A question for the future

My prediction is that GPS will become a standard equipment in the
cockpit, and will replace the magnetic compass. Sure, the GPS can fail,
but those are technical issues which will eventually be solved, and the
GPS will become more reliable than a magnetic compass. My guess is that
it will be 10 years or more before it happens.

The concepts of magnetic variation and deviation arise entirely due to
our reliance on the magnetic compass. These will go away. We will not
rely on the magnetic north for navigation. We can use true north, which
will be a much cleaner system.

We would still need to calculate the effects of wind, not because of
wind correction angle, but for time enroute and fuel requirements.

The PTS does not demand that the applicant draw lines and do all the
calculations by hand. You can let a GPS do it, or use a computer. There
is no requirement that it be done by hand. Actually, it is high time we
stop focusing on that teach some of the modern ways of doing flight
planning. There are tons of online services and handheld computers that
can accomplish flight planning in a fraction of the time it takes to do
by hand.






(B25flyer) wrote in
:


Over a period of time aviation seems to make changes due to technical
advances. As such in the past certain "basics" of aviation that were
once written in stone have gone by the wayside.

So here is one for ya. Last week I started a student on the ground
school basics of cross country planing. Draw the line on the sectional
from airport to airport. Discuss all the wind, magnetic and other
variables etc. After about 20 minutes into the discussion the students
13 year old daughter who was intently watching asked the question.
"Why do all that when I can do the same thing in 30 seconds on the
handheld GPS and enroute it will take care of the wind correction"

Got me to thinking. So question is, what is the opinion of the troops
as to when the system will change and as part of the written/PTS for
any rating there will no longer be the requirment to draw the line and
figure out all the other stuff for the X-C portion of the test. Just
put in airports/waypoints and go for it.

Five years? Ten years? Or will it stick around forever?

Walt
Forty+ years as a CFI and still drawing lines on sectionals.