Michael wrote (with a lot of excellent commentary cut out):

In my opinion, when transitioning to a more demanding airplane for IFR
operations, anything less than a full IPC to PTS standards without use
of autopilot or moving map is inadequate - not just because those
things fail, but because needing those things means the skill level
just isn't there yet to be taking that kind of airplane into the soup
without help.

Just to set the stage for this posting, I would like to say that I
agree with your premise up to a point, Michael. I agree that
transition training leaves a lot to be desired. I agree that pilots
tend to lose the edge the farther they get from their test. I have no
argument with any of those points.

However. I am a bit troubled by the phrase that I saved. "anything
less than a full IPC to PTS standards without use of autopilot or
moving map is inadequate..."

While it is sort of satisfying to read that and savagely nod "yeah!",
I am in a quandry. We are starting to see glass cockpits coming down
to the level of private aviation. My airplane is a homebuilt with
basically a two screen glass cockpit. I have an CNX 80 and a Blue
Mountain EFIS. I will have an autopilot when they ship the controller.

Oh, sure, I have a couple of steam gauges, for that total failure, but
if you ask me to do a full IPC to PTS standards without the use of my
moving map(s) would leave me doing it with T&B, AS and altimeter. My
electrics are 3x redundant, and I have two elecronic boxes, so failure
would be pretty darn unlikely...and if it happens in the soup it will
be an honest-to-God help me mamma emergency...altho I have backups
that ought to give me a fighting chance.

But I digress. My system is not dissimilar to some that are rolling
down the pike...to the point that there will be a generation of pilots
(in the not very distant future) who learn with the moving maps, etc.

And to my point. There was a time that the guys who trained in open
cockpits fought, kicked and battled to keep their heads in the
air...'cause a pilot couldn't rely on that nasty old ASI...he needed
the wind in his face. And we are seeing guys who refuse to give up the
ADF's. And I am sure that there are several other things that...if you
couldn't do it that way, you just weren't good enough.

Is your argument similar? Just wanted to ask that question.

Thanks!

JV