On Dec 12, 4:16*pm, Dave J wrote:
My flying club just replaced the DG and AI in a C172 in which I have
many hours with an Aspen PFD1000 Pro. They are requiring everyone to
take a ground school in the unit before flying the aircraft again
because this aircraft is now a "TAA." I dispute that. There's still no
GPS+moving map -- IFR certified or otherwise. The Aspen will only
provide a primitive map with flight plan and nearby waypoints provided
by another GPS; the built-in GPS only provides emergency reversion.
(There is no other GPS in the aircraft.) The AC has no autopilot,
either, but that's not technically required to be a TAA -- though it's
certainly in keeping with the spirit of the concept.

Neither of the replaced instruments are even required for VFR flight,
and what does it matter if I'm an expert at using the PFD? Besides, to
a first approximation (no button pushing) the PFD provides the same
info the old instruments did without me having to know or do much of
anything. (Well, the HSI *is* different than a DG+CDI.)

They're only asking for $50 for a few hours of ground school but the
principle of the thing just bugs me.

Am I being a crazy stick-in-the-mud?

-- dave

I have the Aspen and agree with you for VFR flight, as it's
essentially just an all-electric AI and HSI. Having said that, the
procedure for setting the Course for the VOR isn't obvious.

However, it does have some nice IFR bells and whistles that are worth
learning how to use, such as presetting minimum altitude and approach
speed.