tlewis95
I drive planes
Great points taken. I guess I should really revise the thread to ask what kind of emergencies you give your private and IFR students.
So far it sounds like private is best to cover the entire screen and or dim the lights.
IFR- reversionary mode, best in simulator
Sorta - Reversionary mode doesnt hurt anything in flight, push the red button all you want. The only thing that you can't simulate completely accuratly with the foam covers is an AHRS failure because the HSI/DG will still be working under the small cutout in the cover, therefore moving with your heading and not point straight up like it would if that were to actually happen (or in the sim with an AHRS failure). The covers simulate a worst case ADC and AHRS failure (kinda...because your 'DG' is still moving behind it) and nothing more. Reversionary mode is really only useful if you actually have a screen crap out on you. Now that I think about it, worst case would actually be ADC, AHRS and a screen failure. So flying an approach from the left seat, while using the right screen in reversionary mode with the cover over (or in the sim) it is about as bad as it can get. You could still lose GPS (both of them?) and a few other random things I suppose.
For private pilots covers are fine, but all they really have to do if you dim a screen is bring it into reversionary on the other screen - so they are really only losing some MFD functions. The inset map in reversionary mode still gives them a nice basic moving map to use as a crutch. Now if we dim both screens, and cover the standby instruments, a private pilot student will be forced to learn some stick and rudder skills if they are the 'airplane driver' type with all of the other information.