More electronic gadgets = lower IQ?

If we take this electronic gadget stuff to the logical conclusion...we will let the computer fly the glider and the "pilot" will just sit there....

They tell us that "driverless automobiles" are just a few years off.

Driverless cars will save 30,000 lives per year in the USA...accidents will be nearly non existent...they will reduce fuel usage tremendously....they will allow more cars on a highway at a given time, yet reduce traffic jams. You will always be on time, nobody will get any traffic tickets nor will they have to pay any fines.

Computer cars will require nearly zero skill and intelligence to operate!


So if you are looking for safety and efficiency in glider flying...eliminate the weak link...the pilot!

Cookie



On Tuesday, October 21, 2014 4:08:15 PM UTC-4, Craig R. wrote:
;-) Perhaps we can infer a correlation between the proliferation of electronic gadgets in our cockpits with the dumbing down of glider pilots? There are Standford University studies that indicate that multitasking can lower your IQ or that "people who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information cannot pay attention, recall information, or switch from one job to another as well as those who complete one task at a time".
If we take this electronic gadget stuff to the logical conclusion...we will let the computer fly the glider and the "pilot" will just sit there....

They tell us that "driverless automobiles" are just a few years off.

Driverless cars will save 30,000 lives per year in the USA...accidents will be nearly non existent...they will reduce fuel usage tremendously....they will allow more cars on a highway at a given time, yet reduce traffic jams. You will always be on time.

They will require nearly zero skill and intelligence to operate!

Cooie


http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbr...udies-suggest/

RAS posts seem to verify these studies!

So, the obvious solution is to dump all the spendy computers, fly with basic instruments, enjoy the scenery, and preserve the gray matter!

Fly safe and have fun.

On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 12:19:21 PM UTC-4, Cookie wrote:
If we take this electronic gadget stuff to the logical conclusion...we will let the computer fly the glider and the "pilot" will just sit there....



They tell us that "driverless automobiles" are just a few years off.



Driverless cars will save 30,000 lives per year in the USA...accidents will be nearly non existent...they will reduce fuel usage tremendously....they will allow more cars on a highway at a given time, yet reduce traffic jams. You will always be on time, nobody will get any traffic tickets nor will they have to pay any fines.



Computer cars will require nearly zero skill and intelligence to operate!





So if you are looking for safety and efficiency in glider flying...eliminate the weak link...the pilot!



Cookie


What could go wrong?

T8

T8 SAID: What could go wrong?

The government getting involved

And I agree with Kirk its how, and I would add where, its displayed a well organized cockpit is way easier to multitask and keep focus once you learn what and when to ignore and what and when to pay attention!

CH

In my brand new Tetra-15 I am running an ancient Ilec SB-8 that I absolutely love, a Tru-trak and an outdated HP-310 running the latest version of LK8000. the rest are just the usual round instruments.

That works well for me, but I'm not a cutting edge competition pilot.

Brad

After complaints from those who normally fly without much of a panel, in July 2013 I came up with a contest that ran for 9 days (2 weekends plus M-F) and only allowed one electronic instrument: a digital turnpoint camera.
The turnpoint photographs would be evaluated and I'd use SeeYou to decide the winner, handicapping the gliders.
NO radio, electric vario, moving map, transponder, FLARM, SPOT (etc) or even cell phone use until the pilot and crew were reunited. Batteries were allowed to be carried as ballast only. Communication for a landout had to be by land line phones, both pilot and crew.
There was a prize, worth about $500.00.
Nobody entered.
I invite others to try the same.
Jim

$500..!!!

I'm "in"...When's the next contest? Why not run it at Wurtsboro or Blairstown?



Cookie




On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 3:04:06 PM UTC-4, JS wrote:
After complaints from those who normally fly without much of a panel, in July 2013 I came up with a contest that ran for 9 days (2 weekends plus M-F) and only allowed one electronic instrument: a digital turnpoint camera.

The turnpoint photographs would be evaluated and I'd use SeeYou to decide the winner, handicapping the gliders.

NO radio, electric vario, moving map, transponder, FLARM, SPOT (etc) or even cell phone use until the pilot and crew were reunited. Batteries were allowed to be carried as ballast only. Communication for a landout had to be by land line phones, both pilot and crew.

There was a prize, worth about $500.00.

Nobody entered.

I invite others to try the same.

Jim

Cookie et al:
As promised, now I'm home and found the archived file, the rules for a no-electrics contest! If unfamiliar, the landmarks, etc are in the southwest.
Forgot about some things like no self-launch, EDS or gear warning. More fun..
Jim

Back To Basics Contest
A Handicapped Distance-Only Contest.
Contest dates: July 2nd to July 10th, 2011. This includes two weekends.

Enter as many flights as you wish.
Launch from your favorite spot. Auto or winch launches preferred for nostalgia.
Take photos out the left side of the cockpit of your start point, up to three recognizable turnpoints (judged by other entrants), and the finish point..
Turnpoint photos do not need to be taken in the FAI sector, but cannot be from short of the turn. (The sector is expanded to 180 degrees)
The finish photo can be from the ground.
The left wing tip must be in each photo.
Each turnpoint must be a named feature, examples: White Mountain, Lone Pine Airport, Bird Spring Pass microwave tower, or The junction of route 395 and route 6. Not all of these names are on aeronautical charts, but it is the pilot's responsibility to describe the feature.
Maximum launch height cannot be confirmed by your GPS trace as there isn't one, but keep it to 3500'.
No self-launches, including retrieves.
Batteries may only be carried as ballast.
Aircraft or Amateur radios, cell phones, SPOT can be carried (turned off) for emergency use. Anything other than emergency use is not permitted until the glider is back in the trailer (hangar, tiedown). ELTs are OK.
No flight computers, no moving maps, no electric or audio varios, including portable battery powered ones.
No Electronic Pulse Delivery Oxygen systems or fingertip Oximeters. Only old school! I may have a spare Nelson or Aerox regulator if someone really needs it, but you can connect a cannula and flow meter directly to the MH regulator.
FLARM and Transponder will be turned OFF. Label the TXP "INOP" in case you're ramp checked.
Other than a watch, the only electric instrument allowed is a digital camera. Analog cameras are difficult to find, and involve paying someone to develop film. (and we know glider pilots can be "thrifty").
The proposed rule, that would have required in-flight insurance be dropped for the week even though you never use it, was left out.

Your best flight will be scored by examining the photos, then measured in SeeYou (I lost my bit of string). The latest published Sports Class handicaps from SSA will be used. The handicaps account for items like open or enclosed cockpit and fixed or retractable landing gear.
The SeeYou .cup file with all entries will be published on the Tehachapisoaring newsgroup.
You may make other flights and upload to the OLC during this week, but those flights are not allowed in this contest.
To appease those who whined about use of water ballast, this is a dry contest.

A flashlight and a strobe light may be carried in the cockpit for "no penalty" use after landing out. Again, cell phones can be carried (switched off) for emergency use, or use after the glider is back in the trailer, tied down at home or in the hangar.
SPOT can be carried (switched off) for emergency "911" use only.
Gear warning systems are not permitted. If it runs on it's own battery, disconnect that battery.
No electric canopy mechanisms or electric landing gear systems can be used.

All batteries must be disconnected from the instrument panel, not just switched off (I know it's a pain in the neck for DG800, AS-H26E, Carat, etc. so we can allow the master key to be left behind or stored out of reach if it kills all of the batteries). Solar panels may not be used to power any instruments.
Outside of emergency use after a landout but before the crew arrives, using the aircraft radio or a handheld device (radio, SPOT, APRS, cell phone, etc) voids that flight. I've been asked too many times about cell phones, so it's repeated.
You may not call your crew on their cell phone until the glider is in the trailer, home tiedown or hangar.
It's up to observers at the launch point to ensure everyone behaves. This is also covered by Rule #11 stolen from the Berle Trophy rules versions 1 and 2, which is modified to:
11) Anyone caught exaggerating their distance or using electricity in flight shall be laughed at in public. Exaggeration includes using nonexistent turnpoints.

So dig out your old telephone calling card, those dusty paper charts, the old O2 rig, your official SSA Dial-A-Prayer Wheel, and your hiking boots!

There is a prize!
The winner gets one free round trip anywhere within the lower 48 states on your choice of either American or United. I'll donate the miles from my account (which Mark refers to as "the perpetual motion machine").

For each entry, e-mail your photographs, description of the flight (launch place, launch height, start point, up to 3 turnpoints, landing point) and name of your observer to:
(your name here)
before midnight on Tuesday July 12th. I'll be in Europe at that point, but will get the winner announced as soon as I can. If there are turnpoint photos which I can't connect with the description, those photos may be e-mailed to others for a look.





On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 12:45:40 PM UTC-7, Cookie wrote:
$500..!!!

I'm "in"...When's the next contest? Why not run it at Wurtsboro or Blairstown?



Cookie

In my experience when people start referring to something as a "gadget" their minds have already been "made up."

I use an Oudie (or mobile phone running XC Soar or iGlide), an SN10, a FLARM brick and a Nano. With the exception of the Flarm (which is completely autonomous), all of these products do exactly the same thing as their predecessors (map & data for nav, audio vario, flight logger). The only difference (debatable) is that they are slightly better, smaller or more efficient than their predecessors. By no means are any of them outrageously expensive based on the sport of flying/soaring norms. These products simply make basic navigation and thermaling easier (and perhaps more reliable and convenient) than using a paper map or constantly looking at a non-audio vario. In reality, these "gadgets" are hardly looked at during the flights, even in National contests.

Now, this thread is well down the path of suggesting that those that use newer tech are perhaps less intelligent, etc. That is interesting. No glider systems that I see on the market are really very mind blowing or change what you do during a flight significantly. Most of us simply have some form of map, an audio vario (all based on the exact same basic technology) and perhaps some form of flight data logger. You hardly use these gadgets while in the air. 99% of the time the glider pilots eyes are out the window looking at clouds, terrain and of course looking out for other airplanes and gliders (enter Flarm as an added audio assistant for that function). How are these gadgets changing how we all fly again? What is different between the guy with "gadgets" and the proper "old school" pilot exactly?

All I can say is, Wow. I think this thread is becoming "a bit" overblown.

On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 12:04:06 PM UTC-7, JS wrote:
After complaints from those who normally fly without much of a panel, in July 2013 I came up with a contest that ran for 9 days (2 weekends plus M-F) and only allowed one electronic instrument: a digital turnpoint camera.
The turnpoint photographs would be evaluated and I'd use SeeYou to decide the winner, handicapping the gliders.
NO radio, electric vario, moving map, transponder, FLARM, SPOT (etc) or even cell phone use until the pilot and crew were reunited. Batteries were allowed to be carried as ballast only. Communication for a landout had to be by land line phones, both pilot and crew.
There was a prize, worth about $500.00.
Nobody entered.
I invite others to try the same.
Jim

Personally I always liked the red and green pellet vario. It made no noise so it let you enjoy the silence of the 2-33.

Personally I always liked the red and green pellet vario. It made no noise so it let you enjoy the silence of the 2-33.

"...silence of the 2-33"? Only time I have know a 2-33 to be silent is when it is sitting in the hangar!

Come to Kansas, Jim. I will let you fly my Ka-8.