Drinking From the Wrong Glass

I recently heard a radio story about training New Yorkers to use chain saws. Pretty funny deal to a guy who grew up heating on wood and now lives in Maine. One chain-saw expert made this biting comment: Can you believe they sell these things in Home Depot?In a way, thats my take-away from the latest NTSB finding that glass-cockpit aircraft dont appear to be safer than those with conventional instruments. My inbox was all atwitter with people commenting on this, and everyone seemed to think these findings supported their point of view.

Key Takeaways:

• An NTSB study found glass-cockpit aircraft were not inherently safer than conventional ones, noting higher fatal accident rates in glass cockpits, often linked to weather.
• The author attributes this to the NTSB study focusing on the primary flight display (PFD), arguing that actual safety gains and risks arise from the multi-function display (MFD), GPS, and weather data—the "right display."
• Ultimately, glass cockpits are powerful tools that only improve safety and utility when pilots receive thorough training that emphasizes proper philosophy, attitude, and respect for the system, rather than fostering overconfidence or distraction.

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