Is it a foul to use an electronic E6B?

HeyEng

HeyEng

Well-Known Member
I have been looking everywhere but cannot find an answer. I know on the written exam you are allowed to use the electronic E6B, but what about during the practical? I ask this beause I have been hesitant to sit down and figure out the old skool "whiz wheel" and my instructor is none too happy about that. He mentions "what if your batteries die? Or what if it stops working?" and my response is something "well, what happens when the old skool one goes flying out the window" and that doesn't make him very happy. I understand the adage "cooperate and graduate" but to be totally honest, my plate is VERY full and I am not a very willing participant in figuring out a whiz-wheel. Has anyone had a practical where you were REQUIRED to use the whiz-wheel? I know I will get harrassed by some of you, I have heard it for years about our "electronic TOLD calcuations"....but I want to know what is required...
 
Whiz wheel will take you all but 2 minutes to learn. Have your CFI show you.

I never used an electronic E6-B. The whiz wheel is a lot quicker to use in the air if you need to re-figure fuel burn or time/distance calculations. You just spin the wheel, rather than typing out stuff in your electronic version.

Though there's nothing wrong with using the electronic one. And yeah you can use it on your checkride. And you can use it on your written.

But saying that your plate is "too full" to learn how to use something as easy as an e6-b is not a real excuse. You'll see why when you actually learn it. It's a great backup and every pilot should learn this somewhat rudimentary form of wind calculations and fuel burn.
 
GalaxyIFE said:
Has anyone had a practical where you were REQUIRED to use the whiz-wheel?
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I don't think it's within the discretion of the examiner to *require* you to use a mechanical E6-B. I certainly didn't know how to use one on any of my checkrides, and I've sent many a student in the same condition. I hate the things.
 
GalaxyIFE said:
I have been looking everywhere but cannot find an answer. I know on the written exam you are allowed to use the electronic E6B, but what about during the practical? I ask this beause I have been hesitant to sit down and figure out the old skool "whiz wheel" and my instructor is none too happy about that. He mentions "what if your batteries die? Or what if it stops working?" and my response is something "well, what happens when the old skool one goes flying out the window" and that doesn't make him very happy. I understand the adage "cooperate and graduate" but to be totally honest, my plate is VERY full and I am not a very willing participant in figuring out a whiz-wheel. Has anyone had a practical where you were REQUIRED to use the whiz-wheel? I know I will get harrassed by some of you, I have heard it for years about our "electronic TOLD calcuations"....but I want to know what is required...
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I like the electronic one for the written, and for doing flight planning where I have time to punch in different numbers and see outcomes without having to do arithmetic or squint at the wheel.

I find the wheel more convenient in-flight though.

I had a hard time with the wheel. I kept one in the bathroom with the manual and whenever I had to...use the facilities...I'd just take a few minutes and work through the sample equations. After about a week or two, I got comfortable with it.
 
Don't be suprised if the examiner says: oh your battery just died, now what?

While the wiz wheel can be a pain in the butt, if you take the time to learn it, it's actually faster than the electronic E6. Some of them have the instructions written right on the face of them.

I doubt your examiner will care which kind you use, but you never know, you may run into the one guy that's not cool with it, or is in a bad mood, etc.
 
Number1atNumber2 said:
Don't be suprised if the examiner says: oh your battery just died, now what?

While the wiz wheel can be a pain in the butt, if you take the time to learn it, it's actually faster than the electronic E6. Some of them have the instructions written right on the face of them.

I doubt your examiner will care which kind you use, but you never know, you may run into the one guy that's not cool with it, or is in a bad mood, etc.
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Bring extra batteries.
 
Number1atNumber2 said:
Don't be suprised if the examiner says: oh your battery just died, now what?
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(applicant reaches down into flight bag for a pack of spare batteries)
"Well sir, being the prepared pilot that I am, I replace the dead batteries with these fresh ones that I ALWAYS keep in my bag"

The old dead battery trick is a piss poor attempt by an examiner to instill his ideals on a fledgling pilot.
 
TFaudree_ERAU said:
(applicant reaches down into flight bag for a pack of spare batteries)
"Well sir, being the prepared pilot that I am, I replace the dead batteries with these fresh ones that I ALWAYS keep in my bag"

The old dead battery trick is a piss poor attempt by an examiner to instill his ideals on a fledgling pilot.
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Agreed, yet they still think they're being slick when they say it. :rolleyes:
 
I guess I should have stated that I *do* carry extra batteries (for the E6B, for my flashlight, even the GPS) Some of that Air Force training comes in handy! I would like to learn the thing eventually, but in all honesty, I am so frakin' busy with everything (the flying, the master's degree, work crap, learning all the airspace, the weather, the....well, you get the idea) I want to put *that* on the back burner for now. I have read through the manual a couple of times and my CFI has gone over it, it's just a little over my head right now. I do like the idea of taking it to the throne...what better study environment? :)
 
Use your electronic E6B, here's what's required right out of the PTS:

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT
! View-Limiting Device
Current Aeronautical Charts
! Computer and Plotter
! Flight Plan Form
! Flight Logs
! Current AIM, Airport Facility Directory, and Appropriate
Publications


As you see it says computer, not manual nor electronic is specified, meaning he cannot fail you for using an electronic one. Now, he may try to teach you the disadvantage of not having an old fashion one, that's all, therefore if he says your batteries suddenly died, don't get too worked up about it, just do your best, he's probably trying to convey the advantage of having something that can't quit. You can politely point out that a manual one is not required, emphasis on polite.

Examiners have to go by the PTS, that's their rule book as well as yours, if you haven't look at it you need to so you know what the standards are, this way it won't be a secret. Good luck

http://www.faa.gov/education_research/testing/airmen/test_standards/pilot/
 
Outside of training you'll never use one anyways-or should I say, I don't use one and don't know anyone that does. Don't get bent out of shape worrying about it. Use whatever you want to use, you're the one paying for lessons and the check ride.
 
It took me longer to use the electronic one than the manual one for basic calculations, although I did use it for flight planning purposes (it was quicker in that respect).

When doing stage checks, I noticed students with a good command of the manual computer could figure things out much more quickly, especially when it was bumpy out.

One trick I saw was notching out distances on the pencil. That was a good trick. Made the diversion a lot quicker. Also most wouldn't even do a wind calculation, they'd throw in a few degrees "for mom and the kids". Seemed to work fine.
 
BajtheJino said:
Outside of training you'll never use one anyways-or should I say, I don't use one and don't know anyone that does. Don't get bent out of shape worrying about it. Use whatever you want to use, you're the one paying for lessons and the check ride.
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I must be old fashioned. Even right up before I left for an airline job I was using my small metal slide rule e6B.

And I don't understand how it can take that long to learn if taught properly. I had my students master the thing in one ground session. There are certain key things to teach that can allow students to check themselves and make sure they're doing it right every time.

But whatever pay no attention to me. It's not necessary to use, and everyone else seems to use the electronic one anyway.
 
P&H said:
I must be old fashioned. Even right up before I left for an airline job I was using my small metal slide rule e6B.

And I don't understand how it can take that long to learn if taught properly. I had my students master the thing in one ground session. There are certain key things to teach that can allow students to check themselves and make sure they're doing it right every time.

But whatever pay no attention to me. It's not necessary to use, and everyone else seems to use the electronic one anyway.
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Hey, I've got mad respect for the "Old Skool" way of things...I just have had a tougher time figuring the thing out. I guess it's like when was going to learn the old slide rule when I finished engineer school, but it was almost impossible to find anyone who KNEW how to use it! My CFI is quite "Old Skool" so I can see his point, at least to a point. Of course this guy is mad that ADFs are going away too and thinks GPS will just get you in trouble :)

Anyway, thanks for all the input...I certainly appreciate it.
 
P&H said:
Whiz wheel will take you all but 2 minutes to learn. Have your CFI show you.
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Lies.. all lies. :sarcasm:

I bought my electronic E6B and threw my manual one in a box in the closet. I plan on taking my checkride in the next month and don't plan on bringing my manual one.

I have extra batteries. I don't think there is any life threatening calcualtions I will need to make. My plane burns 5 gph. I can figure that out without a calculator.

I posted the same question a few months ago and I kick myself for not getting an electric one sooner. I would have aced my written if I would have had it with me.

:banghead:
 
tpaRob said:
Lies.. all lies. :sarcasm:

I bought my electronic E6B and threw my manual one in a box in the closet. I plan on taking my checkride in the next month and don't plan on bringing my manual one.

I have extra batteries. I don't think there is any life threatening calcualtions I will need to make. My plane burns 5 gph. I can figure that out without a calculator.

I posted the same question a few months ago and I kick myself for not getting an electric one sooner. I would have aced my written if I would have had it with me.

:banghead:
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Yeah...two minutes. I know I'm not the smartest guy out there...but two minutes ain't doin' it for me! I also agree about the mental math...works OK for me, at least for a rough guesstimate!
 
wheelsup said:
It took me longer to use the electronic one than the manual one for basic calculations, although I did use it for flight planning purposes (it was quicker in that respect).
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Yeah, same here. It was good for what I call "gaming" the flight plan in advance, but once in the plane, a quick glance at the wheel is usually all that's needed.

I would actually like to do MORE with my manual e6b, and use it to figure out course deviations and stuff. I'd like to be that whizbang Johnny-Fly-Right pilot that only needs a watch, compass, sectional and an e6b to fly a course that would put a Garmin 430 to shame.

But I'm obnoxious and masochistic that way...
 
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