On Oct 6, 10:21 am, Arno wrote:
Hello,

I am computer scientist and usually really like fancy technology. But
I just had my first flight with a "glass" PFD (Avidyne) and must say I
am not impressed. In particular reading altitude and airpeed from
these scrolling bands requires a lot more attention than with regular
gauges, just like reading a digital clock takes longer than reading an
analog one. Glancing at it and checking against a known picture, like
"speed at 3 o'clock is fine on final" or "altitude at 20 minutes past
midnight is minimum", just does not work anymore, instead I end up
reading the actual numbers every time I look. Does anyone feel the
same? Am I missing a particular technique?

Arno

I am a fellow computer geek, and a student pilot. I usually fly a
plane with steam gauges, but a couple of times now I have flown with
digital displays. Like you, I found it a little hard to adjust to the
digital displays. The digital displays I was using presented altitude
and tachometer values simply as numbers. The analog displays I am
used to present these values as positions on a dial, showing the
current value in its context of a spectrum of values. With the analog
displays, I am used to adjusting the position of the pointer. With
the digital display, I need to simply set the correct numerical
value. It's a little mental adjustment, and given that I am a newbie
to all this it is an extra distraction.

But, I do think that it is mostly a matter of what you are used to.
If you started out working with a digital display, and had to switch
to a steam gauge, I think it would be just as much of an adjustment.
I think that the human brain is a pretty flexible instrument, and I
suspect it wouldn't take long to get used to setting a numerical value
rather than the position of a needle on a dial. Both are valid
methods of presenting the information. Either way, it is simply a
feedback mechanism you use to make sure the airplane is doing what it
should.

Phil