Going Glass? Here’s What You Need to Know

While glass cockpits would seem to increase safety, CFI Michael Wildes says pilots have to do their part, too.

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 12:16 AM ET

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While new technology has the potential to make things safer, Michael Wildes says pilots have to do their part, too. Garmin

Key Takeaways:

The general aviation avionics market saw over $1.7 billion in sales in the first three quarters of 2021, with retrofits accounting for over half, helping to prolong the use of aging aircraft.
Despite the potential for improved safety, a 2010 NTSB study found that aircraft equipped with glass cockpits had a higher fatal accident rate, suggesting pilots may struggle with complex systems under pressure.
Effective training programs, like those developed by Cirrus Aircraft and COPA, significantly reduced accident rates for glass cockpit-equipped aircraft, highlighting the importance of mastering these advanced systems.
Pilots are responsible for thoroughly learning and practicing with modern avionics, potentially through ground study and simulators, to fully realize the safety benefits of these updates.

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Last week, the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) unveiled its third-quarter 2021 Avionics Market Report, pointing out that in the first nine months of the year, worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales totaled more than $1.7 billion.

The report explained that 53.7 percent of those avionics sales came from retrofits and 46.3 percent from forward fits. Avionics relate to the electronic systems used on aircraft and include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to perform individual functions.