PPL in Glass Cockpit

Jmanuel0926

Jmanuel0926

New Member
Is there any bad or good in earning your PPL in a glass cockpit (DA-40)? I been told that it would be a better idea to earn a PPL in C-172 and not glass cockpit... Any feedback would be great... Thank you
 
from what I've heard its just extra things you have to learn for your final ride...
 
im guessing you will get both answers in this thread, but heres my 2 cents. I really dont think it matters TO much for the private, as you are mainly manuevering the airplane with reference to the outside and not necessarily to concerned with the instruments. However if I had to chose I would say learn on the steam gauges/conventional cockpit for the private and instrument. Main reason for this is that most aircraft are NOT glass and you will have much more selection and marketability for rentals/job opportunities with a steam gauge background. Glass isnt hard anyway, you can get checked out in a 172 with a g1000 in a few hours time whenever you get to your commercial/CFI. Also Im not sure about your particular case but back when I instructed our glass cockpit cessna was about 20 bucks an hour more than the steam cessna.

Hope that helps somewhat.
 
I'm gonna say learn on conventional gauges and pick up the G1000 later. There's a LOT of stuff to learn on the G1000 to be competent in the aircraft compared to say a 1980 model Cessna. It'll be an easier transition from zero knowledge to PPL with the older model as you'll probably be a little less over-saturated after every lesson. In addition, the DE might want you to know how to use everything installed in the plane, and he's within rights to ask for that on a checkride. There's less stuff on an older 172 than a G1000 model, so less to forget or for your instructor to forget to teach you.
 
The problem with glass is that not a lot of examiners are familiar with the operation of the systems. I know the principal ops inspector of the last 135 job I was at told us about going to a familiarization course at Embry-Riddle because no one from his FSDO had any experience with glass. They were finding out that PPL check rides were more of a ride-along learning experience for them rather than an examination period for the applicant.
 
"Anyone that shows up here with a G1000 is gonna get an automatic bust."

Real quote from a real FSDO inspector.
 
I think learning the six pack first is important. I think that using them will help the student learn or at least understand how instruments work. Also, with glass you are sometimes more likely to focus on the inside of the plane rather then the outside and as a new student one of the most important things to learn is to always be on the look out for traffic. Of course on a thread like this everyone will have their own opinions of what’s better; I just think old school is the better way to go to lay a solid foundation for a new student.
 
meritflyer said:
BS Flag!
Click to expand...

Burn the flag. I've got at least three guys on here that instructed with me at Skymates that can not only verify it was said, but name the inspector that said it.

What the guy didn't know was that while he was bragging to his buddies, our CP was in the room waiting to take her checkride.....
 
Flysher said:
im guessing you will get both answers in this thread, but heres my 2 cents. I really dont think it matters TO much for the private, as you are mainly manuevering the airplane with reference to the outside and not necessarily to concerned with the instruments. However if I had to chose I would say learn on the steam gauges/conventional cockpit for the private and instrument. Main reason for this is that most aircraft are NOT glass and you will have much more selection and marketability for rentals/job opportunities with a steam gauge background. Glass isnt hard anyway, you can get checked out in a 172 with a g1000 in a few hours time whenever you get to your commercial/CFI. Also Im not sure about your particular case but back when I instructed our glass cockpit cessna was about 20 bucks an hour more than the steam cessna.

Hope that helps somewhat.
Click to expand...

I agree 100% as thats exactly what I did. Single-Private/Inst on steam, and now I'm doing G1000 C172 for my Single-Comm. Should be done with Single-Comm in the next week.:nana2:
 
I was the "glass cockpit instructor" at my former FBO because I had received training on the Garmin 1000 and the Avidyne Integra systems.

While I like the package that the glass cockpit presents, I'm not going to say it's better than or worse than the conventional six pack. It really depends on what you're looking for.

I had one student who was doing his PPL training, was about 15 hours into it, and bought a Piper 6X with the Avidyne system. He completed his PPL in that because, frankly, that is all he'll probably ever fly.

However, if you're going to go the professional pilot route, I WILL say that learing both is not only a VERY good idea, it's pretty much recommended.

My best friend from training had zero glass experience and had a little trouble getting used to the new scan that the EFIS systems present.
 
Now, if someone BUYS their own plane that has a G1000 in it, then I'd say they'd probably benefit more from the initial training in that plane. It's the whole law of primacy thing. However, most people that get their PPL (in my experience at least) wind up renting first. IMO, those students would be better served learning the old fashioned way and then transitioning to the glass later.

As for the FSDO guy, paperwork was filed, and he received a stern talking to. That was a bout it. Even the guys at the FSDO know he's an ass, but he's been there forever.
 
FWIW, I had a similar experience with a DE as you, although he didn't threaten to fail the glass cockpit students.

He simply had NO experience with glass cockpits. Didn't know anything about them and didn't want to find out. He was of the ilk that "flying should be hard!!" :whatever:

One of the reasons why I didn't use him. ;)

He once argued with one of our CFI's about the location of the paperwork (registrations & Airworthiness Cert.) in a Piper Arrow. For those who've flown the Arrow, you know that it's located in a clear plastic pocket just below the rear pax seat on the pilots side.

He swore that that "Was NOT the correct place for that paperwork! Never has been! I know because I've flown these things for 25 years!"

What a maroon. The more she proved him wrong, the pissier he got. She had one of her students scheduled to do a practical with the guy the following weekend....and promptly cancelled it and rescheduled with another DE.

[/thread hijack]
 
Man, if I had the option of re-scheduling with that guy.....

With the FSDO, they give you who they want and if you don't like, well, tough. Incidentally, that FSDO inspector is the same one that did my initial CFI-I.
 
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