Glass vs. Steam Gauges

I've been flying my new (new for me) airplane with “steam” gauges for the last few months and would like to relay my thoughts on the differences between traditional panels and glass panels. Now I admit my experience is atypical – most people do not start on glass and “revert” to steam, but rather most pilots “upgrade” to glass after years of flying on traditional gauges. The two immediate impressions are, the Attitide Indicator (AI) is much smaller and harder to read and I don't have a “scan.”

One of the first things a pilot of traditional gauges learns is how to scan the gauges in an effective pattern to maximize the information they are providing. On a glass panel display, all the information is presented in a single, concentrated area of the video screen which does not require the pilot to scan – it's all just right there. As an inexperienced “six pack” pilot, my tendency is to fixate on one gauge at a time and to not keep my eyes scanning across all 6 instruments to collect all the information available. That results in my drifting off my intended flightpath in one of the three axis'. Spend too much time staring at the HSI and AI and my altitude will fluctuate. Watch the altimeter and VSI too long and I will drift off course 5 to 10 degrees. Fixate on the Turn Coordinator while maintaining a standard rate turn and I fly right past my intended heading. I need to learn to keep my eyes moving.

Glass panels offer a higher level of redundancy than I have in N242GT. Since a glass panel plane is all-electric, they fit the planes with a second alternator and electric bus. My plane has both vacuum gauges (the AI & HSI), electric gauges (TC, backup AI) as well as static gauges (ASI, altimeter & VSI). Two of these systems have no backup – only the static system offers an alternative source. Both the vacuum pump and alternator are single installations, which means if they fail, the gauges no longer work. Backup systems take up space and add weight, but since a glass panel requires no vacuum system, the second alternator and electric bus can be added without penalty.

So what's the downside to glass? Pure and simple – cost. Glass paneled aircraft are all new, which makes them more expensive than older models, but on otherwise identical aircraft models a glass panel will command a premium of $25,000 to $50,000. That's a lot of dough for improved situational awareness. While I would prefer to only fly a glass paneled airplane, in my price range, glass is not really an option. So for now, I will learn to fly a traditional panel and hope that someday I will get to own a glass paneled airplane.