Going Glass? Here’s What You Need to Know

While glass cockpits would seem to increase safety, CFI Michael Wildes says pilots have to do their part, too.

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 12:16 AM ET

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While new technology has the potential to make things safer, Michael Wildes says pilots have to do their part, too. Garmin

Key Takeaways:

The business and general aviation avionics market was robust in the first nine months of 2021, with over $1.7 billion in sales from both retrofits and new installations, enabling the modernization and prolonged use of aircraft.
Despite their potential for improved piloting ability, a 2010 NTSB study found that glass cockpits initially led to higher fatal accident rates, as pilots often struggled with their complexity under stress.
Dedicated training is critical for safe operation of modern avionics, as demonstrated by Cirrus Aircraft's success in significantly reducing accident rates through specialized pilot courses after an initial period of higher incidents.

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Last week, the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) unveiled its third-quarter 2021 Avionics Market Report, pointing out that in the first nine months of the year, worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales totaled more than $1.7 billion.

The report explained that 53.7 percent of those avionics sales came from retrofits and 46.3 percent from forward fits. Avionics relate to the electronic systems used on aircraft and include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to perform individual functions.