Flying with "Glass Panel" only?

I looked at a plane where the owner replaced most of the steam gauges with an Integra 6624 and Avmap GPS. If those are lost due to a power loss or lightning strike, the only flight instrument is a compass. No air speed, altimeter, VSI, turn and bank, or gyro's - just compass. So what do you think?

I have always liked having some redundant instruments, and while this is a VFR aircraft if you happen to get into IMC with just a compass it seems like survival gets pretty unlikely. In IFR aircraft you usually have electric, air pressure, and vac powered instruments so no single failure will leave you flying blind.

With the current state of aviation electronics, that have both panel power and an internal battery, would you fly a VFR aircraft with a glass panel that is not just primary, but is the only source of flight information other than mag heading? The Integra and Avmap provide a nice display of more than enough flight information, as long as they keep working.

So you are concerned with instrument loss in a VFR aircraft AND being in IMC. That’s a multiple failure situation with low probability.

Inadvertent flight into IMC is a low possibility. Loss of flight instruments is a low possibility. Inadvertent flight into IMC and loss of instruments at the same time is extremely unlikely.

So let’s consider just loss of instruments in VMC, for now.

When you fly your Kitfox, you have a pretty good idea of what a normal climb pitch looks like. You can see over the nose and the power is up. If you can’t see… the nose is too high. If it’s flat, it’s too low.

You also know what a normal descent looks like. The nose is about flat or slightly low with the horizon and the power is reduced or at idle.

And, you know what level flight looks like with the nose up a few degrees and power set for cruise.

If you don’t have RPM because it was electronic, too, then your ear will probably tell you. If it sounds about right, it probably is close.

I have trained every one of my private pilot students to land without the airspeed using just pitch and power. Afterward, they admitted it’s not a crisis event.

The loss of electronic flight instruments is usually an isolated event. You might lose the instruments, but everything else works fine. The engine still runs, the oil pressure is still good, the temperatures are fine. So it’s not a multiple event failure.

Moral of the story is this: Multiple failures are extremely rare. While we prepare for the worst and hope for the best, there is a level of risk we accept. For a VFR airplane, I would have no problem flying about with a single EFIS display and no backup instruments. If the airplane is flown IFR then I need some independent systems to at least give me partial panel.

My Kitfox has only one gyro. A turn and bank. It's enough to get me out of inadvertent IMC. If I'm VMC and I lose all my instruments, it's not a big deal. I'm accepting the risk that both will not happen at the same time. Not so different from flying with a single EFIS, is it?

Your comfort level may be different.

JP

Finally. I got just two comments, similar, on that other forum. I generally agree with your comments. I was looking for some confirmation I would not be reckless just flying it. Accidents usually happen from a series of mistakes, and the question is really whether flying with just glass could be considered the first mistake if you DID get into IMC and lose instruments. I agree that is a very unlikely scenario. I do live in the Pacific Northwest though, and clouds are pretty much always in the forecast.

The other consideration is that the electronic synthesized instruments, do not give you the same information as steam gauges. For example, airspeed is replaced with ground speed; which is more useful for some things but less useful relative to V speeds. I certainly agree you can fly based on sound and feel and what you can see; but people usually learn the sound and feel related to the target V speeds they are after. I expect you do not start out having students fly without looking at instruments. I know my primary instruction CFI didn't.

The airspeed on EFIS is not replaced with ground speed. Ground speed may also be displayed if the EFIS gets other input, but it is not a substitute for airspeed. There is a pitot static input for air data for airspeed, vsi, altitude, just the same as steam gauges. The only difference is how it is displayed.

Again, I don't see EFIS-only as a problem on a VFR aircraft. In the Pac NW you are likely a better pilot at avoiding IMC and icing than pilots in my area of Texas. And , no... you are certainly not reckless for asking the question. That indicates to me you are thinking ahead of the airplane and planning for possible failures. I wish more pilots had the same thought process.

JP

Well, that helps. Thanks.

Another 2 cents on the topic.
Take a look at some of the panel designs in this section and you will see a number that a glass only. I have a mostly glass panel (one steam type airspeed indicator) with the two primary systems (GPS and EFIS) having independent battery backups. I did decide two split my system up ( separate EFIS, EMS, GPS and COM) which can all talk to each other and are unlikely to all go down together. I also carry a smart phone (with a nice nav app) and a portable radio which adds to the redundancy. I agree with John, you are wise to ask these kind of questions and think through some of the improbable scenarios.With all that said when you are away from controlled airspace and CAVU these are great planes to fly just by the seat of you pants and a smile on your face. :D

I'm one of those. EFIS only, nothing else. It's a VFR airplane that is so easy to fly that I really would consider it a non event to land after an electrical failure of the EFIS. It's something easy to practice, just turn it off

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