Cessna 12345, the tower is changing runways. Fly heading 040, direct TILLE to join the localizer for the ILS Runway 1R approach.” How many times have you heard something similar, if not for you then for another airplane on the frequency? If we or they are doing it right, the approach to the first runway was already set up, with the appropriate frequencies dialed in, the approach fully briefed and the procedure plate out for quick reference. And the autopilot was set up to intercept and track the localizer inbound, engage the glideslope and fly you down to the runway.
Now, you’ve got to undo all that: find the new approach plate, dial in/confirm the frequencies, adjust any heading and altitude bugs, brief the new decision height and a different missed approach procedure. That can be a busy time in a single-pilot cockpit, with not much in the way of a margin for error. Depending on the equipment in your panel and the level of automation it allows, you could find yourself head-down, pushing buttons for several seconds, as the airplane goes its merry way. In the process, you’ve likely lost all situational awareness and wound up way behind the airplane at a critical time.
