On Nov 25, 10:59*am, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
or asking a CFI. Its not fair to require 5
to 10 hour checkouts in every 172 just because some pilots will not
otherwise learn the avionics specific to the aircraft.

-Robert, CFII

Agree. Responsibility should be on the pilot for learning AND asking
a CFI for assistance on operating the avioncis so I see what direction
you are headed. It ultimately resides on the PIC for the safe outcome
of any flight which includes insuring they know how to handle the
avionics.

While I said rental, I kinda was really thinking more along the lines
of initial training that showing how to disable mode C. It did not
come out that way in my original post, my apologies.

At least with that training in the initial stage, then at least the
pilot has a chance should he come across similar type of avionics.

I never got that kind of training. We talked about it in ground
school, but never applied that training. While it's impossible to
cover every situation, this one I would think would be a situation to
be considered in training. It doesn't add to flight time.

May seem simple and basic, but when you got a new pilot up in the air
and something like this happens, it only adds to the stress level and
with **some foundation** for course of action at least there is a hope
for "resolution of the problem.

Even for me, it was something out of the ordinary, and having to
"think quick on the feet" to come up with something was more then what
the pilot would have done as she didn't even know how to operate the
Xponder. It was always left in the on position, so I am not even sure
if she would have known how to turn it off WHILE flying the plane.
She did do what she was taught to do and that was fly the plane and
left it to me to fiddle with the buttons.

Once we got clear of KJAN approach and went on our own, she settled
down and thought things completely through and we were able to work
the problem at a pace more manageable.

Ultimately, the safe outcome of the flight speaks for itself even
though our procedure of the decision making process may have been
flawed. We just dealt with the cards we were handed the best we could.