tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post2763911756350212146..comments2024-03-13T09:47:40.487+00:00Comments on Cockpit Conversation: Confusion is Only SimulatedAviatrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-45449959306399066862010-03-17T06:07:59.735+00:002010-03-17T06:07:59.735+00:00"That looks pretty cool, Aprenta, but it look..."That looks pretty cool, Aprenta, but it looks from their site as if I need MSFS 9 or higher to play and on my hardware I'm topped at MSFS 2004."<br /><br />Don't know if you figured this one out already, but MSFS version 9 is MSFS 2004. Therefore if you're on 2004 you can use the RealityXP gauge.<br /><br />NormanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-68186718918229232462010-03-16T19:26:55.282+00:002010-03-16T19:26:55.282+00:00Looks nice Aprenta. They also ( I think ) have an...Looks nice Aprenta. They also ( I think ) have an add-on for Xplane, my sim of choice. Being a cheapskate, I was happy to find someone else who made it possible to run the garmin sim program as a plugin for Xplane. ( If anyone is interested I can dig up the link. )<br /><br />That way you get the 'real' simulated GNS530. Unfortunately, the coupling between CDI/HSI and Garmin doesn't quite work yet. So, no VNAV/LPV glide slope information, and you need to refer to the digital garmin CDI.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09991660841701835065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-60084569999512093892010-03-16T13:39:23.965+00:002010-03-16T13:39:23.965+00:00Wow 'trix, I've been living on Prince Albe...Wow 'trix, I've been living on Prince Albert street for 6 years now and often wondered why the kids snickered when I was asked my address. Wonder no more..... <br /><br />I like David's description of ADF "small amount of weather capability" awesome!viennatechhttp://viennatech.ca/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-87810264600164768402010-03-16T03:40:18.530+00:002010-03-16T03:40:18.530+00:00That looks pretty cool, Aprenta, but it looks from...That looks pretty cool, Aprenta, but it looks from their site as if I need MSFS 9 or higher to play and on my hardware I'm topped at MSFS 2004.Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-77579531223342682082010-03-16T03:31:18.803+00:002010-03-16T03:31:18.803+00:00Reality XP creates add-on gauges for aircraft in F...Reality XP creates add-on gauges for aircraft in Flight Simulator that include several Garmin units, including the GNS 430, and these gauges use the actual simulator software from Garmin, so the unit behaves in the cockpit exactly as it would in real life.<br /><br />Some add-on aircraft developers (such as Dreamfleet) already include Reality XP Garmin units (and thus the Garmin simulations) in their add-on aircraft.<br /><br />Something to consider if you'd like to use the simulated unit in a complete simulated aircraft.Aprentahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11044019956792174942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-21346602642801700742010-03-15T20:30:40.235+00:002010-03-15T20:30:40.235+00:00"...a NSFW name (don't google for images)..."...a NSFW name (don't google for images)..."<br /><br />Hahaha! As soon as I read Prince Albert I thought of exactly that. When I saw the above disclaimer right after that I had to laugh. Good on you for looking out for the readers.<br /><br />As bad as it looks the NSFW PA is not really that painful. An apadravya on the other hand is. I wonder if there is an airport named Apadravya in India...Jimmynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-80764792046422698552010-03-15T20:24:18.056+00:002010-03-15T20:24:18.056+00:00David,
One obstacle, and admittedly it's an a...David,<br /><br />One obstacle, and admittedly it's an artificial one, is that the type of controls and how they operate are specified fairly narrowly by TSO. I assume that the idea behind this is to provide some level of commonality in operation among IFR GPSs. Wheter this is even desirable is another matter, but it's tough to get too creative within the TSO.A Squarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-24402803346332713082010-03-15T19:34:04.478+00:002010-03-15T19:34:04.478+00:00We could end up with a much stronger DWIM interfac...We could end up with a much stronger DWIM interface, and either voice recognition or direct interface with instructions from the tower. It picks up the ATIS, sets up the anticipated approach, confirms that it has heard correctly when you accept the approach your cleared for. It needs to 'participate' in CRM somewhat, working towards eliminating "what's it doing now?"Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-70967358465381103862010-03-15T19:32:30.687+00:002010-03-15T19:32:30.687+00:00A Squared:
Point well taken, but interfaces can s...A Squared:<br /><br />Point well taken, but interfaces can still get simpler over time. Initially, engineers like to expose all the complexity of what they've done for the world to admire, or interface technology imposes limitations. Gradually, interface technology improves, and users yell at engineers to stop showing off and make things simpler.<br /><br />I imagine a GPS fewer knobs, where you can just touch things on the screen -- touch an airport and choose the approach from a pop-up menu, drag your magenta courseline to a new waypoint with your finger, draw circle around a VOR for a hold (with a confirm popup), zoom in and out with multitouch, etc. We can do that now with cheap comsumer tech, but it will take a few years to get IFR certified, etc., if the engineers even care enough about usability to try.davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15194758376900990105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-48988295983958212402010-03-15T19:21:44.035+00:002010-03-15T19:21:44.035+00:00David,
I was mostly just being flippant. FWIW, f...David,<br /><br />I was mostly just being flippant. FWIW, for all it's faults, I like the ADF. I fly internationally, so I know that NDBs are still pretty common elsewhere, but they're damn sure a vanishing breed in the US. I'm flying a glass cockpit, but I still tune and ID NDBs and put the display on my PFD when I can. I like that it gives me information that is entirely independent of the blended, pureed position generated by the magic. As for the UI of GPS catching up to ADF, I'm doubtful. you run up against the problem that fundamentally, you're performing tasks that are several orders of magnitude more complex with the GPS. Once the DF became the ADF, your digital manipulation was limited to two simple operations: Tune frequency and select the mode in which the needle points to the station. Not much else going on as far as physical actuation. Compare that to the required input for an IFR flight with GPSA Squarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-3459489709275985352010-03-15T18:22:32.164+00:002010-03-15T18:22:32.164+00:00You know how in old movies when a person tunes a r...You know how in old movies when a person tunes a radio they turn a knob and you see a bar move along a scale, with the various stations humming in and out of the audio equivalent of focus? Some cheap modern radios still don't have digital tuning, but that big scale with the bar moving across is the image I'm looking for. I did my initial multi-engine rating in an airplane that had one of those for the ADF. If you wanted an 601, you'd better tune 601 and listen really carefully to that morse, making sure it wasn't actually a drum solo rocking out on AM 600 from the town down the valley.<br /><br />The situational awareness ted by modern avionics can be superb, but wow can it be a distraction.Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-36132636867899688182010-03-15T15:51:33.108+00:002010-03-15T15:51:33.108+00:00re: "GPSs will probably get there in another ...re: "GPSs will probably get there in another iteration or two" <br /><br />Maybe one day a new Apple iNav application heh heh...<br /><br />I have a lot of experience with FMS/FMGC equipment and there is no doubt that they all still require too much heads down time during critical phases of flight. It sure sounds like this unit does too.<br /><br />KISSgrantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-51737140017355154182010-03-15T12:00:41.262+00:002010-03-15T12:00:41.262+00:00@A Squared:
NDBs are still very common outside th...@A Squared:<br /><br />NDBs are still very common outside the US, but my real point is that GPS has a long way to go in UI design.<br /><br />If you look at pictures of navigation radios from the 30s, they're also surprisingly complicated to use -- it took a long time for them to evolve to the "twist a knob, ident, and follow the needle" stage. <br /><br />The pilot's attention is the most valuable thing in the cockpit, and a good avionics tool is one that demands as little of that attention as possible. GPSs will probably get there in another iteration or two (touch screens could help a lot).davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15194758376900990105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-71350272863801028312010-03-15T11:29:52.392+00:002010-03-15T11:29:52.392+00:00I turn a single knob and the needle just points to...<i> I turn a single knob and the needle just points to where I want to go. </i><br /><br />Assuming that you always want to got to a discrete and diminishing set of locations. <br /><br />I've got one of those alsoA Squarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-17159633380314161132010-03-15T11:14:12.821+00:002010-03-15T11:14:12.821+00:00I have a more user-friendly avionics device, where...I have a more user-friendly avionics device, where I turn a single knob and the needle just points to where I want to go. <br /><br />I never have to pay for a database upgrade, and I can listen to radio stations for free without the cost of an XM satellite subscription. It also has a small amount of weather capability.davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15194758376900990105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-3609124690973512002010-03-15T06:19:46.280+00:002010-03-15T06:19:46.280+00:00@ fche
yes, but if they *do* wrap and you want to...@ fche<br /><br />yes, but if they *do* wrap and you want to access the 2nd to last page, you just turn two clicks back which is faster and easier.A Squarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-4509744319121847042010-03-15T00:26:05.912+00:002010-03-15T00:26:05.912+00:00"My first surprise was that the menu screens ..."My first surprise was that the menu screens don't wrap all the way around."<br /><br />This is actually kind of nice. Say if you know you want to go to second-last page of a menu, you don't have to look or count high - just turn the knob to the right awhile. Then you turn one click back.Frank Ch. Eiglerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06535966377820034604noreply@blogger.com