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 that glass-cockpit aircraft were not inherently safer than conventional ones and showed a higher fatal accident rate, often linked to weather.
• The author posits that the NTSB study's focus on the primary flight display missed that the real safety benefits and hazards stem from advanced "right-hand" displays (MFDs, GPS, weather data).
• These complex advanced avionics can lead to pilot distraction, overconfidence, and taking on more challenging weather, contributing to higher fatal accident rates.
• Effective training, emphasizing both skill and pilot attitude, is crucial for safely leveraging glass cockpit technology and preventing misuse or over-reliance.

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