Recently we heard from a salty aviator having trouble flying his Aspen PFD even though he’s had it for years. Adding to his frustration, he can fly his legacy round-dial instruments accurately. He believes he’s not alone, and he’s right. What’s going on?
Superficially, you wouldn’t expect much difference between round dials and vertical tapes. A digital PFD is appealing because it’s clean and compact. The absence of boundaries between instruments eliminates the need for the eye to skip over at least two instrument edges before reaching the desired instrument. Your scan is easier, shorter, and less tiring.
