Systems Management

Some folks say that pilots flying modern glass cockpits are mere "button pushers". They engage the autopilot after takeoff, and they do not disengage it until it comes time to land. Or maybe the plane is equipped with an auto-land system, in which case they may not disengage the autopilot at all: the plane just lands itself -- and flares perfectly at the same time. There's nothing for them to do in cruise, right? Well, I think pilots aren't just button pushers - they're systems managers. There's a lot to do in cruise, including monitoring the aircraft systems and being alert/prepared to respond to any emergency that might come about.

Why am I writing about this? Because I went for some dual today in the G1000 Cessna 182. I haven't flown this plane in a while, and I wanted to make sure I was still competent in "button pushing" in IFR conditions - especially since Milen and I are planning a trip to a far-away destination next week (stay tuned to the blog to find out where we went!) At least to me, flying a glass cockpit is much more about managing the avionics to get them to do what you want them to do, rather than plain stick-and-rudder flying. After all, you don't want to be caught in hard IFR conditions wondering "uh, exactly how do I get it to do THAT".

To make sure this type of wondering doesn't happen, we went over to Port Angeles (KCLM), shot the ILS approach (and circled to land - my first time circling in a 182), and then went back to Paine Field to do the LOC 16R, GPS 16R, and VOR 16R approaches. I got a hold in there, too, so I'm now even more current "on the gauges." And, I've got the confidence that I can still push those buttons! (Surprisingly, I found that I pretty much remembered everything there was to flying the G1000!)