Less stressful times with N50545

By now you have probably heard about our being handcuffed at gunpoint by the police at Santa Barbara Airport. Our registration number had mistakenly shown up on a stolen aircraft list.

Being detained at gunpoint, handcuffed and placed in two separate police cars, left us shaken enough that we had misgivings about flying home that afternoon—especially using the IFR system that had set us up for this ordeal in the first place. Sleeping at night hasn’t been easy either. Our minds keep replaying the events.

This could, of course, have happened to any pilot. The important point is to turn this into a learning opportunity for everyone involved so this doesn’t happen to innocent pilots again.

Chief Sanchez Apologized

I should note that the Chief of Police at Santa Barbara has called to apologize for our “short detainment”. I explained that we neither asked for nor expected an apology, but I was very appreciative. On the other hand, I explained, it wasn’t the detainment that I objected to. It was that so many guns were trained on us. In fact what bothered me most was not the treatment I had received, but seeing Martha have guns being pointed at her and seeing her being handcuffed.

Chief Sanchez explained that police are not trained to do anything else when they detain an airplane but to treat it as a high-risk traffic stop. The problem is that a high-risk traffic stop involves aiming guns. I said that I understood that the officers followed the procedure for a high-risk traffic stop to the letter. My question is whether that procedure should have been used.

Treating It As a High-Risk Traffic Stop Was Not Necessary

In my view it will be very rare when high-risk traffic stop procedures are appropriate for aircraft.

The aircraft are being intercepted because they are in the IFR/flight-following system. The behavior of these aircraft is very predictable. They have announced to the world who they are, how to reach them, and when and where they are going.

Once on the ground at an airport, they will announce on the radio their destination on the airport. They will taxi to the FBO, and if it is a 172, like we were flying, they will usually be directed to a remote parking spot. The pilot then will tie the airplane down, lock the doors, and walk away from the airplane. The police can then simply walk up to the occupants and talk to them without fear of their attempting to flee. Once the airplane is parked, there is no way to go anywhere. They don’t even have access to a car yet. The suspects will have immobilized themselves.

If, on the other hand, the police set up an interception in a remote area instead of at the FBO, any truly guilty suspect would most likely spot the police cars, as we did, before they pulled into the parking area, realize what is happening, and simply take off from the taxiway before the interception took place. This remote interception procedure only results in abusing the compliant innocent while giving the guilty the opportunity to flee.

For an aircraft flying to a remote airport in the middle of the night, it is possible more extreme measures would be required, but it is unlikely that aircraft would have been using the IFR/flight-following system and be reported. So this situation is unlikely to come up.

Making Sure Procedures Are Changed In The Future

Since this incident happened we have learned that it is not uncommon. And we have been given the details of two other recent cases where innocent pilots have been intercepted as a result of the registration number of a stolen aircraft being re-assigned by the FAA. However, in neither one of those cases were guns drawn and aimed at the pilots.

There are several failure points that result in these mistaken aircraft interceptions happening. Each failure point can and should be corrected.

1. The FAA should not re-assign numbers of stolen aircraft unless the system is changed to protect the users of the aircraft the number is re-assigned to. The registration number on our aircraft, N50545, had been previously assigned to a 1968 C150 that was stolen. According to the owner, the C150 was never found, but the FAA re-assigned the number to our C172 anyway.
2. El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) should check the FAA database before notifying agencies that a stolen aircraft in the IFR system is inbound. Plus, the notifications should distinguish between suspected drug smugglers, terrorists and aircraft thieves. It would have taken only about a minute on www.FAA.gov for them to search the registration number in question to learn that number had been re-assigned to a different aircraft.
3. There needs to be a system for correcting the stolen aircraft database and better coordination between agencies. The aircraft we were flying had been intercepted 18 months ago for the same reason, on a trip by a Cessna employee between the Cessna factory and Wichita, KS. Yet nobody bothered to remove the aircraft from the stolen aircraft list.
4. Police departments should be given Standard Operating Procedures and training regarding meeting suspicious aircraft. Aircraft are different from cars. Plus, police departments should take the 60 seconds or so required to determine that the suspect aircraft has not had the registration number re-assigned and is the correct make and model.

One thing that still bothers me about this case is that the Santa Barbara Police Department is still treating this case as if it were no big deal. I guess it isn’t a big deal if you are on the aiming end of the gun. And I have to admit that nobody was hurt and we and the police returned to our homes that night. Their reports to the press characterize us as” laughing afterwards” and “completely understanding”. The truth is that we were completely cooperative, and what we understood is that it is never wise to argue with a law enforcement officer. There will always be plenty of time for argument later on if you survive the incident.

We were not insulted or offended personally. We just feel that drawing guns on people is dangerous business—not to be done unless it is absolutely necessary. And it will continue to happen to other pilots unless the system is changed.

See the cruise quick links at the bottom of this post

Share the Fun with Pilots and Aviation Enthusiasts

By the third week in January, 2011 when this cruise will take place, you will appreciate SUN ‘n FUN’s goal—to bring together people who share a passion for aviation in a tropical, relaxing, stress-free environment. Join us for this mid-winter “de-icer” and we’ll tour beautiful Grand Cayman Island and Cozumel, soaking up the sun along the way. We’ll also enjoy wonderful food, entertainment and the company of aviation friends.

Take in a Presentation, or Two

During our 5-day journey, Martha and I have been given the honor of hosting two sessions with you while out at sea:

Our first session we call “What We Learned from Flying Around the World”—They always said the world was round, but we never knew it personally until we took off from San Diego heading east and wound up back in San Diego—still heading east. It was a life-changing trip and we’d like to share what we learned about flying in really strange places and the fascinating ways we are all the same, yet different.

Our second session is “How to Avoid Unwanted Adventure and Still Have Fun”—Soon after our own aircraft accident and the discovery of our own sense of vulnerability, we became self-proclaimed “born again pilots.” In this presentation, you will hear about some of our flight adventures and we’ll use these often humorous stories to illustrate how we combine our enthusiasm for flying with principles of safe cross-country travel. You will learn practical and insightful tools for your own risk management.

Of course, Martha and I look forward to enjoying meals and hangar flying with you every chance we get.

Bring the Family … and Enjoy the Ship

In between our presentations (which we hope you’ll attend!), the ship offers an amazing variety of ways to unwind, including:

• Spectacular three-story dining room
• Optional high-end restaurants
• Themed bars and lounges
• Day Spa and Fitness Center
• Expansive Casino
• Five-story theater
• Golf simulators and nine-hole miniature golf course
• Ice-skating rink
• Full-size basketball court
• Rock-climbing wall
• In-line skating track
• Royal Promenade
• Youth and teen facilities

And the Sun isn’t the Only Warm Feeling You’ll Get

Just by taking this vacation, you’ll be helping to promote general aviation. Maybe the best part of SUN ‘n FUN’s first annual cruise is that the net proceeds from it will be used to benefit year ’round educational programs at SUN ‘n FUN and its Florida Air Museum (FAM).

Plan to Join us January 15 through 20, 2011

The SUN ‘n FUN “Wings at Sea” Western Caribbean Cruise boards in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, leaving on January 15th and returning on January 20th. Cabins start at about $688 per person, which includes all meals, recreation, entertainment, taxes and fees—AND Sun ‘n Fun special events and receptions. Your reservation form and more cruise information can be found below.

“Sea” you there!

When it came time to go to video we and our students benefited from these years of refinement and our customer’s results were fantastic. To this day we provide a method for our customers to give us feedback in every course they take. We think that despite all the changes in the technology of how our customers learn (we have gone from chalkboards to overheads, to video tape, to DVD’s for TV, to computer discs, and now the Internet and mobile devices), the key for our customers is that we are constantly striving to make learning clear, simple and fun. We believe you benefit from this whether your next goal is a Sport Pilot Certificate or you are qualifying for high-altitude transatlantic flying. We think this is a large part of the reason we have had a hand in training over half the pilots flying today.

Part of the fun of the last 35 years has been our sweepstakes. (The call to the winner is always great fun!) We have given away over 2 million dollars worth of prizes to lucky winners. The odds of winning are pretty good (about 100,000 to 1) and for our winners, the prizes have fulfilled many dreams. For King Schools’ 35th Anniversary, we put together a very special package of 3 prizes that we believe will continue this tradition in great style.

During our traveling ground school years, Alaska gained a special place in our hearts. We have made over 50 round-trips there from San Diego in our own airplane. We also flew around Alaska a lot in our own airplane and in various other airplanes including a Cessna 185 Skywagon, on both wheels and floats. As part of our 35th Anniversary Sweepstakes, we think it is very fitting that we are giving away an Alaskan seaplane rating and bush flying vacation to a lucky pilot that will put them in touch with that amazing experience. Equally exciting, the winner will also receive a state-of-the-art Redbird TD simulator, plus a KING Get It All Kit of their choice. See pages 36-37 in our Summer/Fall 2010 catalog for all the details!  Don’t have a catalog?  Let us know you want one and we’ll be happy to send one to you, free of charge.

Keep on having fun flying—and learning,

Having just completed our oceanic flight, we also became aware of a safety warning regarding the use of Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC).  The alert warned of the erroneous presentation of Air Traffic Control (ATC) LOG data to a flight crew while in Oceanic FANS CPDLC operation.  The alert was issued by EUROCONTROL for CPDLC problems encountered in the North Atlantic, but it could be a problem anywhere CPDLC is used in oceanic airspace. Though most folks won’t be affected by this, if you do use CPDLC, we wanted to make you aware.

The Safety Warning Message begins: “A recent incident occurred where a (data link) message to climb may have been sent to an aircraft without the ANSP Oceanic Ground System initiating it.”

You can read the entire Red Alert Safety Warning Message on www.skybrary.com.

In the '30's, the Link ANT-18 flight simulator was the cutting edge.

Those first simulators represented the pinnacle of technology and the innovators who created them were driven by a love of aviation and a strong desire to increase safety. Of course, they were also motivated by profits. The first big confirmation that they had a winner came in 1934 when, after experiencing an unacceptable number of aircraft losses during instrument flight, the US Army Air Corps ordered 6 Link trainers at $3,500 each ($43,000 in today’s dollars). These were the first of over 10,000 Link ANT-18 units delivered during WWII. The Link trainers, affectionately called “Blue Boxes”, were so successful at molding proficient instrument pilots that they became a cornerstone of pilot training throughout World War II and for decades beyond.

We have come a long way since those “Blue Boxes”, but the mission of flight simulation remains the same; keeping pilots and their passengers safer by creating and maintaining a high level of proficiency. That is also our goal at King Schools and is why we are so excited to partner with Redbird Flight Simulations.

The Redbird FMX Full Motion Simulator

As Link trainers represented the pinnacle of technology in the 20’s, Redbird is at that peak today. They are delivering an amazingly high amount of safety potential per dollar spent. In fact, their FMX simulator is the first full-motion, full-visual simulator that is affordable by most flight schools.

The Redbird TD Home Simulator - The latest technology at a stunningly low price

You will be especially excited about the Redbird TD. This home simulator will really keep you sharp! Unlike other “desktop” models, the TD desk-mount places the yoke and controls under the table, achieving the feel of a real cockpit while you practice instrument procedures to any airport in the world, or maybe pre-fly that upcoming cross-country. It can also be ordered with either a “glass” or “analog” instrument panel—each option providing realistic system failures. With airplane manufacturers restricting the use of circuit breakers to simulate system failure in the air, a good simulator has become essential in preparing pilots to deal with emergencies—and the Redbird sims really deliver.

We have to tell you though, what we like most about the family of Redbird simulators is that they take advantage of the very latest technology to deliver unheard of capabilities at stunningly low price points. This fits our mission of providing highly effective training that leads to safe, fun flying!

Cessna's New Skycatcher C162

Cessna loaned the Production #1 C162 Skycatcher to King Schools in September so we could begin flying it to provide a model performance on video of the maneuvers a learning pilot has to demonstrate.

We love it. In fact we think it is a game-changer. It gives new hope for an exciting future for flight training.

It is as wide as a Cessna 206. Nearly everyone who took lessons in a C150 or C152 has stories about the difficulty of fitting two people in the airplane. In the Skycatcher you have a feeling of luxurious spaciousness.

It is easy to get in and out of the airplane. The struts connect to the fuselage aft of the cabin doors and the gull-wing doors move up and out of the way. Although the seats don’t adjust (we use cushions), the rudder pedals do adjust forward and backward, and the control stick comes from the panel, leaving the floor area clear.

We loved our time with Cessna's first Skycatcher!

The visibility is fabulous. The view over the panel is great. The side windows come down lower than on most airplanes and, along with the aft strut placement, result in an unrestricted view of the ground passing below. In warm weather it is a delight to taxi the airplane with the doors up for an open air feeling.

It has plenty of power. It seems to just leap off the runway. The great performance is probably the result of having so much power for its weight plus an improved wing.

The G300 avionics system is nearly as capable as the G1000 and is very intuitive and easy to operate.

And to cap it all off the control feel is wonderful—the controls are delightfully responsive without being overly sensitive. This airplane is flat out fun to fly.

I have to tell you that initially we were skeptical about this whole light sport aircraft concept. Our reaction was, “What’s the big deal?” Well the big deal is that Light Sport Certification let Cessna build a far more capable and fun airplane than a Cessna 152 at a price far lower than what the Cessna 152 would cost if it were built today. Cessna really got it right, and that is great news for our entire industry.

I suppose understanding any skill better can lead to greater enjoyment. Perhaps because stress drops when you know more. Or, maybe knowing more just means you get to do more. Whatever the mix, I’m convinced it´s some of both.

You may not know this, but John and Martha hold every FAA category and class of pilot and instructor rating available on their certificates. What has been interesting for them is the discovery that with each new rating or certificate achieved, they would fall in love with flying all over again.

If you are mulling over a 2010 resolution, consider what would “renew your spirit.” Perhaps a new rating is just the thing. And given that it is the dead of winter, studying now will have you ready when good flying weather returns.

If you do commit to a new rating or certificate as your resolution, you´ll want to take an approach that ensures your success. “New Year´s Resolution experts” suggest these tips for getting you there:

• Choose your own path. Choose what you really want in life. If you have a passion for flying, commit to it.
• Make one resolution. Focus your energy on a single goal and you´ll increase the probability of success. It should be a SMART goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-based. This makes a rating or certificate a perfect fit.
• Create a plan. A goal without clear steps is just wishful thinking. If you choose to self-direct your study, you´ll want to review the FAA requirements and create an outline covering all the appropriate areas. KING courses provide you with this plan and automatically track your progress through it.
• Create your plan now. “Those who wait capitulate!” In spite of what we hear about broken resolutions, several studies show that those who commit to a resolution are 10 time more likely to succeed than those who don´t put their plan into action. In short, if it´s worth doing, it´s worth committing to right away.
• Tell your friends and family. If folks know what your goal is, they will ask about it, giving you motivation to keep going. Even better, find a buddy who wants the same rating or certificate and commit to encouraging each other.
• Remind yourself of the benefits. A new rating or certificate has huge payoffs in freedom and experiences. It will help to recall this at regular intervals. If you´re a VFR pilot, think about life above the clouds with your Instrument Rating!
• Reward yourself at smaller milestones. If you use self-directed study you´ll need to figure out where these milestones fit into your plan. KING courses are designed as bite-size learning segments and your progress through the course is automatically tracked, so it will be easy to know when you´ve reached a milestone—we tell you!
• Develop a ritual. With either self-directed study or KING courses, you can study anywhere and anytime. However, you´ll want to make sure you set aside a consistent time to study. This will limit the interruptions and will help set your own expectations.
• Expect the occasional setback. Convince yourself that difficulties encountered are temporary, and need not be a reason to give up altogether. Smaller milestones help here, too. For self-directed study, find sample FAA questions for your current section of study and test yourself to see if you understand what you are learning—you don´t want to find this out after you´re done studying. If you use a KING course, we´ll provide you with targeted FAA questions at the end of each short segment, so you´ll always know your true progress. And our courses automatically create review segments for those areas where you need a little extra work.

By the way, our KING test courses come with both a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and a full refund if you fail the FAA test within one year—which I am confident you won´t.

Still have more questions? Give us a call at 1-800-854-1001. We have a lot of pilots here who would be happy to help.

Happy New Year,

Barry Knuttila
SVP of Marketing and Technology, CFII, MEI

The Garmin G1000 Version 8 offers a new look and feel, plus new capabilities like FlightCharts and SafeTaxi

But now, even during these hard times, our aviation world is changing blindingly fast.  With avionics like the G1000 being computer-driven, a software change can alter how things work with little or no change in the hardware.  For instance, beginning with version 8 of the software, the Garmin G1000 now has a new look and feel, and a lot of new capability such as FliteCharts, SafeTaxi, and the way flight plans are entered and displayed—including the ability to put altitudes and airways into a flight plan. 

 This rapid rate of change has kept us at King Schools busy revising our avionics courses to make sure they match the current version of the software.

 We now have available the latest version of our G1000 course that covers operation of the version 8 and higher systems with the new capability, and their new look and feel.  If you will be flying an aircraft equipped with the G1000, you’ll want this course.  If you have purchased a previous version of the course, we’ll update your old course at half-price—just give us a call to make arrangements.

 As with previous versions, this latest G1000 course includes our procedures trainer so you can practice what you just learned.  Our promise is that after taking this course your hands and eyes will automatically go to the right place.  You’ll be ready to put your new G1000 proficiency to use with a safety pilot. 

 Although with these wonderful new avionics systems it takes a lot of effort to stay current, you’ll never hear us reminiscing about the good old days when the simple words, “Take us back to the airport” could strike fear into the heart of a student.  All it takes these days is a glance at the map on the multi-function display.  Life is good, when you have a G1000—it’s even better when you know how to get the most from it.

We just finished a major upgrade to our course on the Garmin G1000, version 8 (Flying the Garmin G1000). We’re excited about how the course turned out, especially the integrated procedures trainer (no need to sit in your plane to learn your G1000). But while we were teaching mastery of the 125 knobs and buttons on the G1000, we found ourselves appreciating the wonderful tools available to today’s pilots.

Recently, we have been flying the C162 Skycatcher, making video for a new Cessna course (YouTube: First Skycatcher flies to King Schools).  Even that wonderful light sport aircraft has a glass cockpit, and we love flying with the G1000 in our Cessna 172SP (the sweepstakes plane we’re giving away in January!).  Even our super-old Falcon 10 has glass in it, since it was updated to have EFIS and an MFD some time back.

Occasionally, when we take a “round dial” airplane up, we are reminded just how much things have changed. So we thought we’d take a moment and fly through the waypoints of civilian aviation navigation history. Let’s see how this technology came together to enable GPS, the foundations of avionics, and the G1000 in particular:

Departure: ca 1761

Some say the best place to start is at the beginning. So, to see where it all began, we’ll jump back to 1761 when the chronometer combined with the compass and the sextant to give mariners complete open-sea navigation. This was about as low-tech as you could get, yet using a number of stable reference points provided by nature (stars and time), travelers could triangulate their location across the expanse of the seas. As much as technology has evolved, we find that even the most sophisticated navigation system shares traits with this earliest approach.

The earliest set of navigation instruments used star position and time to determine position

Beacons Beckon – Keeping the Home Fires Lit

Fast forward to 1919, when pilots decide to make their own “transmitting” navigational aids—bonfires. Pilots found this simple approach could be used for visual reference flight at night.  Later, these were replaced with light beacons.  Still no real tools or electronics required; just good pilotage and dead-reckoning.

By 1929, the first four-course radio range went into service.  This was a real electronic breakthrough for flight.  Twin towers emitted alternating signals that converged to a steady tone when you were “on the beam”.    The technology was widely used during WWII.  It was a great navaid if you wanted to be “on the beam”.  Anywhere else and you were “on your own” with your gyroscope and altimeter.

Sometimes Delays are a Good Thing!

LORAN Station from the Aleutian Island Chain, ca 1943

It took 10 years before the next historical waypoint to GPS navigation would come along.  It was the war-time development of LOng RAnge Navigation, or LORAN.  This 1940’s system introduced the concept of measuring the time-delay of a signal traveling to a receiver to calculate position—still used in today’s GPS.  Whereas the four-course radio range told you where you should be, LORAN told you where you were.  Knowing where you were as well as where you wanted to go was a big step.

Around the same time that LORAN started, the first Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) radio was used for scheduled airline navigation.

By the 1950’s VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range (VOR) was widely available for US navigation.  Like the four-course radio range, VOR used two transmitters.  But in VOR, the first signal broadcasts an omnidirectional reference signal and the second signal rotates a line-of-sight beam, much like a lighthouse.  This second signal goes 180 degrees out of phase when it rotates 180 degrees from magnetic North.  

When this second signal sweeps the plane, the receiver calculates the phase difference of the two signals and uses this to determine the plane’s current radial from the VOR station. With two VORs, the aircraft’s position can be fixed over the ground.

Alternatively, Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) was added to many VOR stations.  It was based on WWII Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems and used relayed pulse signals and measurement of time delay (remember 1940’s LORAN?) to determine the distance (slant range) to the ground station. Eventually, enough of these VOR stations were linked together to form over 45,000 miles of air highways, or “Victor airways”.

In the 1960’s, we entered the era of solid state and the VOR’s were upgraded to this new, more reliable circuitry.  At the same time, these ground stations took over the duties of their older four-course radio range ancestors and extended “Victor airways” and “jet routes” worldwide.

Navigation Takes it Up a Notch—Way Up

Up ‘til now, much of the groundwork for electronic navigation was already in place.  But the key word here is “groundwork”. That’s because no satellites were used yet and beacons were stationary.  That changed in 1964, when the military navigation satellite constellation known as TRANSIT or the Navy Navigation Satellite System (NAVSAT), became operational. 

Satellite for the TRANSIT system, also known as NAVSTAR

This first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) exploited a discovery made after the Sputnik launch in 1957, when folks realized that the Doppler shift of a moving spacecraft’s (satellite’s) radio signal could be used to determine the location of a receiver on Earth. Satellite navigation was an amazing feat.  Still, for us pilots, there was a serious trade-off.  Although its range covered the entire Earth with 200m accuracy, hourly updates were the most it could deliver–a win for ships, but not too useful for planes.  And since it was military use only, even that point was moot.  At least satellites were now on the stage.

The Birth of Avionics

For avionics, 1968 was a banner year.  Components in the aircraft of the day each had their own dedicated wiring and connections.   With the advent of many new devices, things under the hood were getting pretty complicated.  This is when the military’s idea of a “multiplexed avionics data bus” first surfaced, an idea not too different from today’s USB port. The thought was that if you could take the data from each component, tag it with an “address”, then send all the data down a single wire to be sorted on the other end, you could eliminate lots of wires, connections and weight.  That year, an F-15 was tested with such a platform and out of this came Mil-Std-1533B.  This was the interface standard that would shape the future avionics, making them more reliable, lighter and cheaper.

It’s the 70’s.  And while folks were starting to try on clothes made of  new “synthetic fabric”, the military was working to synthesize flight information.  To date, most flight systems were individual mechanical, electric or magnetic components, with radio being the most sophisticated thing on board.  Wanting more “intel”, the military set out to integrate various types of new sensors into aircraft, with the goal of tying this information together using “aviation electronics” or “avionics”, a  buzz word we still use today.

The military was also beginning to build out GPS.  The first of dozens of satellites to follow launched in 1976.

This NASA 737 cockpit shows the co-pilot's position upgraded to monochromatic electronic flight displays. The pilot side was not yet modified. ca 1974

NASA was busy, too.  Recognizing how complex transport aircraft had become—with more than a hundred cockpit instruments and controls—NASA sought to develop a way for pilots to display “situational awareness”.  The result?  The first full glass cockpit demonstrator.  It was a rousing success and the commercial industry quickly adopted the concept, with the MD-80 first to roll out “glass” in 1979.  Other commercial planes were soon to follow.

Around that same time, the ground-based Omega very low frequency worldwide navaid was being used by the airlines.  It could be considered a very low frequency version of LORAN.  Although it had 1-2 mile accuracy, those who could afford it could supplement it with expensive self-contained Inertial Navigation Systems (INS)—think big gyroscope coupled with an ability to track every change in position from a pilot-entered starting point.

So, now, we have a proven satellite navigation system (still military) and a glass cockpit (still commercial).  We just need to put the two together and make it available and cheap enough for General Aviation!

The ball would be set rolling by a tragic event in 1983.  Due to the inaccuracies of current commercial navigation systems, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down when it unknowingly wandered into USSR airspace.  President Reagan responded by issuing a directive to open up GPS development for civilian purposes.

GPS Goes Up, Civil Avionics Speeds Up

In 1987, the first glass cockpit went into non-airline service.  Gulfstream had taken a big chance and bet on a cockpit whose dials were “drawn” by cathode-ray tubes.  The bet paid off and the Gulfstream IV business jet set a new standard in civil aviation.

Gulfstream delivers the first General Aviation craft delivered with a glass cockpit

At this time, GPS was not yet ready for use, yet several parallel developments were based in it.  Among these was the successful project in 1991 that interfaced the first portable/panel mounted GPS with autopilot.

In the beginning of 1994, the 24th GPS satellite was placed into in orbit, completing the constellation.  By early 1995, the new GPS system, called NAVSTAR was declared fully operational. Now, just like the earliest mariners, travelers could look to the “stars” for guidance.

GA Gets a Constellation Prize

In 1996, President Clinton, recognizing the importance of GPS to civilian users, declared it a dual-use national asset.  At this time, in the interest of security, only a Selective Availability (SA) signal was made available to civilians.  SA effectively increased positional error, but GPS receivers were now approved for IFR!  The military also made GPS their primary system and decommissioned their TRANSIT system. 

In 1998, Vice President Gore commissioned the upgrade of GPS to provide two additional civilian signals enhancing accuracy and reliability for aviation use.  Two years later, Selective Availability was removed, instantly improving civilian GPS precision.  Within 10 years, 31 GPS satellites would be in orbit, providing redundancy and precision to 15 meters.  Why not better than 15 meters?  We’ll get to that in a moment.

Crystal Glass

Let’s catch up on the glass cockpit.  By the end of the decade and with the help of mass-marketed PC’s and TV’s to drive costs down, the vibrant color, reliability and low power requirements of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens had replaced cathode-ray tube displays.  Today’s familiar full-color screens became available at a cost we GA pilots could finally affordafford, GPS and all!

Final Approach…

That brings us back to where we started, which is today’s Glass Cockpit.  So, here’s a review of the events or “waypoints” that got us here:

Historic events that enabled GPS for GA

• The earlier mariners looked to space for their navigation
• The 1919 bonfires showed us that we can “transmit” waypoints
• In 1929, we learned that radio signals could establish navigation paths
• In 1940’s LORAN, we learned that signal transit times could be used for triangulating position
• In 1957 Sputnik showed us that satellites could be used for navigation
• In 1994 the 24th GPS satellite completed the constellation
• In 1996 President Clinton made GPS available to General Aviation

Historic events that enabled the Glass Cockpit for GA

• In 1968, the idea of a “digital data bus” made way for lighter, cheaper and more reliable avionics systems
• In the 1970’s the military adds new sensors to aircraft and integrates the results
• At the same time, NASA demonstrates the first all-glass cathode-ray cockpit
• In 1987, the first GA Glass Cockpit goes into service
• In the late 90’s, LCD screen production for PC’s and TV’s lowers the production cost for LCD-based cockpit screen.

GPS in the Nutshell

Since we’re here, let’s take a closer look at how GPS works for us pilots.  Then we’ll circle back to the finish what we started on—the G1000. 

GPS receivers use the constantly emitting GPS satellite signals that all the satellites send in unison.  Based on the time it takes to receive three satellite’s signals and the Doppler Effect of each signal, a series of computer calculations can narrow the position of your receiver to one of two places—a point close to Earth and a point far into space.  It’s a reasonable assumption (we hope) that you are not in space, so the computer can always pick the point closest to Earth.  From this, your position relative to ground can then be determined.

But believe it or not, the speed of light causes some trouble for us here.  It is used in the calculations and since the satellite signals travel for only an extremely short duration, (micro-seconds) GPS is very sensitive to the accuracy of your GPS receiver’s clock.  To address this, you simply need to have a really, really expensive atomic clock on board, right?

We know that the cost of GPS has come way down, so we couldn’t possibly have an atomic clock in our receiver.  The receiver manufacturers must have done something, right?  What did the manufacturers do?  Actually, some very cleaver folks realized that if they used a fourth satellite, they could check where the first three satellites say you are, then compare this to the distance to the 4th satellite—four equations (4 satellites) for four unknowns (x,y,z,time).  Since the satellites all have atomic clocks, any discrepancy would be due to error in your clock.  The good news is that this can be used to compensate your system and provide you with accurate (and inexpensive) position results down to 15 meters!  Amazing!

Why not better than 15 meters?  Because GPS uses signal timing to determine position and although we figured out the expensive clock issue, there was another troublemaker lurking in our atmosphere.  Apparently, when the ionosphere “billows”, it slows down the GPS signals, throwing off our readings.  Once again, cleaver folks stepped in to figure this out and with a few more ground stations and satellites, came up with the Wide Area Augmentation System or WAAS.

WAAS first became available to General Aviation in 2003.  Using what’s called Differential GPS, its sole job is to tell your receiver how to compensate for changes in the atmosphere.  If you have equipment that supports WAAS, then you can count on accuracy down to 3 meters.  Sounds almost good enough to use for automated landings, but that’s LAAS and that’s another story!

It’s been a long journey through history.  We hope you’ve enjoyed your flight.

We started this blog by talking about our updated G1000 version 8 course, which lead to looking at the historical breakthroughs that made GPS and avionics possible.  The exciting part is that this is just the start.  Within the GPS and avionics framework, so many other navaids became possible.  For the G1000, it is things like:

• Moving map display
• Flight Director and Autopilot
• Vertical Navigation
• Terrain display and warning
• Real-time weather overlays
• 3D Virtual Reality landscape
• Traffic Information Services (TIS) alerts
• Wide Area Augmentation Service (WAAS)

And these merely scratch the surface of what the Garmin G1000 can do.  Like most avionics today, it only helps if you know how to use it!  We think you’ll agree that GA cockpits have come a long way and we like where they’ve landed.

Even so, most of us never give any thought to supporting business aviation politically. We rely on organizations like NBAA to carry our water for us. That’s what they do. And I might add that they do it very well and very professionally. Most of us just want to run our businesses and leave the government to NBAA. All we want from the government is to be left alone. We are a self-reliant group.

The problem is that government isn’t going to leave us alone. Business aviation is taking it on the chin in Congress and in the sphere of public opinion. If we want to keep things the same, we’re going to have to make some changes.

As good as NBAA is, and they are the best there is—we couldn’t have better representation than them—they can’t do it without us.

The problem is that they are professionals, and they are seen that way by members of Congress and their staff. When a member of the aviation community speaks up, they have much more authenticity.

OK, so what do I want you to do? Well first of all, if you use your airplane for business, and you haven’t already done so, you should join NBAA. You may think NBAA is just for the big operators with multiple big jet airplanes. That’s exactly what those in Congress who oppose business aviation would like you to think. They want to divide and conquer. NBAA strongly supports all business aviation, and they need our support.

Then I think you should go to the NBAA Convention in Orlando October 20th through 22nd, to learn more about the issues. They have a track for business operators with only one or two aircraft, from pistons up through light jets.

 
They’ll have all these airplanes on display.

They’ll have seminars on subjects like:

• Contract jet fuel programs that can save us up to 50 cents per gallon on nearly every purchase
• How to save money and hassles through good tax planning for your airplane
• How using the internet and mobile technology can make it much easier to plan our trips, file our flight plans, and know in advance the clearance ATC plans to give us

Plus, Martha and I will do a seminar on stepping up to jets. We’ll tell folks the things that we wish we had been told before we made that big step—including the big-time and expensive maintenance surprises that were in store for us.

Finally, when you are needed, step up to the plate and tell your Congressman, Senators, and local politicians the reality about issues involving business aviation.

Folks, please join us in Orlando October 20th through 22nd. You’ll be glad you did.

We’ll see you there.