Greetings,
I attended the FITS meeting in Grand Forks, ND last year. It's much
more of a force than folks think, even AOPA was blind-sided. Three
universities have classes of students that started in all-glass
aircraft last semester (Fall 2004). Avemco now requires FITS-Accepted
training before they will cover an owner in a glass cockpit aircraft.
The rest of the insurance carriers are like-minded. So far they are
quiet on the transition from Glass to Steam.

I'm not waiting. My first course for FITS acceptance is in the FAA's
hands and I have several more in progress, including a glass-to-steam
transition course.

Our local Cessna Pilot Center has 4 G1000-equipped Cessnas on their
flight line and plan to add 3 G1000-equipped C172s starting in March.
The next airport over has a combination of G1000 and Avidyne Entegra
glass cockpit aircraft available for rent. The story is repeated
throughout California. From the Sierras west, most folks are within 2
hours driving time of a glass cockpit rental. The flight schools and
FBOs are like-minded. They require an additional checkout before
renting the glass and several are requiring a glass-to-steam checkout
before a glass renter takes out a steam rental, even though the
insurance companies are not yet requiring this. The glass cockpit is
increasing the numbers of flying pilots.

The FAA seems to be content with insurance regulating the glass cockpit
aircraft, although they were about to step in with the Cirrus Aircraft
and their dismal safety record for the first few years. The Cirrus
Owners Association stepped in and managed to prevent any heavy-handed
stuff.

We'll see how the ab-initio glass students did when FITS holds their
next meeting in Alaska this year.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein