 80-20 rule determining how much time is devoted to specific functions. Given the rate of change, keeping training materials current can be a challenge, which is another reason Sporty’s is online. According to Koebbe, “We do upgrades with major software revisions and keep an eye on what people are doing,” citing the increased use of synthetic vision.

“Customers always get the most up-to-date content as upgrade modules,” said John Zimmerman, citing LPV approaches as an example, even if they bought the online course last year. Training is such an important part of avionics customer service, Trescott wonders why shops don’t bundle it with the price of the installation. “Shops should be proactive, give (training materials) to pilots ahead of time and emphasize the importance of looking at it before picking up their airplanes,” Trescott said. Ultimately, pilots must put all their training pieces together in the cockpit. An ideal situation would be a partnership with a knowledgeable flight instructor or flight school that conducts a structured operational checkout doubling as a flight review or instrument proficiency check. If this option is unavailable, Trescott suggests shops appoint a go-to checkout tech and give this individual time to study the equipment’s operational use, “so it’s not the blind leading the blind.” The length of time cockpit checkouts consume depends on how well pilots prepare before picking up the airplane. If the pilot arrives with hermetically sealed manuals, plug the airplane into external power, strap them in the left seat, and start from the beginning. If the pages are well thumbed, a trip around the pattern, perhaps with a simulated instrument approach, will demonstrate the pilot has done his homework. Then, you can send them on their way worry free that they’ll get stuck in the sky because they can’t remember how to tune the needed frequency or recall the nav display showing them the way home. q

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Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013