If you’re flying behind round gauges—and plenty of us still are—you need to be ready for critical ones going belly-up. Used correctly, your GPS is a huge asset.
Partial Panel with GPS
Despite the magazine vogue of articles on glass cockpits and technologically advanced airplanes, thousands of us continue to fly steam gauges. A well-equipped steam-gauge airplane enables a competent pilot to fly the same mission that a glass airplane can fly. The Apollo spacecraft were steam-gauge equipped and carried men to the moon.
Key Takeaways:
- A no-gyro emergency in round-gauge aircraft, often from gradual vacuum failure, demands quick recognition using the turn coordinator (bank) and airspeed/altimeter (pitch) after gyros become unreliable.
- Effective navigation and heading control rely on using the turn coordinator in conjunction with GPS ground track (TRK), but pilots must avoid fixating on or over-controlling by the GPS track due to its lag.
- For landing, prioritize the most suitable airport (e.g., VFR conditions, higher minimums) and leverage maximum ATC assistance, opting for simpler approaches and extended intercepts to ensure a stable final approach.
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