Aviation From My Rocking Chair: Steam and Glass Again?

Hello again my friends. Instead of boring you with another “people I have met” installment (don’t worry, it will be back!), I would like to ruminate further on Steam vs Glass cockpits Before I do that, my thanks to Erik Petersen for his comments and answer to my question asking if an endorsement should be required when transitioning from Steam to Glass, or vice versa. If you missed it, his opinion appeared in the February Newsletter.

I will agree with Erik that an endorsement is probably going too far, after all we are over-regulated as it is. However, there is still a problem with the transition from Steam to Glass.I was curious how this is handled with flight training in the present, so I decided to visit the places where I learned to fly in the past. Between 1970 and 1973 I earned my Private, Commercial, and Multi-Engine Ratings at Tradewind Airport (Amarillo, TX), Falcon Field (Mesa, AZ), and I ran out of money before my Instrument check ride at Skyharbor Airport (Phoenix, AZ). As most pilots my age remember, this was a period of time lacking GPS, Foreflight, or Glass cockpits of any kind. I claim no extra hair on my chest for learning to fly with steam gauges, one VOR, and paper charts. It was simply all we had.

O.K., Let’s drag ourselves forward 50 yrs (haven’t been able to jump since the turn of the century!) and find out what has changed, and what has not for student pilots.

The first call I made was to Josh Collier- owner/operator of Coyote Flying Service, Amarillo, TX operating out of Tradewind airport. After assuring him that I wasn’t selling anything, my question to him was, “What do you teach your students, steam gauges, or glass?” His reply was: “Steam Gauges.” That surprised me a little, and I asked, “Why?” Josh said, “Because I’m a mean S.O.B. and I want to be sure the pilots I train can fly anything, and that they all get home to the their families safely.” I had thought maybe economy was a reason, but he said it wasn’t a problem to install glass (he has replaced vacuum instruments with electric gyros), it’s just that once a student learns the basics and can control and navigate using steam gauges, that student is able to fly anything. He noted that he requires students to know how to navigate using VORs before he lets them fly the “Pink Line”. GPS coverage can be spotty in the Texas Panhandle, and the weather very unpredictable, making VORs and maps important tools. When a student transitions to glass at Coyote, a simulator is used. One interesting aside; When instructors from big “0 to ATP” schools want to build time, Josh can’t hire them because they don’t know and cannot teach steam gauges.

Lastly, I called Rick Koril- Instructor at Classic Aviation in Mesa, AZ. Through the wonders of modern science (Starlink) I caught him relaxing on the beach in Mexico! Just as Josh Collier, Rick also teaches his students using steam gauges with a one hr (approx.) transition to glass using a G1000 simulator.

My sincere thanks to these gentlemen for the candor, comments, and conversation. I wish I could have recorded it.

So what did I learn (yeah…Marines can learn) from this exercise?

1. There is no requirement for glass transition training, but it would be neither safe nor prudent to bypass it. 2) Transition from steam to glass is easier than glass to steam. (see Erik Petersen’s glass comments in last months newsletter.)

2. Insurance company s don’t seem to have any skin in the game. I contacted BWIFLY Insurance in California and was told that pilot total time and time in type were the defining factors for coverage. No differentiation is made between steam and glass.

3. There are still dedicated flight instructors in smaller markets keeping it real and safe. I will sleep better knowing that.

Well Troopers, I plumb wore myself out with this one. Stay safe and remember: Blue side up and Brown side down (steam or glass).

Rick Vaux - TC4130