modern full-color flat-panel display screens called a glass cockpit for sale

Where to begin? You might narrow the decision to all-in cost and install complexity, which could mean buying a basic system to start and adding more displays later. Maybe you plan to fly VFR for now but want to earn the instrument rating later on. That could mean adding more capability, which means more data on a single screen. Thanks to digital data buses and software, most brands and models have decent growth potential, third-party integration and the ability to add more screens later on.

When shopping, you should always think of the installation and upkeep. Will you do it all yourself or farm some or all of the project out to an avionics shop? Make an honest assessment of your wiring and metal-building skills. For completed kits that need an upgrade, the thought of tearing the panel apart (and building another one) to accommodate a big screen may not be attractive. For those retrofit projects currently equipped with a traditional six-pack of round flight instruments, a small-screen EFIS will likely be an easier upgrade because you might be able to use the existing instrument cutouts and leave the cutting tools in the drawer.

We define “big-screen” EFIS as 7- to 12-inch screens, which by default serve double duty as multifunction displays (as opposed to primary flight displays) since they can accommodate lots of data. How much data? How many screens? That’s where it can get tricky and more expensive.

You’ll find that plenty comes standard even on entry-level displays, but you should make a list of the specific data you expect to display, like approach charts and weather graphics. And what about Bluetooth connectivity and instrument backup? In almost every big-screen EFIS interface, in addition to flight data, your eyes will be looking at engine, fuel and electrical data and, in some cases, electronic circuit breakers. See the May 2022 issue of KITPLANES® for more on electronic bus integration.

Also, consider the external architecture of the interface. Will you build your own harness or source a suite with prefabricated bundles that plug into a wiring hub, like the Advanced Control Module, to name one? That could also make it easier to add to the EFIS suite later on. The initial installation could be getting easier yet. At press time, Dynon introduced the FastTrack installation hardware—a simplified and modular approach to the mounting trays, brackets and harness assemblies that are part of an EFIS install and FastTrack is intended to streamline the install.

Advanced has been operating under the Dynon umbrella for a while, although it was originally founded in 1999 by Rob Hickman, an electrical engineer with a software background who created an engine monitoring system for the Van’s RV-4 he was building. These days the company concentrates on its AdvancedPanel build program. Think turnkey: Advanced takes care of the entire panel (and in some cases the circuit breaker and bus interface) build process that can shave hundreds of hours from a project. When complete, you’ll receive a ready-to-install panel with preconfigured, pre-wired avionics already installed in a powder-coated and silk-screened custom panel. Choose your displays.

We like that this hybrid control set caters to a wide variety of users who will use a combination of touch and hard controls for data input. Initially, the Advanced line seems confusing, but just remember that all of the Advanced displays are essentially the same but differ by chassis and screen size. And since Advanced Flight Systems is part of Dynon, internally, the systems share the same memory, processors and electronics as the Dynon SkyView HDX system. They also use the same supporting accessories as Dynon, including Dynon’s autopilot servos, ADS-B Out transponder, com radios and so forth. Since EFIS tech is a moving target, we like that Advanced hasn’t left early customers in the dust, and it offers an easy upgrade to its latest gear without a complicated install.

For instance, if you have an early-gen Advanced display, the $4495 model AF-5400 is designed as a drop-in replacement for the company’s AF-3500/4500 series displays. The 8.4-inch display resolution is 1024×768 pixels—the same as all of the other screens in the Advanced line. They’re crisp, bright and do well in sun-splashed cabins. The AF-5400 hardware’s overall footprint is 8.1×6.8×3.7 inches, so there’s no need to cut the panel if going from the older Advanced 3500/4500 series. That obviously saves a lot of hassle.

For that basic single-screen, VFR mission, you might follow the lead of the company’s well-equipped VFR AdvancedPanel, which includes a 5500 PFD, AHRS, one com radio, an ADS-B Out compliant Mode S transponder, a WAAS GPS navigator, two-place stereo intercom, AoA, autopilot servos, WiFi module for tablet interface, switches and audio jacks and the engine monitor module. The center of the interface is the Advanced Control Module for plug-and-play upgrade compatibility. That’s pretty much the meat and potatoes of the entire suite.

For a combination of VFR and IFR capability, Advanced said the most common seller is the $4490 AF-5600. This is a 10.4-inch diagonal touchscreen display (1024×768 pixels) with a chassis that measures 9.125×7.125×3.75 inches. Of course, you can connect multiple displays together (now or later) to expand the suite. While the 5600 is a touchscreen display, it has 21 bezel buttons, three control knobs and a joystick.

The $5200 AF-5800 is the largest Advanced display, at 12.1 inches diagonal, and it uses the same control set as the AF-5600. This is for select applications, and that bezel size simply won’t fit the majority of panels. It’s huge, although it has the same 1024×768 pixel count as the 10.4-inch screen.

To confuse matters, the $4800 AF-5700 model is also a 12.1-inch display, but to get the absolute most screen real estate, Advanced eliminated the buttons and knobs on the right side of the bezel. Moreover, this display was designed for the center of the Van’s RV-10 panel. It’s essentially the largest LCD touchscreen that fits the Aerosport carbon fiber panel. Think of it as a big MFD map, while the second (or third) screen is a PFD.

It’s got decent ergos, too. We like that the joystick on the PFD can control the big map in the center of the panel, eliminating the need to reach for the center display. You’ll find the AF-5700 in the center of the company’s RV-10 demonstrator.

In multiscreen suites, any of the Advanced screens (which have multifunction feature sets) can be configured as an EFIS, engine monitor or both, using the company’s CAN bus interface. When connecting an EFIS screen with an engine display screen using the Advanced Avionics Bus, the user has a variety of options, including the ability to display the primary flight data, engine monitor or both on either screen. There’s also an optional angle-of-attack module that can be added to any screen.

As for data, the split-screen capable Advanced displays are loaded with nearly everything you’d expect from a modern EFIS. There’s an integrated weight and balance utility complete with an intuitive airframe loading graphic, plus built-in configurable aircraft maintenance logs to keep track of an endless list of items for inspection and replacement. For nav data, there are geo-referenced approach plates, VFR sectional charts, IFR low airway charts, plus highly detailed airport and airspace information.

Making the transition from traditional flight instruments to EFIS? The AF-series display can be user-configured for an electronic depiction of a standard six-pack instrument display (including an analog HSI). GPS and raw nav data are fed in through a variety of third-party GPS navigators (Garmin and Avidyne), and the EFIS is fully compatible with WAAS GPS for vertical guidance, of course.

The engine monitoring functionality isn’t limited to engine and fuel flow and quantity data (or to pistons—there’s a turbine interface, too). There’s wing flap and trim position sensing and indication (compatible with most trim motors), speed-programmable landing gear warnings (including runway/water alerts for amphibs), voice alerting for stuff like low oil pressure, for example, checklists, 50 hours of data logging, leaning assist mode and full integration (via a dedicated electrical system page) with the Vertical Power VP-X electronic circuit breaker power system.

The AdvancedPanel program is currently available for Van’s RV-7/8/9/10 and 14 models, Glasair Sportsman and GlaStar, Zenith, Lancair 360/ES/IV/III, Kitfox, Sonex, CubCrafters, RANS S19/S20, Bearhawk and some others not listed here. Advanced said it will work with builders on unique projects. Pricing is all over the board—basic single-screen Advanced suites can be had for under $10,000, while flagship Advanced panels with multiple big-screen models can easily top $35,000.

These displays are TFT active-matrix LCD screens with LED backlighting and are controlled with a combination of two rotary/multi-direction joysticks and eight bezel buttons. In a dual-display setup, one is a PFD, and the other is an MFD, but both have full reversionary. There’s also a backup battery (one for each display) for roughly one hour of standby power.

SkyView can display many combinations of PFD, engine and moving map data in full-screen and split-screen configurations, as well as distribute this data across multiple displays. For example, you can customize the screen to display flight instruments, terrain and engine data or toggle some of it off altogether. Do you prefer a full-screen engine presentation or half engine data and half map or half flight instruments and half engine? You get the point; the choices for layout are liberal.

Synthetic vision is practically required for a glass panel, and SkyView presents it well on those big, crisp displays. We won’t cover the specifics of synthetic vision here to save space, but even the classic non-touch SkyView does a decent job of playing the familiar flight path marker (depicting the actual trajectory that the aircraft is flying through space), synthetic runway and surrounding environments—painted an eye-catching yellow or red as they become a threat.

The SkyView comes standard with a basic topographical map display that shows advisory terrain color-coding and basic active waypoint information when driven by an external GPS. But the addition of Dynon’s GPS module and one-time navigation mapping software adds an advanced embedded GPS navigator function and an extensive aviation database for interactive onscreen navigation. Of course, for full IFR GPS nav and approaches, you can connect a variety of GPS navigators from Garmin and Avidyne.

SkyView is compatible with Rotax, Lycoming, Continental and several less-common engines. Engine data comes via the SV-EMS-220 engine-monitoring module and related sensors. It supports many parameters, including rpm, manifold pressure, oil temperature and pressure, EGT, CHT, fuel levels for multiple tanks, bus voltage, current, fuel pressure, fuel flow, carburetor air temperature, coolant pressure and temperature, flap and trim potentiometers, external contacts and general-purpose temperature sensors.

There’s also an interface for the Vertical Power VP-X electrical system monitoring system. Further, the installer can custom-configure the engine gauge presentation and location of the gauges on the screen.

As for connections, each SkyView display contains a 37-pin D-sub connector for the main wiring harness, a 9-pin D-sub connector for the SkyView network and an Ethernet connector that’s used to sync the data between two displays. A main wiring harness is required for each display, and they’re sold separately.

The SkyView HDX is the Dynon model you’ll want to look at for the majority of IFR applications, and the HDX picks up where the classic system left off. For a basic VFR installation, you’ll be eyeballing the $3304 single 7-inch (800×1280 pixels) high-definition touchscreen display, and as an option to go bigger (or for panels that fly a combination of VFR and IFR), the $4604 10-inch (800×1280 pixel) high-definition touchscreen. Or, mix the two—a 10-inch HDX for the PFD and a 7-inch as a second screen. These both come with display harnesses but require external flight data sensors.

For planning, the larger display is 10.31×7. 1×3.1 inches, and the smaller one is 7.64×5.59×3.13 inches). We like that the upgraded HDX uses the same components and modules as the Classic SkyView, and they can drop into an existing installation without having to cut. The HDX has eight soft keys and two control knobs, plus there’s an option for external panel-mounted controllers.

The HDX’s touch functionality simply adds another layer to the user interface, and overall, we think it’s logical. For instance, if you want to change the altitude or airspeed bug on the PFD’s altitude and airspeed tape, touch the corresponding tape and use the left joystick knob to alter the bug setting. The same goes for changing the baro setting and almost any other common function that you work with on a regular basis, including remote nav and GPS source annunciators that display on a dedicated box next to the EHSI.

The HDX’s PFD has synthetic vision, a map display with a variety of customizable layouts and an EMS or engine monitoring system. Just like with the Advanced displays, the data to drive the Dynon display comes from external modules, including the AHRS, pitot tubes and autopilot servos. There’s also an external com radio, an ADS-B 1090ES transponder and an ADS-B weather and traffic receiver.

As for architecture, these use the redundant SkyView Network to communicate with the displays over RS-232 serial ports with configurable baud rates and all serial ports are wired into the SkyView Display Harness. Each display has a USB port on the rear chassis for file transfer and software updates, and there’s an external USB port mounted on the instrument panel. There’s also an optional WiFi adapter.

If you’re struggling with the Classic versus HDX in even a basic VFR application, consider that the HDX screens have a wider viewing angle, are higher-resolution (high-definition) and have antireflective properties that, in our view, make them superior to the original. There’s also a new engine monitoring presentation that’s contained in a band along the bottom of the screens.

Dynon worked hard to make the HDX touchscreen displays turbulence friendly, with wide sculpted bezel rails for anchoring the hand in the bumps. There are also redesigned knobs (they can be pushed and rotated for a variety of functions) that we think have a much better feel than the ones on the Classic. The controls are also backlit.

For display presentation, primary data, which is PFD, engine and moving map data are selectable for display on the entire screen, while optional content (map, engine and also PFD data on a second screen, for example) can be displayed in a 50% split window. The HDX screen data is nicely configurable to your liking.

As for supporting components, the SkyView systems use a primary and secondary (for backup and crosscheck) ADAHRS for deriving the flight data. And yes, the PFD can be configured in the modern tape display or digital six-pack flight instruments. In multiple display configurations, data and inputs are automatically synchronized across the displays. The HDX has internal data logging of flight data. The system has an internal magnetometer for heading resolution, but there’s also an optional external magnetometer for installing remotely if the internal mag has interference issues.

The EMS (engine monitoring system) is required for engine data display. It’s a $600 option and is available with sensor/harness packages for Lycoming, Continental, Jabiru and Rotax engines. Got a Rotax? The model EMS-221 is designed to receive engine data directly from a Rotax 912 iS/915 iS engine computer via a dual-channel CAN bus interface.

There’s also synthetic vision software, autopilot servos (the systems have built-in autopilot functionality) with mounting kits for various airframes, versions and multiple torque settings (36, 42, 52 and 72 inch-pounds). For cable-driven control surfaces, servos are available with capstan drives. All Dynon autopilot interfaces (also when connected to the Advanced displays) have full approach coupling (including VNAV), indicated airspeed hold, flight director guidance, a LEVEL button for return to straight-and-level flight and something we like the most—an emergency 180° turnback mode for exiting inadvertent IMC.

Speaking of external controllers, there’s an optional $250 dedicated control knob panel with three knobs for setting the baro, heading bug and altitude bug. Like the autopilot controller, the control knob panel installs inline for plug-and-play with the SkyView network without any additional wiring. It’s 1.27 inches deep and is available in vertical and horizontal mounting configurations.

The HDX has a built-in GPS moving map and dual external GPS receivers for positional data and for map navigation, but for IFR GPS functions, you’ll need an external GPS navigator. Garmin and Avidyne models are the most popular for approach capability. The map has aviation and obstacle data, as well as VFR and IFR en route charts and approach plates.

For more VFR options, Dynon sells the SkyView SE. The 7-inch display is $1609 (bundled with a harness), and the 10-inch display is $2609 with a harness. It’s stripped down and has no mapping capability, no synthetic vision and no interface with an IFR GPS. That’s because the Arinc 429 adapter used to connect a SkyView system to the navigator won’t work with the SE. The SkyView SE does support an engine data display and can interface with Dynon’s remote com transceiver and Mode S ADS-B Out transponder. The SE doesn’t have a touch interface and essentially no submenus in its feature set.

Worth mentioning is that as we go to press in mid-March 2022, some Dynon components (including the 7-inch SkyView SE displays) were not available due to global parts shortages.

For basic VFR missions, you might choose the $3085 7-inch landscape (or portrait) single-screen configuration. There is a lot of data packed into these little screens, which starts with a split PFD and MFD presentation, but multiple display suites are configured for dedicated PFD, MFD or a combination of split screens on all. If you’re upgrading from the first-gen G3X, the current Touch version will be worlds ahead. And while the G3X Touch is plug-and-play with the second-generation G3X components, you’ll need to do some panel cutting to make the new displays fit.

For a combination of VFR and IFR capability, you might select the $3985 10.6-inch screen, with a second 7-inch portrait (or landscape) screen added for use as an MFD. You could expand the interface even further because the G3X Touch has Garmin’s Connext wireless system built-in. This sends flight plans, weather and traffic data out via Bluetooth to tablet computers when running Garmin’s Pilot app.

A flagship G3X Touch might have as many as four displays in various configurations. Maybe two 10.6-inch displays for PFD and MFD (or pilot and copilot PFD, plus a dedicated MFD) and a smaller 7-inch screen for displaying engine and airframe data. Transponders, autopilot (GFC500) and SiriusXM receivers are all optional compatible accessories for piping into a G3X Touch display, as are external GPS navigators, including the GTN, GNS and Garmin’s latest budget-based (non-VHF nav) navigators. You can interface Garmin’s $1199 GTR 200 (or $995 remote GTR 20) VHF com radios, plus the $1445 GMA 245 or GMA 245R (remote) Bluetooth audio panels. The functions are accessed on the G3X Touch screens as dedicated functions.

For charting, the G3X Touch comes preloaded with a variety of Garmin aviation databases, including geo-referenced FliteCharts, including IFR approach plates, plus IFR/VFR sectionals and terminal VFR charts. The system also has Garmin’s built-in SafeTaxi airport diagrams. When loaded, you’ll see a depiction of the aircraft’s location overlaid onto taxiways, runways, hot spots, hangars and other airport facilities.

When shopping, it’s worth comparing the G3X Touch with the Dynon SkyView HDX. From a hardware and software standpoint, the two couldn’t be more different. While primarily a touchscreen feature set, the G3X Touch also has a few dedicated control keys for performing some common functions, including direct-to navigation, finding nearest waypoints and accessing the main menu. It doesn’t have a full set of buttons and keys to alternately perform all functions as the Dynon does. For those new to touchscreen avionics, a so-called hybrid interface with knobs and buttons to fall back on is nice for those times when you’re lost in a menu or when fingers are slipping in the bumps. While Garmin offers this to a degree, it’s not to the extent that the SkyView Touch does.

We think most users will find that the G3X Touch is intuitive. As we’ve noted in the past, we still like that common functions can be accomplished with the screen’s traditional bezel knobs. The knobs (one on each side of the bezel) can be used for frequency tuning, scrolling and a variety of other functions. As simple as it is to enter radio frequencies on a touchscreen, we still prefer cranking the knobs for the task. Each Garmin display has a clean, uncluttered bezel. The data card slot on the lower portion of the bezel accepts standard SD cards. The SD card can be used for a variety of functions, including software updates, storing checklist files, flight data logging, exporting track logs and user waypoints and importing/exporting flight plans.

Following the lead of other Garmin navigators, the G3X Touch system has a page navigation bar displayed on the lower portion of the display. You can touch the desired page on the page navigation bar or turn the large knob associated with the MFD to cycle through the pages. Main pages that are accessed on the MFD include the map, electronic charts, waypoint information, active flight plan, optional SiriusXM weather, terrain, traffic and optional engine data.

The system has a full EHSI (electronic HSI) with the ability to display two bearing pointers for traditional nav and GPS sources, plus bearing to the nearest airport. When a bearing pointer is displayed, its associated information is displayed in a bearing data window at the lower side of the HSI. This takes the guesswork out of figuring out which nav source is associated with a given bearing pointer.

Any G3X Touch suite requires the $370 GMU 11 three-axis solid-state magnetometer/heading sensor. It’s the same one that works with Garmin’s smaller G5 flight instrument. It typically mounts in the outboard section of a wing or the tail section and is a critical component in the installation. There’s also the $499 GAD 29 navigation data interface adapter. This ARINC 429 data bus module is what interfaces Garmin’s GTN and GNS-series navigators (up to two units) to the suite. For engine data, any G3X Touch configuration requires the GEA 24 EIS or engine indication system.

Garmin’s integrated autopilot for the G3X Touch brings many of the advanced features found in the certified GFC 700 (and now the retrofit GFC 500) and utilizes the compact GSA 28 digital servos that Garmin calls a “smart servo.” The GSA 28 servo is considered smart because it contains the software drive logic and doesn’t rely on a remote computer for roll and pitch commands. It’s available in single- or dual-axis, and the autopilot is commanded through and annunciated on the G3X Touch display. Garmin’s GMC305 autopilot control head also has a level mode in addition to duplicate mode select buttons.

The G3X Touch gets most of its primary flight data from the GSU 25 AHRS, which can be mounted in any of 16 different vertical or horizontal positions. Like the magnetometer, it’s a critical and major part of a G3X Touch interface. And speaking of interfaces, at press time Garmin announced the G3X Touch interface with its Smart Glide engine-out utility. When Smart Glide is activated, the G3X Touch creates a Direct-To route to the closest (within glide range) airport or it will tell you if there aren’t any. When the system is interfaced with the GFC 500 autopilot, it will fly you there automatically.

For basic VFR equipage, there’s the 7-inch $1600 Sport EX EFIS model, which includes the AHRS/Air Data sensor and a wiring harness. Synthetic vision is a $400 option, as is autopilot integration. The Sport is limited to six serial ports and two analog ports, and it can be driven by the GRT engine monitor. The $2100 Sport EX Basic package takes the interface one step further with a moving map and synthetic vision feature set.

The $2500 Sport EX Advanced package might be appropriate for VFR and IFR equipage. It has a moving map, synthetic vision, four analog data ports and three additional serial data ports. For $3100, there’s the Advanced Touch package which has a touchscreen, moving map, synthetic vision and IFR autopilot control. Compatible autopilots include GRT’s own servos, plus the Trio and TruTrak autopilots (requiring each brand’s external control head). You can connect a variety of third-party GPS navigators, including Garmin GNS/GTN and Avidyne models, plus a generous selection of ADS-B transponders, VHF com radios and weather receivers.

For advanced IFR capabilities, the flagship is the 10.1-inch Horizon model. With a base price of $4250, it has a high-resolution (1280×800 pixel) display with an internal AHRS/air data computer and measures 7×10.3×3 inches. GRT has a touchscreen version, but it charges an additional $250 for it. While that’s not big money, we think it should be standard in a flagship product. The digital magnetometer is $280.

What is standard in the Horizon 10.1 is a moving map, ADS-B display, synthetic vision, split-screen view, 12 serial ports, five analog input ports, aeronautical charting and approach plates, but internal IFR approach procedures are an additional $750. Third-party autopilot integration is standard. GRT’s digital autopilot servos are $775 each (roll and pitch), and the company offers high-torque models for an extra $100 each. Mounting kits are extra and are priced for particular applications.

There’s also an angle of attack option for $250, but it requires a dual-port pitot tube that’s not included. For the Sport model, the company charges $450 for a dual-AHRS option and $260 for a digital magnetometer. Engine monitoring comes from the EIS package, starting at $1210 for the basic kit that works on four-cylinder Lycoming and Continental models. You get CHT, EGT, oil pressure and oil temperature sensors, plus a wiring harness. The $1758 Advanced package adds fuel flow, fuel pressure and manifold pressure sensors.

GRT says it has more than 17 years of experience producing its own AHRS and uses MEMS technologies in its latest so-called Adaptive AHRS, which has the ability to operate unaided—or without air data input (the screens still require pitot-static input). Built into every Adaptive AHRS is a miniature magnetometer (for yaw stabilization only, not for heading resolution—that’s extra) and uses GPS ground track. Moreover, attitude data is unaffected by the loss of the external magnetometer—the way it should be, in our view. Instead, the AHRS automatically reverts to gyro-stabilized GPS ground track or its internal magnetometer.

Overall, we’re impressed with the GRT display feature set, display quality, engine monitoring accessories and its track record for reliability. We just wish the company would streamline the model lineup and add more functions as standard.

The MX1 has AoA as standard, with pitot-static inputs on the rear of the chassis, plus an internal WAAS VFR GPS. There is one 25-pin D-sub connector to feed the unit’s four internal RS-232 serial ports (ARINC 429 interfaces require MGL’s adapter), and there’s a coax connector input for the supplied GPS antenna. The MX1 has audio outputs for engine and altitude data, plus an OAT sensor. The MX1 works in aircraft with speeds up to Mach 1 and altitudes to 40,000 feet.

The MX1 has an internal autopilot interface when using MGL’s servos, and it supports TruTrak and Trig systems. The MX1 can cross-fill via RS-232 with up to eight displays wired in parallel over a single CAN bus, with one display serving as a “master” screen. If it should fail, the next one in the chain is a failsafe to function as the master. There is no synthetic vision terrain presentation.

MGL has retained the touchscreen iEFIS products available in a variety of configurations, and you build your own system with the web-based iEFIS builder utility. For basic VFR equipage, the iEFIS Lite includes the 7-inch Discovery, 8.5-inch Explorer and 10.4-inch Challenger. These have built-in VFR WAAS GPS receivers, integral air data computers and attitude sensors. The company suggests iEFIS Lite models for single screen (or basic two-screen suites).

We spec’d a single-screen starting at $1710, but you have to add what MGL calls the iBox—an interface hub—for adding external sensors and third-party equipment, including radios, transponders and autopilot servos. Autopilot control is standard, but the servos are optional.

The iEFIS Lite is available in the 7-inch Discovery, the 8.5-inch Explorer and 10.4-inch Challenger. These touch displays have built-in air data computers, built-in attitude sensors, built-in WAAS GPS (not approach capable) and control over external com, nav and transponders. The MGL iEFIS Extender is required to add AoA, four additional RS-232 ports and multiple analog inputs. All displays require MGL’s external magnetometer.

All iEFIS displays come standard with synthetic vision and terrain data, a worldwide vector base map, airports, navaids and obstacle database. iEFIS systems are compatible with Garmin GNS/GTN and Avidyne navigators when equipped with the iBox adapter.

Our advice for selecting an EFIS is the same as it ever was: Try them before you buy them. See how well you get along with the feature set, study the interconnect potential and think well into the future. What you need now may change as your skill and mission expands. As mentioned, consider stepping up in screen size or simply add a second smaller screen to share the data.

As for install complexity, we like Dynon’s attempt at taming the dragon with its FastTrack option, and we still like the Advanced Control Module for plug-and-play upgrade and an easier initial installation, especially with prefab harnesses.

Builders contemplating a large-screen EFIS installation are wisely advised to consider backup instruments. For some builds, where panel space is generous, it’s common to use a second screen similar to the primary and a secondary AHRS module for full redundancy. Keep both technologies powered, and a failure of the primary screen and/or AHRS module won’t leave you stranded.

For more distributed systems, there are several options on the market, as you can see in this table. One that’s conspicuously missing is the Dynon EFIS-D10A. The granddaddy of small-format EFISes has officially been discontinued by Dynon, with a replacement supposedly in the works. (A necessary replacement since Dynon has sold a good many certified SkyView packages that require a backup.) According to avionics shops we’ve talked to, the Garmin G5 is the favorite because it’s light and inexpensive, plus it strongly integrates with a G3X Touch system, even sharing its AHRS data across a CAN-bus network. The uAvionix AV-30 is gaining market share, though.

The FastTrack Essentials packages are available in both VFR and IFR configurations and include a modular mounting tray for the HDX800 and HDX1100 EFIS displays. These trays are one-piece systems to house the remote accessories that support a given HDX suite. There’s also a com/transponder module mounting kit for housing components behind the center avionics stack.

Think prefab—where preassembled kits with most of the core modules are already installed on a universal mounting tray. The interface also includes the components networked together with a wiring hub and prefab network harnesses. According to Dynon, as one example, all a builder needs to do is unpackage the equipment, fasten the preassembled hardware to the panel using four rivets and then attach the SkyView display into the provided nut plates with four screws.

The $1995 VFR package comes with the EMS-220 engine monitoring module, ADSB-472 ADS-B In receiver and harness kit, SkyView network hub and harness kit, and the $2565 IFR package adds the SV-ARINC-429 module for connecting IFR GPS navigators to the suite.

On the DG front, uAvionix has recently started enabling an internal magnetometer. In fact, it’s always been in there, but early units were not electrically connected. All units shipped since December of 2021 have had the magnetometer connected and need only a software update to make them active. Before going too far into this, it’s important to understand this device’s function. The AV-30 cannot be programmed to always know which way is north, so it can’t act like a synchronized system that always shows magnetic aircraft heading. Devices like the Garmin G5 and GI 275 use external magnetometers and other smoothing techniques in software to display a steady aircraft heading always referenced to magnetic north.

Instead, the AV-30 uses the internal magnetometer in addition to its resident MEMS sensors to help determine heading change. You first have to align the instrument to your conventional compass. The intention is that the combination of the two technologies—where the magnetometer offers a stab at actual heading change and the attitude sensors try to calculate how far and how long the changes have been happening—will result in steady heading indications for the pilot. In practice, the updated AV-30 does a better job with its mag-reference features invoked than it did without them, but there’s still some drift, and the pilot still has to periodically check the unit’s displayed heading against the compass. And as much as it’s an improvement, once you’ve flown with a synchronized system, it’s awfully hard to be unspoiled, so to speak. The company hints that a “true” magnetometer is in the works, but for many aircraft, it’ll need to be remotely mounted to get it away from ferrous interference. (My GlaStar’s steel-tube cage is notorious for pranking in-the-instrument magnetometers.)

The other change in software invokes an RS-232 serial output that can control certain TruTrak autopilots. The AV-30 sends basic steering commands in pitch and roll, allowing the pilot to have the AP hold heading as well as a selected vertical speed en route to a preselected altitude. By connecting the AV-30 to a compatible TruTrak/BendixKing autopilot, it “spoofs” the Dynon SkyView system (in fact, the TT displays “SKYVIEW” in this mode) with steering commands.

How you control the autopilot depends on which of the three primary screens you’re viewing on the AV-30. All features are available on the AI (attitude) and DG/HSI screens but not on the traffic screen. For example, in the AI screen with the heading referenced to the internal DG, the autopilot steering commands come after a few button-presses of the rotary encoder (knob, to you). First is SET BARO, then DG ADJ, then the HDG BUG; turn to the heading you want and press to acknowledge. To change altitude, press the knob again to scroll through the previous settings until you get to SET ALT. Unlike the Garmin G5, the AV-30 does not sync near your current altitude but holds the last altitude you set. Once you’ve changed that value and pushed the button, the SET VS window appears. If you’ve changed the SET ALT value, the SET VS value syncs to whatever the airplane is doing at the time. You can change it from there.

Generally, the AP controls work well. The TruTrak autopilot holds the vertical speed well at the AV-30’s commands and levels off smoothly at the set altitude— from above or below. Heading is less successful since the DG is not as steady as a fully synchronized system, so the airplane tends to wander a bit. The early version I flew did not have the ability to drive the heading selection from the GPS ground track, which would be inherently more stable. And, because this is a simpler data stream than the ARINC 429 connection that allows GPS Steering, the autopilot tends to overshoot the desired heading then slowly arc its way back to the bug. Finally, the AV-30 does not yet have the ability to pass through GPS navigation commands, so it’s strictly a heading/altitude-hold setup. At the moment.

As I’ve noted before, uAvionix is trying to do a lot with a compact, lightweight instrument that has only one 15-pin connector on the back. By adding the AV-Link dongle, the AV-30 gets WiFi connectivity (for traffic and software updates currently; more in the future, I’m told), but it still only connects to one GPS source at a time. When you link the AV-30 to the autopilot, you lose the ability to control a tailBeaconX Mode S transponder. The only way to have both is to install two AV-30s in your panel, which plenty of people have done. But, for now, two AV-30s don’t talk to each other the way, say, a pair of Garmin G5s or GI 275s can. So you’d have to designate one AV-30 to manage the tailBeaconX and the other to drive the autopilot. And things like heading select or barometer changes won’t be conveyed from one instrument to the other.

I’m told that uAvionix has methods in mind to expand the number of the AV-30’s digital connections to the rest of the airplane, and that’ll be a useful update. What’s more, there’s still some interface refinement to be done, but the company has shown itself to be a fast developer. The underpinnings are there: The AV-30 has proven to be a reliable, stable instrument—despite my running some non-final software from time to time—with a bright, crisp display. It costs a reasonable $1595; with the AV-Link dongle a $299 add-on and the tailBeaconX Mode S transponder ringing in at $2499 that gets you a diversity-enabled device with ADS-B Out capabilities.

This is a colloquial term for any color graphics display in a cockpit. Glass Cockpit Displays refers to any aircraft in which the primary instruments are located within a single primary flight display (PFD) or Multi-Function Display (MFD) that looks like a computer screen – a large, flat, glass-panel display. This term is well known but actually refers to the introduction of Flight Management Systems (FMS) in the 1970’s. Glass Cockpit Displays has largely replaced the numerous analogue instruments found in military and commercial aircraft. Glass cockpits usually display GPS navigation, GPWS, TCAS and weather information. The glass cockpit display can reflect different display styles.

It turns out that aircraft owners who upgrade their cockpits with the latest glass-panel avionics share some interesting similarities with shoppers for smartphones, flat-screen TVs, laptops or just about any other broadly adopted consumer electronics product.When the first smartphones hit the market several years ago they were cumbersome to use, lacked capabilities and cost a small fortune. Early adopters had to have them, of course, but most people held onto their old phones, at least for a while. Over time, smartphone technology improved dramatically and prices dropped, the two ingredients necessary to attract a mass audience.The market for retrofit avionics has followed a similar trajectory. The first retrofit EFIS products to reach the market a couple of decades ago couldn’t do much beyond replacing a blue-over-brown electromechanical attitude indicator with a color screen. Despite the astronomical prices for these rudimentary early products, some aircraft owners just had to have them. Most aircraft owners said thanks but no thanks.

Next came active-matrix LCD displays and early versions of synthetic vision, which represented an important technological leap but still were priced out of the reach of most buyers. Again, early adopters couldn’t reach for their checkbooks fast enough, while the majority of pilots watched the market with curiosity but without any overwhelming compulsion to upgrade their old but serviceable six-pack instrument clusters with the shiny new glass displays.

Fast-forward to 2018 and that’s all changing. Suddenly, prices for retrofit avionics have come way down and functionalities have exploded. After the FAA relaxed avionics certification rules a couple of years ago, products originally destined for the Experimental market, such as the Garmin G5 display and Dynon D10A EFIS, were made available to owners of Part 23 piston airplanes for enticingly low prices. Those who faced expensive repair bills to fix or replace older electromechanical instruments realized they could make the relics in their panels magically disappear forever by purchasing a new solid-state EFIS with built-in inertial sensors and backup battery for about the same price as a replacement mechanical ADI.

The FAA sweetened the pot last year by allowing approval of non-TSO’d autopilots in Part 23 airplanes. Suddenly, an owner of an aging piston airplane like a Cessna Skylane or Piper Archer could upgrade to state-of-the-art glass displays and autopilots from a half-dozen manufacturers for prices that make sound economic sense.

While this revolutionary change was occurring at the low end of the market, several avionics-makers began introducing highly capable retrofit avionics systems for high-performance piston airplanes, turboprops and light jets that could transform dinosaurs into technological beasts boasting the same capabilities, or in some cases better capabilities, than new airplanes rolling out of the factory.

Clearly, the market for retrofit avionics has matured beyond the early adopter stage. According to the Aircraft Electronics Association, retrofit avionics sales exploded last year, surging more than 20 percent over the previous year. So far this year the trend is continuing, with retrofit avionics sales rising another 12.6 percent versus last year. We’re well into the “early majority” stage that product marketers so covet, soon to be followed by the “late majority” of buyers and finally the “laggards” who will upgrade their crusty old Skyhawks only after everyone else on the field is already flying with upgraded avionics.

Of course, there will always be those pilots who prefer flying with round instruments to glass, and that’s OK — but let’s face it: They haven’t made it this far in the article to know we’re talking about them.

For the rest of us — the “majority” of pilots, who understand the value of the latest cockpit technology — we want to know what the newest products to hit the market can do for us and what they cost. On the next pages we’ll take a look at what’s new in the retrofit avionics market today.

When the FAA a couple of years ago relaxed approval standards for certain avionics in certified Part 23 airplanes, it opened a pathway for manufacturers to skip the lengthy and expensive TSO certification pathway and create new products for general aviation based on ASTM standards rather than the cumbersome DO-178 standards for software, in the process sometimes slashing millions of dollars from the development costs of a single product. By achieving parts manufacturing approval (PMA) and supplemental type certification (STC) for products more typical of Experimental-category avionics, manufacturers were able to bring prices down considerably for hundreds of types through the approved model list (AML) process. Even the avionics manufacturers themselves say they did not anticipate how quickly aircraft owners would adopt these products, but it turns out that the combination of lower prices and additional capabilities makes for a winning formula.

Touchscreens are going mainstream, and why not? As long as an alternative means of entering information in turbulence is offered, touch interfaces clearly are superior, as we all learned the first time we picked up an iPad. Garmin’s new touch-series cockpits, the G500 TXi and G600 TXi, incorporate touchscreens and superfast computer processors that support lightning-quick map and chart rendering, fast panning and single-finger zoom and pinch-to-zoom capabilities.

Three TXi display sizes are available, offering flexibility for panel configurations. Our favorite is the large 10.6-inch display, which just looks right in the panel of an airplane like a Beech Bonanza. There are also two versions of 7-inch displays, in portrait and landscape orientations. The 10.6-inch display can operate as a PFD, MFD or optional integrated engine indication display. The 7-inch portrait display can be dedicated to any one of those functions, while the 7-inch landscape unit is available exclusively as an engine display. The G500 TXi system is intended for Part 23 Class I/II aircraft under 6,000 pounds, and the G600 TXi for Class III aircraft weighing up to 12,500 pounds.

When the TXi series is paired with a GTN 650/750 touch-screen navigator, Connext wireless connectivity offers additional capabilities. Flight Stream 510 is an option with the GTN 650/750, which enables Database Concierge, the wireless transfer of aviation databases from the Garmin Pilot app on a mobile device to a GTN and the TXi system. Flight Stream 510 can also share information with compatible mobile devices running Garmin Pilot or ForeFlight Mobile, including two-way flight-plan transfer, traffic, weather, GPS information and backup attitude information.

BendixKing has been on a roll lately, introducing several new products that are turning heads and giving competitors reason to believe the storied brand is back in a big way.

The new AeroVue Touch cockpit introduced this spring is a single-box PFD retrofit option for certified general aviation aircraft that will be available for installation on 353 different aircraft types through an AML STC. AeroVue Touch features a 10.1-inch touchscreen and a “near-4K” high-resolution display offering the choice of a full-screen PFD or a split-screen shared with a moving map and other flight information. Large display buttons and infrared scanning allow easy use even by gloved hands, BendixKing says, and shallow menus provide access to all system functions with a maximum of four touches.

Additional features of the cockpit include Honeywell’s SmartView synthetic-vision system, 2D and 3D moving maps and taxi diagrams, and VFR sectional charts and IFR high- and low-altitude charts. Pilots can update databases via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or through a dedicated USB-C port.

Dynon Avionics made its mark in aviation with a highly capable portfolio of products for the Experimental market. Now, the company is beginning to seriously encroach on the market for certified avionics. It has received its first supplemental type certificate for the SkyView HDX avionics system aimed initially at older Cessna Skyhawks. Cessna owners can now replace the vast majority of their legacy instruments with a SkyView HDX system offering complete primary flight instrumentation and a whole lot more.

The SkyView HDX cockpit includes synthetic vision angle of attack indication and engine monitoring with CHTs, EGTs, fuel flow, fuel computer and lean assist. Dynon’s integrated two-axis autopilot also earns approval for IFR-approach capability when SkyView is integrated with a compatible GPS navigator. The approved installation includes a Mode S transponder with 2020-compliant ADS-B Out capability and moving map with ADS-B traffic and weather overlay. The backup flight instrument is the Dynon D10A, which has a built-in backup battery.

Aspen Avionics has followed the path forged by Dynon and Garmin by introducing its own non-TSO’d electronic flight instruments for owners of Part 23-certified airplanes. Aspen’s new Evolution E5 flight instrument, unveiled this spring, is essentially the same unit as the latest certified Aspen products but with features geared toward buyers looking to keep costs in check.

The Evolution E5 display consolidates traditional attitude indicator, directional gyro and course deviation indicator instruments into a single display that retails for just under $5,000. The E5 unit also includes global positioning system steering (GPSS) and air-data computer and attitude heading reference system (ADAHRS), as well as a backup battery. Aircraft owners can also upgrade to the Evolution E5 display and a compatible TruTrak Vizion autopilot for less than $10,000, Aspen says.

What we like best about the E5 6-inch active-matrix LCD is that it’s brighter and more vibrant than previous Evolution displays, while retaining Aspen’s ingenious form factor intended to keep installation costs down by slotting into the panel space of electro­mechanical attitude and heading indicators.

BendixKing’s AeroVue cockpit is the latest to receive FAA certification in the Beechcraft King Air 200, bringing “business jet technology and functionality” to the twin turboprop’s cockpit. We visited BendixKing’s test center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to put that claim to the test and came away impressed. The AeroVue cockpit for the King Air is a worthy competitor from a company that’s clearly focused on regaining a leadership position in the market.

The AeroVue integrated avionics package is similar in form and function to the Apex glass cockpit in the Pilatus PC-12 NG turboprop single, which pilots have been raving about since its introduction.

The AeroVue system incorporates three high-resolution 12-inch LCDs featuring Honeywell’s SmartView synthetic-vision system. AeroVue also includes a full flight management system and HUD-like symbology on the primary flight display. The flight deck includes an excellent cursor control device mounted on the center console next to an alphanumeric keypad.

Garmin’s G1000 NXi is a faster, modernized successor to the original G1000 cockpit now available in the King Air 200 and 300/350 models. Thanks to its improved computer processors, the system supports faster map rendering and smoother panning throughout the displays, which now initialize within seconds after start-up.

Garmin’s Connext wireless connectivity can optionally transfer aviation databases from the Garmin Pilot app on a mobile device to the G1000 NXi, as well as support two-way flight plan transfer, the sharing of traffic, weather, GPS information and backup attitude data with compatible mobile devices running Garmin Pilot or ForeFlight mobile.

G1000 NXi also supports geographical map overlays within the HSI of the PFD, as well as animated Nexrad graphics, FIS-B weather, weather radar, SafeTaxi airport diagrams, traffic and terrain information, and a whole lot more.

Sandel is attacking the King Air retrofit market with a retrofit cockpit called Avilon that is unusual for a few reasons, most notably its “guaranteed” installed price of $175,000, well below the price of cockpits from Garmin, Rockwell Collins and BendixKing.

The Avilon avionics system includes four large LCD flight displays, two smaller data-entry touchscreens, radios, flight management computers, dual AHRS, audio panel, ADS-B-compliant Mode S transponder, and flight director/autopilot (minus the autopilot servos, which are retained).

That’s a lot of features for not a lot of dough. The price is piquing the interest of King Air 200 owners who have been quoted prices of close to $100,000 just for the labor to install competing systems.

Sandel Avionics president and CEO Gerry Block explains that the installation cost is predicted to be so low because the entire Avilon instrument panel is shipped to dealers as essentially one piece.

The system is currently flying in a company King Air 200 certification test bed, with certification expected by this fall. Sandel says it has partnered with three dealers in the United States (Stevens Aviation, Cutter Aviation and Landmark Aviation) and one in Canada (Rocky Mountain Aircraft), which have all agreed to honor the guaranteed $175,000 fly-away price.

“There are a lot of King Air cockpit retrofit choices, but very few people have been buying them because they are just too expensive to justify,” Block says. “We think this price and the capability our cockpit offers will get a lot of King Air operators off the fence.”

The IS&S 10” Flat Panel Display is a self-contained display unit with a built-in Symbol Generator, offering superior performance with a high resolution XGA multi-color LCD flat panel display.  The 6×8 inch viewing area (10.4” diagonal) provides enhanced readability, an 80 degree viewing angle, NVIS compliant display lighting, and a non-glare, anti-reflective display surface. The […]

IS&S has developed a highly flexible flat panel display for commercial and military aircraft. Its unique design concept permits rapid modification of graphic display formats, and more importantly, rapid certification by the FAA, or other cognizant authorities through its patented integrity monitoring system. The display system is ideally suited for applications of primary flight/navigation display, […]

IS&S has developed a highly flexible flat panel display for commercial and military aircraft. The 17” LCAC Flat Panel Display Unit is a self-contained analog display unit. It is capable of taking in digital and analog RGB computer video as well as RS343 video. The Display Unit will automatically display video when a valid signal […]

The 20” Flat panel display utilizes AMLCD glass. Designed to last for 20+ years, IS&S flat panel display systems accept changing technology as a fact, and builds its architecture around this. The display is light weight, has a shallow depth, sunlight readable and has low power requirements, utilizing natural convective cooling. The Multifunction Display (MFD) […]

The IS&S Engine Instrument Display System (EIDS) is designed specifically as a value-added, low-cost upgrade of the engine instrument cluster.  This easily retrofitted replacement system is compatible with existing cockpit configurations.  It provides all existing engine related parameters and surface position indicators.

The glass cockpit is one of those technological advancements that sneaks up on you. Many pilots treat the Garmin G1000 and other such systems as if they are some passing fad, even though they have been standard equipment on new airplanes for more than a decade. In fact, glass cockpits have been around longer than the iPhone, but while Apple’s smartphone is considered an essential part of daily life, Garmin’s avionics suite is viewed with suspicion by those who’ve never flown it.

Part of the reason glass cockpits are still relatively rare in general aviation is obviously cost – $30,000 is a lot to spend on avionics when the airplane is only worth $40,000. But that is beginning to change, with new products from Garmin and Dynon pushing the price down below $10,000. As this new generation of retrofit glass cockpits makes its way into the general aviation fleet, it’s a good time to elevate the discussion about the relative merits and safety record of such equipment. Right now, the subject is defined more by hangar flying wisdom than hard data.

For example, theoft-cited NTSB study showing that glass cockpit airplanes are no safer (and perhaps even less safe) than traditional analog cockpit airplanes is now more than ten years old. The accident rate for Cirrus Aircraft’s SR series, the most common glass cockpit airplanes, has changed dramatically in that time. By mostobjective measures, these technologically advanced airplanes now have a better safety record than the general aviation fleet average (see chart below). Such a trend doesn’t square with the idea that primary flight displays (PFDs) are bad for safety.

More importantly, hardly any of these safety studies control for exposure – the fact that higher priced, more capable airplanes are often flown on longer cross country trips and in worse weather. Quantifying this difference in exposure is difficult, but it’s likely that, compared to a steam gauge Cessna 150, the owner of a brand new Cessna 206 with a glass cockpit might fly the airplane more often, frequently single pilot, and in IMC. Without considering this critical difference, most of the accident rates are just statistical noise.

To get a feel for the accident trends, I read every Cirrus fatal accident report for three years before the Avidyne Entegra was introduced in 2003, then compared it to a three-year period after glass cockpits were standard. Again, the exposure is dramatically different (partially because Cirrus built a lot more airplanes between 2004 and 2007), so calculating a glass vs. steam accident rate is almost impossible, but the individual accidents still offer lots of lessons. Here’s a representative sample of NTSB probable causes before the introduction of glass cockpits: spatial disorientation, poor IFR technique on approach, VFR-into-IMC (more than one), stall/spin (one after takeoff on a hot day, one by a pilot very new to the airplane).

And after glass cockpits became the norm? The causes are depressingly similar: stall/spin, low pass leading to a stall, low level formation with glider in the mountains leading to controlled flight into terrain, in-flight icing, and of course VFR-into-IMC. Buzzing a friend at 50 feet or continuing into worsening weather are bad ideas no matter what the avionics – a fancy panel should neither tempt you to make these mistakes nor be expected to save you if you do.

I did the same exercise for Cessna 172s, where the G1000 became an option in 2005. Once again, glass cockpits have not invented new ways to crash airplanes: stalls and VFR-into-IMC were common causes. With one exception (a Cirrus crashed after the primary flight display failed and the pilot could not maintain control on the backup instruments), the move to digital flight instruments does seem to have slightly reduced the frequency of accidents caused by partial panel flying since there are no vacuum pumps to fail in a G1000.

As the avionics market evolves, another question becomes hard to answer: what is a glass cockpit, anyway? A steam gauge Cirrus with a large moving map, dual WAAS GPSs, TAWS, and an autopilot is pretty well equipped, but it’s not technically “glass.” Similarly, the Pilatus PC-12 began life with 4″ EFIS tubes for the attitude indicator and HSI, plus a GPS and autopilot; the latest models include a 4-screen, flat panel Honeywell Apex system. Is the old version “analog” simply because the airspeed indicator and altimeter are dials instead of screens? How about a 1965 Bonanza with a single screen Aspen Evolution display – is it a completely different airplane with the mechanical gyro replaced?

If all this discussion proves anything, it’s that we are overthinking the whole glass vs. analog issue. After all, glass cockpits were created to make flying easier and safer, not as some conspiracy to kill pilots. The changes simply aren’t that dramatic. The wings are the same on that Bonanza no matter what the avionics are, and so are the flight controls, approach speeds, fuel endurance, and stall characteristics.

Sure, there are large multi-function displays, but this is not really new – Garmin 530s were around for many years before the G1000, and early Cirrus models had a large Avidyne map screen without a PFD. Glass cockpits also have HSIs, but those have been around for decades (and are a major upgrade over precessing gyros anyway).

The key place to start is mindset: relax. It may be slightly intimidating the first time you sit in the left seat of a glass cockpit airplane, but that’s mostly because a big PFD can present much more information, including winds aloft, nearest airports, and the active flight plan. Remember that information is there to help, and you can turn most of it off if it’s distracting. In fact, you should probably start your glass cockpit flying with most of those extras turned off.

One criticism is valid: there isn’t a lot of “glance value” on an integrated glass cockpit. With a standard six pack, you can get a lot of information from the instruments without reading every specific number. If the airspeed indicator is pointing straight down and the altimeter is pointing straight up, you can assume that your airspeed is somewhere in the middle of the green arc and you’re level. Not so with a G1000 – you’ll be tempted to pause and read the exact numbers on the airspeed and altitude tapes.

Some will call this a fatal flaw, but to me it’s just a difference – one whose inconvenience is outweighed by some real benefits. If you find yourself chasing the tapes as they bounce around in flight, consider three more useful habits.

First, set the bugs on the primary flight display whenever possible. Most glass cockpits have knobs that allow the pilot to set bugs for the altitude and heading, and some even have one for the airspeed and vertical speed. These are used to drive the autopilot, but they can be great reminders for hand-flying too. If your clearance is to fly heading 270 and maintain 3,000 feet, set the bugs for those values and follow them. You’ll find it much easier to monitor heading and altitude by taking a quick glance at the bug than continuously reading the numbers on the screen.

Second, get to know how the trend lines work. These are usually magenta lines next to the tapes on the primary flight display, showing what the airspeed or altitude will be six seconds in the future. The taller the trend line, the faster the tapes will be moving, which is your clue that the airplane is not stabilized. This might be OK in a climb, but not if you’re trying to fly straight and level. Many HSIs also include a track vector, a little diamond above the HSI that shows the actual course your airplane is flying over the ground; match this to your desired course and keeping the needle centered becomes much easier. Again, the glance value is more important than the specific numbers here.

Finally, learn the most common profiles for the airplane you fly. For example, if you know that 1700 RPM and 10 degrees of flaps equals 90 knots and a 600 foot-per-minute descent, you can configure the airplane at the final approach fix and then make small adjustments to keep the needles centered. You’ll spend less time chasing tapes and adjusting power if you start out with a ballpark configuration.

Don’t make the mistake of treating all glass cockpits the same. They can vary significantly between manufacturers and even models, so you’ll want to spend some time reading the manual for the system you fly. In particular, focus on the different failure modes and the emergency checklists. For example, what does an AHRS failure look like compared to a screen failure? Are there backup options for the AHRS or the primary flight display? How long can the glass cockpit run