To be a good pilot, one should always be ready to refresh and update their knowledge. This is particularly true for those who fly G1000-equipped aircraft or are flight instructors. It can take some effort to stay ahead of the learning curve, so noted Michael Gaffney, aviation educator and author of the ninth edition of The Complete Garmin G1000: A Pilot’s Handbook.
Gaffney, who was the 2007 National Flight Instructor of the Year, serves as the director of aviation at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant. His experience as a mass educator for the G1000 began 18 years ago with Aviation Supplies & Academics (ASA), where he created study materials for computer-based technology (CBT) meeting FAA Industry Training Standards (FITS). He said he worked hard to keep the material in each book current as Garmin evolves and improves the G1000 system.
There is a lot going on with the G1000, and it’s easy to get bogged down in the buttonology. Gaffney’s book is direct with each chapter beginning with a clearly stated objective, reminiscent of a lesson plan, and ending with review questions to make sure the reader has absorbed salient points.
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According to Gaffney, the book was originally written as a Part 141 course manual and became FITS. Gaffney has been teaching the G1000 since it was introduced, and it comes across in the pages of the book.
“I have been in G1000-equipped 172s, 182s, [and] 206s from Cessna, [Daher] Kodiaks, Mooneys, Beech Barons and Bonanzas, [Piper] Seminoles, Cirrus SR20s and SR22s, and Diamond DA40s and DA42s,” he said. “Our school now has two Cirrus SR20 TRACs and two Piper Seminoles, both featuring the G1000 NXi system. All of this G1000 operational experience led me to re-release this book as a reference textbook for the university classes.”
Gaffney acknowledged that the use of the book is just a piece of the puzzle and that the best learning is multifaceted and ongoing, which is why the text is periodically updated.
“I am constantly in either an aircraft or a simulator, or use the PC sim from Garmin to stay fresh,” he said. “Garmin is always changing—for example, [the] Cirrus G7 featuring a complete touchscreen version of the G3000—and you have to stay current. I read constantly and find myself conveying my experiential knowledge as a university professor of aviation as well as the program director, where standardization is key and safety is paramount.”
The information is presented in concise text with illustrations for more visual learners.
The Complete Garmin G1000: A Pilot’s Handbook (ISBN: 97989886709) is available from Sentia Publishing, Amazon, or at brick-and-mortar bookstores for $75.
More information on the book can be found here.
