(Snowbird) writes:

So don't dismiss the viewpoint that it's unsafe to fly pax
IMC without a GPS. Think about your plans if you start
smelling electrical smoke in IMC (BTDT), or if the engine quits,
or even if you have a vacuum failure or wx is forming around
you and you have to scurry for an airport in a hurry. That
GPS adds a lot of safety "bang for the buck" and I have no
argument against the viewpoint of someone who wouldn't leave
home IMC without it.

I agree entirely that a handheld GPS in the flightbag is an excellent
safety investment, precisely because it gives you a way to navigate
independent of the plane's systems. Ditto for a cellphone with a
headset adapter (handheld VHF transcievers have lousy ranges, but over
populated areas, you can almost always hit a cell).

I didn't have the impression, though, that the poster was writing
about emergency backup -- I had the impression that he (and his
instructor) thought that flying with VOR or ADF was somehow more
dangerous than flying with GPS. In fact, if we're talking about using
a handheld GPS in IMC, we're talking about extra workload, because the
pilot has to tune in the VOR and/or ADF and *then* tune the handheld
backup as well. It may be worthwhile sometimes, but there's a price
to consider.

As I mentioned in a previous posting, none of that navigational
equipment addresses the main safety requirement in IMC, keeping the
plane upright. I would agree that using with *any* equipment you're
not proficient with is a dangerous distraction, but given equal
proficiency, tuning and spinning an ADF or VOR receiver involves no
higher a workload than fiddling with GPS buttons.

The poster also mentioned flying with an autopilot, though it fell out
of the followups. That makes a lot more sense as a personal safety
minimum, since the AP does actually help to keep the wings level.
Personally, I'm happy to hand fly, but I believe that my plane would
be safer if it had a simple wing-leveller that I could hit as a panic
button if I ever experienced extreme vertigo. I'm willing to fly
without it, but I can respect that other people might not be.


All the best,


David