Recommended G1000 Tutorial/Trainer?

killbilly

Vocals, Lyrics, Triangle, Washboard, Kittens
Hi all.

I'm going to checkout on a DA-40 with a G1000 package and I'd like to study a bit before I go into the airplane with the CFI. I've seen a bunch of different tutorials and trainers online - some free, some for $40 or so, and I'm just wondering if they're worth it, or if they're any good?

This would be for VFR only.

Any recommendations?
 
Probably not worth it, if you have used a GNS 430/530/etc, the Garmin's pretty much all have the same user interface. You just get a much bigger screen.

I have a G1000 simulator for PC from Garmin, I did not find it useful at all.
 
Best thing to do is hook up a GPU and go to town. Much cheaper than doing it in the air for the first time touching the G1000. If you have used a 430 or 530 you should be familiar with the MFD portion. Yes there are some differences, but it is a Garmin product in the end. Other than them buying the crazy 480, Garmin doesn't change much.

Something you will find with the G1000 is that you can run into several different software revisions. The earlier the revision the less amount of features (obviously). An example is to not jump into a different G1000 expecting it to tell you how to do a published hold.
 
^ What Maurus said... hook up a GPU and mash on buttons.

I was involved in creating a stand alone training application for the G1000 (and other aircraft suites) which cost $100+ through Sportys or directly through Garmin. And if you get rid of the pretty pictures, and voice talent (her name is Eve) you have a walk through step by step of the hundred page PDF manual.

So plug in the GPU, print off the manual and start on page one. It should be good enough for you to be familiar by the time you go fly...
 
The least you learn or try to mess with the best it will be at the beginning, you are flying VFR so you need to look outside most of the time, as somebody said if you have used a 430 or a 530 then you will be all set, that`s all you really need to know to start with it and some knowledge on how to read the instruments on a Glass Vs Steam that can be found in most newer aeronautical knowledge publications.

I have flown with a low time PPL, he had about 40 hours on G1000 on his brand new Cessna, he bought every single manual out there and interactive course....that said he would spend most of the time messing with the screens and looking at them, as we were flying VFR I was probably the only one looking outside and I was not the PIC...
 
The least you learn or try to mess with the best it will be at the beginning, you are flying VFR so you need to look outside most of the time, as somebody said if you have used a 430 or a 530 then you will be all set, that`s all you really need to know to start with it and some knowledge on how to read the instruments on a Glass Vs Steam that can be found in most newer aeronautical knowledge publications.

I have flown with a low time PPL, he had about 40 hours on G1000 on his brand new Cessna, he bought every single manual out there and interactive course....that said he would spend most of the time messing with the screens and looking at them, as we were flying VFR I was probably the only one looking outside and I was not the PIC...

You raise a good point. I've flown a G1000 airplane ONCE (discovery flight a few years ago) and I found it to be a bit distracting when I was trying to look outside the aircraft.

120 hours later I have better discipline in that regard. :) However, given the DC SFRA and the amount of Class B out here, the extra SA that the G1000 offers out here is kinda nice to have. Plus, I've wanted to fly a DA-40 for a long time, so this is sorta bonus. I have had a bit of experience with a 430, so this shouldn't be too tough.
 
You raise a good point. I've flown a G1000 airplane ONCE (discovery flight a few years ago) and I found it to be a bit distracting when I was trying to look outside the aircraft.

120 hours later I have better discipline in that regard. :) However, given the DC SFRA and the amount of Class B out here, the extra SA that the G1000 offers out here is kinda nice to have. Plus, I've wanted to fly a DA-40 for a long time, so this is sorta bonus. I have had a bit of experience with a 430, so this shouldn't be too tough.

In the DA40 it is also kind of hard not looking outside, visibility is really good....

I did a bush and mountain flying course in a barnd new C206 with the G1000, the instructor had no idea on how to use the system, he knew how to change the freqs and use the page with the TIT to lean the mixture but that was it, it was the first time for me too, I wasn`t prepared becasue we were supposed to fly a C185 but ended up taking the C206, in the first flight we couldn`t get the right panel to go to MFD mode, he didn`t care and din`t wanted me to mess with anything. The AHRS gave us error after doing like 7-8 Canyon turns at 90+deg (a bit inverted) bank turns...anyway
 
I did a bush and mountain flying course in a barnd new C206 with the G1000, the instructor had no idea on how to use the system, he knew how to change the freqs and use the page with the TIT to lean the mixture but that was it, it was the first time for me too, I wasn`t prepared becasue we were supposed to fly a C185 but ended up taking the C206, in the first flight we couldn`t get the right panel to go to MFD mode, he didn`t care and din`t wanted me to mess with anything.

That Turbo 206 G1000 is a sweet ride, I miss flying it.
 
Best thing to do is hook up a GPU and go to town. Much cheaper than doing it in the air for the first time touching the G1000. If you have used a 430 or 530 you should be familiar with the MFD portion. Yes there are some differences, but it is a Garmin product in the end. Other than them buying the crazy 480, Garmin doesn't change much.

Something you will find with the G1000 is that you can run into several different software revisions. The earlier the revision the less amount of features (obviously). An example is to not jump into a different G1000 expecting it to tell you how to do a published hold.
x2
 
I took the advice here and just screwed with it a lot flying Vfr, lots in it, but you don't need to know much to operate it
 
Where are you flying these days? Buddy of mine (PPL, lots of hours) is talking about becoming a missionary in Africa and flying there, has me doing his Comm/Inst right now. Any advice for the young lad?

I got a job flying in the northern portion of South America, flying into the Amazon forest...doing the license conversion now and training in OCT-NOV....

Well if your friend will be done by the end of the year, it may be a very good timing, not so much for missionary work but for most fo the rest of the flying as this is the low season and when usually they start getting pilots and train them. In most of Africa they requie you to hold a "type rating" even on a C206, and most company like to hire pilots that have like a check out flight on one in their logbooks, usually you need 5 hours in a single and 10 for a twin, I only had 1 hour (it was a BFR) in a C206 when i got the job and CAA didn`t care and they gave me the type on the license validation. Other then this you really need to go over there and knock at doors, his best bet is Maun Botswana or Swakopmund/Windhoek in Namibia, but Daer el Salam may be good too if he has a bit more TT then the average fresh CPL.

Kenya may be soon a good option too, they are running out of bush pilots over there, the airlines grew a lot and they mopped up most of the good pilots that where flying in the bush, the govt is trying to get the companies to hire one of the many licensed but useless CPL holder that just sit around, but since they don`t meet the standards they don`t get hired, several companies are facing a shortage this next season and are working hard with the govt to ease down on thir foreign pilots policy...I know of some companies that where already looking for foreign pilots knowing this, this Italian owned safari camp has it`s own strip and C206 that they use to transfer guest from Nairobi http://www.maasai.com/ the owner was looking some time ago for a chief pilot to run his C206...

As far as the South Pacific goes it`s a question of luck, not as many jobs over there, you really just need to keep calling the companies.

Missionary work is really hard to get, you have to be involved in it already back in the US, and in most cases you need to be part of their Church, that said I don`t know that much on how to get hired, I was never interested as I don`t fully agree with some of their work..

Alex
 
Here's the reference guide, pilot's guide and failure chart (attached; not sure where I picked that up):
http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/G1000:DiamondDA40_40FSysSWVersion0321.22_CockpitReferenceGuide.pdf
http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/G1000:Diamond_PilotsGuide_DA40_DA40F0396.10orlater_.pdf

Those are the 3 things I've got floating around from my intro days into that aircraft. Found this DE/CFI condensed version of those 2 large PDFs:
http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/training/fits/guidance/media/G1000.pdf

Might be enough for VFR stuff.

I've got the DirectX emulator for PC, but it's >100MB.
 

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