The problem isn't just finding a home for it, it is finding a home for it that
is in a spot where it will be in the pilot's primary scan. I don't think it
would do much good on the other side of the panel where it might only be
referenced once a minute or less. I also agree that an IFR GPS is not
necessarily a high priority. Frankly, that (the GPS) is a lot of money for very
little added capability. In the case of a GPS/Nav/Comm, it also introduces a
single point of failure for all of the electronic nav gear with no back-up other
than what might be in your flight bag.

It is a shame that many of the simulators do not fail the AI the in the gradual
way it fails for real. I think training with realistic failures is the best way
to be able to recognize the failure (some of the accident reports indicate even
with redundant AI's recognition is not guaranteed). Unfortunately, the failures
can't be realistically simulated in the aircraft (at least not without an
illegal mod to the vacuum system), so ground based simulators must fill in
there. I've hear that some of the high end simulators such as the Frasca's do a
realistic AI fail, but the PCATDs I've played with all just pop from working to
tipped over instantaneously. Any of the current breed of PCATD's do any
better? Mine is a really old version of Elite, from about 1995 or so.

Richard Kaplan wrote:

"Ray Andraka" wrote in message
...

Good reason not to depart in low IMC I guess. I agree, that the AI is a
weak
link and carries with it some risk. While nice to have, cost and panel
space
make the back up AI difficult in some aircraft.

I think it is a matter of priorities... in an airplane which is IFR
certified, it is hard to believe there is not some space or economic
compromise which could not be made if a pilot felt this were an important
enough issue. I know I will get diagreement on this as always, but I think
the electric AI comes first before an IFR GPS. Even C152s sometimes have
Garmin 430s/530s nowadays; an electric AI would make much more sense IMHO.

As an even better solution, Hal Sheevers of Sporty's has for quite some time
been lobbying the FAA to permit an electric AI to replace a turn
coordinator... it does not seem as if the issue is getting very far with the
FAA, but I do think that would be a very good compromise if we started to
see electric AIs installed in place of the turn coordinator on planes where
panel space is tight.

--
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com

--
--Ray Andraka, P.E.
President, the Andraka Consulting Group, Inc.
401/884-7930 Fax 401/884-7950
email
http://www.andraka.com

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin, 1759