"Michael" wrote...

Yup. In fact, I've started to believe that what we (private operators
of IFR-capable airplanes) do is so different from what the airlines
do, that there is precious little for us to learn from the airline
procedures. They're so geared towards crew operations and equipment
that we don't have that they just don't translate well into a
single-pilot cockpit with typical GA equipment.

There may be a lot of differences between single-pilot and 2-pilot
operations, but a lot of "airline" concepts are very applicable/adaptable to
current "typical" GA equipment... I've flown IFR in GA, single- and
multi-pilot military, and [currently] airline aircraft; the basics remain
the same regardless of individual procedures.

These days, GPS is more typical than strange in GA, especially among
IFR-equipped airplanes, and most of them have more capability than airliner
installations! Once you get away from the very low end (IFR-equipped 172s
and 182s), you're likely to see a 2-axis autopilot as well. With these 2
pieces of equipment, you have the basics for adapting "airline procedures,"
with the GPS providing much of the navigation capability of an airliner's
FMS.

If you fly a high-end, 2-pilot GA airplane (cabin-class twin, turboprop, or
jet), you may well be trained using "airline procedures" by Flight Safety or
other professional training company. If you have a high-end
single-engine/single-pilot airplane, you may go for training, but the
procedures have been adapted for single-pilot use in lieu of the "crew
concept." Still, many of the concepts for reducing workload and increasing
situational awareness for the Pilot Flying in a 2-pilot cockpit are still
applicable to the lone pilot; he just has to shoulder the additional
workload of checklists, programming, and communication himself.

Further, those who have an IFR-certified GPS NEED to be "geared towards"
their equipment if they rely on it for IFR operations! These are not simple
boxes like a tune-'n'-fly ILS receiver! If you don't know the equipment, it
will "fail" you at the most inopportune moment!