"DavidH" wrote in
oups.com:

Current thinking is that I will probably install one of the
Stratomaster electronic attitude indicators/turn co-ordinators.
best wishes
Davidh


I had some extra money back when I was learning to fly and was fortunate
enough to have an instructor that liked to play after we'd covered what
was in the sylabus. At that time VFR flight instruction included enough
"hood time" that you wouldn't go into a blind panic if you somehow got
distracted and flew into a cloud. I gladly paid for a couple extra hours
of air time to practice partial panel IFR recovery from unusual
attitudes. If the FBO had a trainer rated for spins I'd have paid for
that as well. Instead we simulated multiple system failures. (You've
got a broken control cable. try to land with only throttle, trim, and
rudder....Oops, you're also out of gas...Didn't do much of a pre-flight
did you?) I wasn't trying to be ready for anything. It was more like
cultivating a mindset of "Do something constructive with whatever you
have left in the time you have available."

On my second take off after I soloed I lost a vacuum pump right after the
nose was up high enough I couldn't see over it. When the AH flopped over
sideways I very nearly did the same. It was a clear sunny day so looking
out the windows took care of the problem. What shocked me was how close
I came to seriously screwing up due to a faulty readout from an
instrument I didn't need to fly the plane. Since then I've tended to
regard anything the flight instruments tell me as "second hand news".
Interesting, and sometimes vital, information but not to be trusted if
there's a better source available. :-)

The Stratomaster line looks like good gear. The only thing I'd suggest
is that you get in the habit of turning it off now and then. If you find
you're actually using it you might want to install a non-electric backup.

Just a thought,
Joe K