If you’re here at EAA AirVenture, chances are you’ve been tempted by some cutting edge device you’ve seen in the display booths. There’s also a good chance you’ve expanded the budget envelope and you’re bringing one of them home with you. Normally, you’d open the box, lay out all the accessories in their plastic bags and pore over the user’s manual in the comfort of your living room or office. But with the whirlwind of meeting people, watching the air show and just plain gawking at airplanes here at Oshkosh, you might not take the usual amount of time as usual to familiarize yourself with your new toy.
If it’s a memory foam seat cushion, noise-canceling headset or some other not-so-complex device, there’s probably no issue with introducing new gear to your cockpit routine. But if you’ve sprung for a new portable navigator or some other device involving unfamiliar software, try to carve out some time for a dry run on the ground. At least the basics ought to be familiar. The new device is going to have features that you haven’t used before. It’s why you bought it. And it makes sense to experience ahead of time how to make them work.
