I guess it was inevitable that they would have to go nearly all glass. It's a pity really as I'm of the personal opinion that learning "steam gauges" first is very important.

It's always easy to go steam to glass but getting people to go the other way is very difficult. Well at least that's been my experience as a CFI. I knew an owner/operator once refuse to fly his C-90 because the moving map broke. He still had the GPS and the full autopilot but the moving map screen burned out and he didn't feel comfortable flying it even with an instructor. I guess some are lost with out that nice picture.

True "children of the magenta line" right there...:eek:

I made the transition from a ProLine4 CRJ to an electromechanical Sperry ADI 1983 Citation II without any problems...and know more than a few who have struggled going from 20/30 series Lears and 500-series Citations to anything with modern Honeywell Primus or Collins ProLine avionics.

The future students graduating from Purdue who have only flown the G1000 will be more than capable of quickly becoming proficient with "steam" gauges IF they want to be.

They might be able to go to steam when it is clear and a million but I'll be curious to see what their situation awareness picture is like under the hood or in the clouds on steam gauges after learning everything on glass.

I fly a surprising number Purdue kids who lack basic skills and understanding for where they are in their training, so it should be interesting.

Again...I did it...CRJ to legacy Citation...Purdue grad...and I ain't that smart :eek:

Where and what do you fly?

But you likely had thousands of hours of experience under your belt when you did, and you did your basic training in steam gauge airplanes. I'm talking students who want to get checked out and rent piston singles and twins. I sure hope I'm wrong when the time comes...or out of there by then. I don't fly anything special, I'm an instructor at the FBO at LAF, so if it's owned by us, I fly/teach in it. We get a number of checkouts in our airplanes from Purdue students. I'm a grad too, I'm betting you're smarter than I am!

I'd enjoy checking somebody out in 55908 who has flown the G1000 in an SR20, SR22, and Phenom and only flown "non-glass" for a few hours in the Arrow & Seminole...it'd be fun <hand wringing smiley>

Nice! You read my mind. I think we're all hoping for that one! I do now our checkout requirements are going to go up significantly...

Yeah, another instructor and I were joking that we should rig up a sectional on a roller behind the screen and move the map as the flight progresses

That's pricesless right there!!!

One thing I'll agree, is it's not just limited to Purdue students, but a lot of the major schools can push though "mediocre" and unmotivated students. These are kids that do it because there are a few really cool things about flying, but they could give a crap about improving their skillset etc... Then they get out in the ranks and honestly give us all a bad name, regardless of school.

Another thing is the "sheltered" training style Purdue contains us in. I didn't realize it until I was out and graduated. Some people can adapt, others can't as well.

Well I'm off to go pick up a new G1000 Meridian!

Progress
 

At some point technology moves on and obsolete skills are left by the roadside. At onetime pilots all knew morse code and navigated by the stars. It is conceivable to think that in ten years or less the majority of planes in the sky will have glass flight decks.

Why strive to develop skills that are destined for obsolescence?

Skyhigh