Turn coordinator? How dare they!

On Friday, February 22, 2013 11:12:20 AM UTC-6, wrote:
On Friday, February 22, 2013 9:05:01 AM UTC-6, Tony wrote:

the rules do take the 'gentlemanly' approach. they allow wireless telephones to be carried as long as they are not used in flight. How reasonable.



And yet that same approach is unacceptable for artificial horizons. makes no sense to trust the gentlemen in one instance and not the other.

There is a big difference between a cell phone, in your pocket, of very questionable use in flight anyway, and a real, gyro-operated, trustworthy, artificial horizon staring you in the face from the instrument panel. They AH is very useful indeed for someone hearty enough to head up into a cu to get some altitude before heading through the big blue hole, or to get through the rain and storm that the rest of us go way around or even land out rather than penetrate.

It's a matter of social dynamics as well. Nobody else is going to be bothered by the thought of you having a cell phone in your pocket and you might want to waste some time in flight playing with it. The rule just clarifies "don't do it" so you know if you do that you're cheating.

If people show up with real artificial horizons a on/off switch from operation, it's pretty clear that everyone will assume it's being used illegally and think "I have to get one too." They can justify cheating on the idea "well, everyone else is doing it."

Spring cannot come soon enough.

John Cochrane