Advanced flight decks
State-of-the-art avionics change the way pilots fly and train.
By Shannon Forrest
Contributing Writer
The phrase “flying by the seat of your pants” dates to the early days of aviation. According to the Smithsonian, it owes its origin to the beginnings of the air mail routes for which pilots had little in the way of instrumentation, flight controls, or navigational aids.
Rather than receiving information from a data source, pilots relied on instincts, physical sensations, and sometimes luck to make decisions and control the aircraft, often with tragic results.
Weather was typically the pilot’s number one enemy. This prompted development of the artificial horizon or attitude indicator (AI).
In addition to the AI, airspeed indicator, and altimeter, a “full panel” would grow to include a turn coordinator (to back up the AI in the event of failure and to highlight the 3-degree standard turn), a gyroscopic heading indicator (to alleviate the errors of the jumpy compass), and a vertical speed indicator.
These round gauge analog instruments are collectively dubbed the “6-pack.”
Although the instrument functions were standard, their placement varied until the 1970s. General aviation aircraft provide a good example of this. There are noticeable disparities in where on the panel manufacturers put the same instrument across decades of production of the same aircraft model.
Since then, designers, engineers, and even pilots have sought better ways to collate and display information and simplify flight systems. Analog (round gauge) aircraft panels transitioned to a standard “T” configuration in which the basic flight instruments were always positioned in the same place on the panel, irrespective of model or manufacturer.
The “T” refers to the fact that starting from left to right it was always airspeed, attitude, and altimeter, with the heading indicator below the AI, forming the “T.”
A big improvement came when navigation instruments were combined with heading information in the form of the horizon situation indicator (HSI) and radio magnetic indicator (RMI).
Before the advent of these tools, pilots had to look at the VOR, glideslope, and automatic direction finder (ADF) needles on separate instruments and then return their gaze to the primary flight instruments, increasing overall focal scan time and distance.
Many pilots still remember their instrument instructor’s admonitions to scan, cross-check, interpret, and then control the aircraft. The 2 biggest errors were fixation (looking at one instrument too long) and omission (accidentally skipping over an instrument entirely).
Worst of all was navigating or flying an approach using a non-directional beacon (NDB) with an ADF fixed card bearing indicator. The top of the gauge always showed zero, and the bottom 180 degrees, irrespective of aircraft heading. Applying wind correction meant that when the intercept angle equaled the deflection, the aircraft was on the course.
With turbulence, wind, and atmospheric disturbances (the ADF needle would routinely point toward electrical discharges like lightning), flying over any part of the airport meant it was a successful instrument approach. It’s no wonder pilots gave the NDB the facetious moniker “not da best.”
Behold the glass cockpit
It was in the 1970s that the industry began experimenting with replacing the longstanding 6-pack analog gauges with the cathode ray tube (CRT). By the 1980s the basic CRT concept had evolved into the electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) which was being introduced into military and commercial aircraft.
The EFIS changed analog instruments to a digital format and combined multiple instruments into one display. It was developed under the theory that a more comprehensive display was both intuitive and safer.
A couple of disadvantages of CRTs are that they produce heat, and, over time, can lose contrast. Some pilots describe older CRTs as having “burn-in,” or the appearance of faint false images as a carryover from prior depictions not relevant to the current situation. They also tend to wash out in bright sunlight.
Pilots joke that CRTs remind them of the arcade games of the 1980s, which is understandable, given that it’s the same technology. CRTs were eventually replaced with liquid crystal displays (LCDs), which were lighter and offered better resolution. LCDs that replicated the primary flight instruments were known as primary flight displays (PFDs).
However, designers soon realized that information other than dynamic flight parameters could be displayed using a digital format. They did so by incorporating another screen known as a multifunction display (MFD), which could provide a graphic synopsis of the status of aircraft systems, display navigation information, and depict weather and terrain.
As digital displays became commonplace, the term “glass cockpit” came into favor, signifying that all information and instrumentation was now provided by an LCD.
Advanced flight decks
In 2004, Garmin introduced the G1000 to the aviation marketplace. This was the first true glass cockpit for general aviation. Anyone who has flown a G1000-equipped aircraft would describe the cockpit as advanced; however, the term is somewhat subjective.
Studies as far back as the 1980s mention the concept of advanced cockpits, so the theory has been discussed for several decades.
As a result, the definition of advanced cockpit came to mean anything better than what came before.
Today, the consensus for defining an advanced cockpit or flight deck is one that incorporates high-resolution digital displays to transmit essential flight parameters, navigation, weather, and aircraft systems status.
A flight management system (FMS), autothrottles or autothrust, and a highly capable autopilot are also essential.
Flight operations are managed via an intuitive interface that can be operated by a keyboard, moving cursor, or touchscreen.
The most sophisticated advanced flight decks offer high-speed wireless connectivity and integration with 3rd-party and ancillary devices for flight planning and diagnostics.
In 2007, Garmin was awarded an STC to install the G1000 in the Beechcraft King Air 90. Two years later, the STC was extended to include the King Air 200, and in 2012 the King Air 300/350 was added. It’s safe to say that the G1000 ushered in the advanced cockpit trend in all facets of business and personal aviation.
The next evolution of the G1000 is the G1000 NXi, which, in addition to all the advanced features of its predecessor, delivers several notable upgrades.
The displays are designed with improved readability (as a function of new LED backlighting, increased brightness, and better dimming circuitry), faster processing power, and an initialization that takes less than 10 seconds.
An HSI map overlay on the PFD supports weather radar, SafeTaxi, and relative terrain which uses a new 3-color shading for improved contouring. VFR and IFR sectional charts can also be displayed. Synthetic vision is one of the most popular options.
Garmin’s electronic stability and protection (ESP) is included as a flight envelope protection feature that helps to prevent loss of control in flight events. When it comes to collision awareness and avoidance, the G1000 suite can be configured with TCAS II or ADS-B (traffic via the FIS-B network).
Elliott Aviation has installed more G1000 and G1000 NXi suites in King Airs than all other dealers combined, and touts some of the advantages for operators and owners who opt to upgrade to a Garmin advanced flight deck.
Although a retrofit of a G1000 NXi is a complex job – requiring all-new hardware, a new autopilot, and replacement of all existing cockpit wiring from nose to tail – Elliott promises only 3 weeks of downtime on all standalone NXi installations.
On completion of the job, customers are provided with free ground familiarization using Elliott’s King Air G1000 NXi demonstrator, and a familiarization flight if desired. The G1000 NXi is also approved for the Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 series.
Any business jet or turboprop rolling off the assembly line today – or in the past decade – is going to be equipped with an advanced flight deck. For example, the Gulfstream G650/650ER was manufactured with the Honeywell Primus Epic (Gulfstream PlaneView II) integrated avionics system, anchored by 4 vivid large-format, high-resolution displays.
One advantage of advanced flight decks is their ability to display information in different places and in different ways. This allows pilots to customize the interaction to their liking. The PlaneView II synthetic vision can be displayed on a full screen or 2/3 screen, allowing for aircraft status data to be presented simultaneously.
Improving safety
Pilots are understandably curious about the capability ceiling of advanced flight decks. Right now, the focus seems to be on mitigating human error. Loss of control in flight, inadvertent collisions (mostly on the ground), and runway overruns continue to plague the industry. All advanced systems offer some sort of flight envelope protection.
One of the most desirable features is the 2D or 3D depiction of the aircraft when moving on the surface, thus guarding against incursions and reducing the chances of contact with another aircraft.
The Honeywell situational awareness (SA) package within PlaneView II has a predictive landing performance feature that continually assesses the energy state against the available runway distance remaining and will annunciate “Landing distance” if the margins become tight.
If the system determines there’s insufficient runway available to stop, it will advise the crew to “Go around.”
The Collins version of the next-generation flight deck is the Pro Line Fusion.
It is a standard offering on the Gulfstream G280 and Embraer Legacy 450 and Praetor 500, and is available as a retrofit for the Bombardier Challenger 604 and Global series, as well as the Cessna Citation CJ line.
The 3 15.1-inch displays offer a multitude of features that reduce workload and promote SA.
Traditional FMS interfaces can be confusing and difficult to use, but Fusion solves that with point-and-click functionality. Flight plans can be entered, modified, and deleted easily using the map on the MFD.
Electronic checklists with position sensing means that a line item is not complete unless the aircraft determines electronically that it is.
This is a defense against expectation bias, or the tendency of a pilot to believe something has been accomplished just because it has been in the past.
Fusion supports localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approaches, making many more destinations accessible in inclement weather.
Aircraft no longer in production can benefit from advanced cockpit technology in the form of retrofits. In 2024, Universal Avionics announced that the InSight Display System is now available for Hawker 800s. The Hawker retains some of the original round system gauges but replaces the primary flight instruments with a CRT.
In total, 3 high-resolution displays function as PFDs and an MFD, along with 2 smaller touchscreen displays used for system control. The new modules integrate with the Universal FMS.
Changes in pilot training
One major change a pilot will notice when undergoing initial training in an aircraft with an advanced flight deck is a major shift in the learning paradigm.
The days of an examiner asking a candidate to “draw the electrical system from memory” or committing a slew of items to memory are over.
In fact, many functions have been removed from pilot control and handed over to automation. The name of the game is “dark, 12 o’clock, and auto.”
In other words, the normal position of any button, dial, or switch is non-illuminated, set to automatic, and pointed in the up position. Pilots aren’t supposed to touch it unless directed to do so by the system logic.
Even engine failures are not what they used to be, as nearly all advanced aircraft have a compensatory function that adds rudder to assist with directional control when flying on a single engine.
This, combined with fly-by-wire control systems with inherent envelope protection, means flying by the seat of your pants is unlikely, improbable, and in some cases, impossible. For those with thousands of hours flying round gauge or less advanced aircraft, initial training for an advanced flight deck might feel uneasy at first.
It’s as though something is missing – it feels like less pilot, more computer operator. And that exposes a potentially troublesome flaw – an advanced flight deck can make a bad pilot good or a good pilot bad. It can mask deficiencies in weak performers and lull proficient pilots into complacency.
Without a doubt, advanced flight decks have made the job easier and safer. Some would even argue that they’ve made flying more enjoyable. But every now and then it’s prudent to click off those sacrosanct off buttons on the automation, look out at that runway through the windshield, and dust off those pilot skills.
Shannon Forrest is a current line pilot, CRM facilitator, and aviation safety consultant. He has more than 15,000 hrs TT and holds a degree in behavioral psychology.