Are there any "pilot" watches that are actually helpful for pilots?

"JGalban via AviationKB.com" u32749@uwe wrote in
news:7b50b9de8f98d@uwe:




That said, the altimeter watch is not really very practical. When
the


There's such a thing as an altimeter watch?

What next?

Seems to me if they were going to add pilot features to wathces, one that
made coffee would be the only really sensible add-on.


Bertie

Ah jeez, guys... I've only been flying almost as long as Dudley... Now
I feel embarrassed because my watch is a $9.95 digital off the close
out rack at the strip mall, with a black rubber strap...
It keeps time, I set it to WWV about every two-three weeks and it is
usually about 10 seconds off by then...
Now, this watch also has some features, like it has a smear of epoxy
on the band that I can't get off built two boats for the
grandchildren last year, one is used on Lake Erie and the other is on
our pond - pictures available for the asking
It has a countup - count down timer that I have yet to master so I
don't use it except for timing my paint so I know when to go back out
to the shop and put on another coat...
It has a wake up alarm that I can't figure how to turn off - but it's
not a problem because it goes off at exactly 3 AM and I need to take a
whiz by then anyway... actually quite helpful though the dog gives me
'daggers' look because it wakes him up and his bladder holds more than
mine
The bad part of this watch is that it is indestructable and doesn't
give me an excuse to order a new Piaget, or something that will
attract chicks...

denny

On 16 nov, 14:31, es330td wrote:
I am in the market for a new watch and thought that if I am going to
be a pilot I would see if there was something that I could use to
assist me in flying. My first thought was that something that was
Indiglo with larger numbers so I could see it easily at night would be
good as would one with two time zones so I can have one set to Zulu
and one to local. A countdown timer and stopwatch might come in
handy.

I went looking on the 'Net and found watches with compasses and
altimeters and even an E6-B but I question the value of those. If I
am ever in a situation where my altimeter, gyro, wet compass and both
GPS units , one a battery powered 96C, that show me heading and
altitude in the plane have failed I should lose my license for not
putting down long before I have to rely on a compass or altimeter in a
wris****ch.

For the people who have flown, have any of you found a watch with any
special features that actually helped you in performing your piloting
tasks?

Thanks

Check this, about Omega X-33 : "A Pilot's Impressions of the Omega
X-33"

http://www.timezone.com/library/coma...81530107424115

On 16 nov, 14:31, es330td wrote:
I am in the market for a new watch and thought that if I am going to
be a pilot I would see if there was something that I could use to
assist me in flying. My first thought was that something that was
Indiglo with larger numbers so I could see it easily at night would be
good as would one with two time zones so I can have one set to Zulu
and one to local. A countdown timer and stopwatch might come in
handy.

I went looking on the 'Net and found watches with compasses and
altimeters and even an E6-B but I question the value of those. If I
am ever in a situation where my altimeter, gyro, wet compass and both
GPS units , one a battery powered 96C, that show me heading and
altitude in the plane have failed I should lose my license for not
putting down long before I have to rely on a compass or altimeter in a
wris****ch.

For the people who have flown, have any of you found a watch with any
special features that actually helped you in performing your piloting
tasks?

Thanks

Check this : "A Pilot's Impressions of the Omega X-33"
http://www.timezone.com/library/coma...81530107424115

On Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:46:31 +0000 (UTC), Bertie the Bunyip
wrote:

There's such a thing as an altimeter watch?

Useful for serious hikers. The altitude can help locate your
position on a topo map.

My little handheld Garmin 60cs GPS has a barometric altimeter and
magnetic compass to supplement the GPS position.

B A R R Y wrote in
:

On Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:46:31 +0000 (UTC), Bertie the Bunyip
wrote:

There's such a thing as an altimeter watch?

Useful for serious hikers. The altitude can help locate your
position on a topo map.

My little handheld Garmin 60cs GPS has a barometric altimeter and
magnetic compass to supplement the GPS position.


Hmmm, I've seen lightplane ones that have a GPS alt readoout. The other
would be handy for a loss of instrument situation, of course, but I never
use them in lightplane flying anyway.. Never even use a radio anymore if I
can get away with it!

Bertie

On Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000 (UTC), Bertie the Bunyip
wrote:

Hmmm, I've seen lightplane ones that have a GPS alt readoout. The other
would be handy for a loss of instrument situation, of course, but I never
use them in lightplane flying anyway..

I usually use the altimeter in the GPS in "barometer" mode, for
weather. It graphically plots the change in pressure for a constant
altitude over time.

The magnetic compass is useful when not moving, as GPS doesn't choose
direction well if there is no movement.

B A R R Y wrote in
:

On Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000 (UTC), Bertie the Bunyip
wrote:

Hmmm, I've seen lightplane ones that have a GPS alt readoout. The
other would be handy for a loss of instrument situation, of course,
but I never use them in lightplane flying anyway..

I usually use the altimeter in the GPS in "barometer" mode, for
weather. It graphically plots the change in pressure for a constant
altitude over time.


Cool, there's a ood use for that, navigation wise. If you have n oher way
of telling which direction you'r going due to drift ( and obviously you do
if oyu have a GPS, but that's besdies the point) you can figure your drift
by the rathe the pressure is changing.

The magnetic compass is useful when not moving, as GPS doesn't choose
direction well if there is no movement.

Well, that'd be down to installation. Still, these guys were so far behind
the curve if they had GPS and still managed to hit a mountain that these
features would probably only add to their disorientation. I've seen pilots
get sucked into feeding the boxes to the extent that their situational
awareness was degraded rather than enhanced by the presence of the thing.
Don't know, of course that that is why this accident happend, but when
these gadgets get to be costing you more than they're saving you , it;'s
probably time to turn them off and get the hell out of there.


Bertie

On Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:26:03 +0000 (UTC), Bertie the Bunyip
wrote:

Don't know, of course that that is why this accident happend, but when
these gadgets get to be costing you more than they're saving you , it;'s
probably time to turn them off and get the hell out of there.

Right on...

B A R R Y wrote in
:

On Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:26:03 +0000 (UTC), Bertie the Bunyip
wrote:

Don't know, of course that that is why this accident happend, but when
these gadgets get to be costing you more than they're saving you , it;'s
probably time to turn them off and get the hell out of there.

Right on...

And it's all getting worse!

I'm just getting invovled in instructing in lightplanes again. My mission?
To get the guys in my flying club and turn them into luddites. First thing
they're going to learn is to fly without anything but their oil pressure
and alitimeter..
Actually, I might cover the alt as well. .


Bertie