My guess is that it will be well on its way of change when the new Cessna
172's and Piper Warriors coming out next year with the glass cockpits become
the standard "used aircraft" on the common market. Let's say, oh 20-30 years
or so. We are starting to see it with the TAA initiative and I suspect it
will gradually creep into the FAA mindset. We will also see training for
absolete navigational systems fall off the PTS one by one (the next probably
being NDB/ADF).

Marco Leon


"B25flyer" wrote in message
...

Over a period of time aviation seems to make changes due to technical
advances.
As such in the past certain "basics" of aviation that were once written in
stone have gone by the wayside.

So here is one for ya. Last week I started a student on the ground school
basics of cross country planing. Draw the line on the sectional from
airport to
airport. Discuss all the wind, magnetic and other variables etc. After
about 20
minutes into the discussion the students 13 year old daughter who was
intently
watching asked the question. "Why do all that when I can do the same thing
in
30 seconds on the handheld GPS and enroute it will take care of the wind
correction"

Got me to thinking. So question is, what is the opinion of the troops as
to
when the system will change and as part of the written/PTS for any rating
there
will no longer be the requirment to draw the line and figure out all the
other
stuff for the X-C portion of the test. Just put in airports/waypoints and
go
for it.

Five years? Ten years? Or will it stick around forever?

Walt
Forty+ years as a CFI and still drawing lines on sectionals.