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Old June 16th 19, 08:04 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
danlj
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Posts: 124
Default flight computer ergonomics and function

I'm curious.

After two successive near-midairs about 5 years ago, I installed PowerFlarm and a transponder that wouldn't deplete my battery during flight.

This required, due lack of panel space, that I give up my beloved ILEC S-10 flight computer (and its remote control). An Oudie IGC and and S-80 were recommended to replace it. The change has led to some conclusions about what flight computers should do in the cockpit.

1: Speed to fly
Flight computers all seem to calculate wind, and to be able to use the glider's polar. Not all use wind to revise STF.
It seems to me that we could use two rather different STF indications:
A: expected arrival altitude at next waypoint given polar, altitude, wind, and and optionally achieved mean L/D
B: best immediate speed for optimal L/D given polar, wind, and lift/sink over the last X seconds (user selectable)

(does any current flight computer offer these sorts of enhancements?)

2: Waypoint modification
Requiring the pilot to make an alphabetic search during flight to make a waypoint change is beyond stupid (it's a dangerous distraction).
- There are too many options for naming waypoints - recalling which name it was given is sometimes impossible.
- seldom are ICAO designations used, which aren't in any case easier to recall.
It seems to me that the best UI would have the ability to quickly limit the waypoint choices and swiftly move through the limited choices by spinning a knob or touch-pressing a knob-equivalent.
One is faced with either
- the need to modify one or more waypoints of a task
- the need to create a new task, the simplest of which is direct-to
Logical ways to create a limited set of waypoint choices include:
- distance (I think everybody offers this)
- direction (bearing, heading, or azimuth)
- distance & direction
- waypoints near current leg
- waypoints near current task

Do any current flight computers offer waypoint selection direction as well as distance?

Danl J