For more information please email :
For more information please email :
Approved in Normal Category based on FAR 23. This document must be carried in the airplane at all times and be kept within the reach of the pilot during all flight operations.
THIS HANDBOOK INCLUDES THE MATERIAL REQUIRED TO BE FURNISHED TO THE PILOT BY FAR PART 23 AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PROVIDED BY CIRRUS DESIGN AND CONSTITUTES THE FAA APPROVED AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL.
Activating CAPS is deceptively simple – reach up above the pilot’s shoulder and pull the red handle to initiate the CAPS deployment sequence. Anyone in the airplane can do it. Yet there have been several fatal accidents that could have been survivable had the pilot activated CAPS. It works, but Cirrus pilots need to train so they are capable and prepared to use it when they need it. Every Cirrus pilot should obtain CAPS training by completing the CAPS Training Syllabus. The following information is meant to guide a pilot’s decision making regarding when and how to use CAPS in an emergency.
The system revolves around groups, and pages within those groups. You will also hear the groups called books or chapters. The big knob is used to change between groups and the little knob is used to change between pages in that group. FPL (flight plan) is different as you access that group by pushing the FPL button (in fact, you can see how important it is as it has its own button –we do quite a bit in FPL). PROC (procedures) is also accessed by its own button but is for IFR procedures/approaches.
The groups are; FPL (flight plan), NAV (navigation -called MAP in some systems), WPT (waypoint), AUX (auxiliary), NRST (nearest). In some systems (such as Cirrus Perspective) there are also checklist and engine pages but on most other systems these are accessed in different ways (i.e. directly through an Avidyne MFD).
Within this document the pages will be referred to be abbreviations such as ‘FPL2’ –for FPL group, page 2. There will also be reference to some of the page names such as FPL1 being the “active FPL” and FPL2 being the “FPL catalog”.
If you want to interact within a page then turn the cursor on by pushing the cursor knob in (it’s the same knob that contains the big/little knobs for selection). Now the big knob will generally move the cursor to the field where you want it and the little knob changes that field or starts typing. The cursor knob is also a ‘back’ button so if you find yourself somewhere you don’t want to be, push it once to back out, or successive times to back out each stage until you get to where you do want to be. If you want to just go back to the beginning and start again then press and hold CLR and it will take you back to NAV1.
The menu will give you the options available for where your cursor is or the page you are on. This is a handy little menu and if you are ever unsure of where to go to do what you want the “ask the menu” and the option may be right there.
You will generally interact with the point after. That sounds odd but if you want to insert a waypoint in the FPL then have the cursor on the next point and simply start typing with the little knob –that point will now be inserted before the point you had the cursor on. If you want to activate a leg then have the cursor on the last point of that leg and ask the menu.
FPL2 –the FPL catalog -this is where you enter FPL, name FPL, save FPL, activate FPL, amend FPL and do many more things. It is more important than other FPL pages and therefore listed first. FPL pages are also listed first here as they are the driving force of the system. Program these correctly and you will have a much better experience.
FPL1 –the active FPL –when you activate a FPL, this is where it goes and where you will be automatically sent. Here you can; amend your FPL without affecting the saved copy, activate legs, go direct-to, and a few other items. It is what you fly the aircraft on–i.e. this is what the HSI reads and also what the autopilot follows.
NAV1 –this is where you get sent if you press and hold CLR. It can be a handy page as it contains what leg you are on, time to next point and a CDI for use when you have a (real or simulated) failure of the HSI or PFD.
NAV2 –is a small map page. You can turn the cursor on here and steer the cursor (big and little knobs) to a random point you wish to track to. A simple press of direct-to will send you there.
NAV4 –this page has a compass on it to help you steer in failure modes.
AUX pages –one of these has a scheduler you can set up, another has RAIM prediction.
NRST1 –nearest airports can be handy to have up when on departure so you can easily read how far from your departure airport you are for radio calls.
Program/save your first FPL of the day, quickly (due to battery life), into the catalog (FPL2) when you are doing the internal part of the daily inspection. That will mean you simply have to activate it once the engine is running and not waste fuel/money whilst programming. If it is a long plan then just enter the first few points and the destination –enough to get you up and going to where you can add the other points once you are settled in the cruise. Any successive FPL for the day can be entered/saved in the catalog once you are in the cruise to save time/fuel/money when on the ground. Each airport you will go to (land, touch-and-go) should define the end of a leg.
Know how to enter a lat/long so you can navigate to any point you want.
Stay away from direct-to as much as you possibly can. This leads to many errors, infringements of controlled airspace and lack of awareness of lowest safe altitudes. Direct-to is normally used by those who don’t know how to use the FPL –get to know the FPL!
Know what OBS does. Ask an instructor to show you how you can use this to track outbound from a point in a specified direction or use it to track to an unknown map plot from a known database point. For example, if you have plotted on your map that ‘farmer browns paddock’ is a bearing and distance from waypoint-X then you can use this feature to go there without entering a lat/long.
Pressing ENT when you meant MENU. This will generally not give you the options you want but will “enter” into that points details –therefore dumping you into the WPT pages.
Pressing CLR when you wanted to press and hold CLR. This will now try to delete whatever you had selected as opposed to returning to NAV1. The opposite can also occur where you wanted to delete something but ended up back at NAV1.
Having ‘crossfill’ on when you have to units. This has both units blindly slaved to each other which halves your functionality/safety/awareness and can lead to errors in automation.
The concepts contained here are general in nature and can be used by all however, they are targeted toward glass cockpits and, more specifically, integrated avionics systems.
IFR flight can be fraught with many different ways of pushing buttons to achieve a particular result. A lot of the time, the concepts behind what you want to achieve is lost and, as a result, ‘buttonology’ becomes a large hurdle between different types of avionics systems. This does not have to be the case. With a solid grounding in the basic concepts, your own skills and understanding will improve and so will your ability to move between different avionics suites competently. You will also be free to gain a greater understanding of your main type as the techniques here will allowyou more opportunity to explore the system more fully.
Primary and Secondary Nav (and even tertiary with a second bearing pointer or Aux selection)
It doesn’t matter what type of display you are using or even what nav source you have selected. Your Primary Nav is just that –the one you are using to navigate by. It can be a CDI with the FPL/GPS as its source (many rely on this presentation) or it can be a bearing pointer with a VOR as its source. Whatever the presentation or source this is the one you will be using to navigate by so ensure it is accurate by the usual means (eg Tune/Identify/Test, RAIM or OBS as needed, active leg set correctly etc).You can then use it to navigate by. You just need to make a decision on what you need to complete this particular stage of navigation and achieve it.
Your secondary nav is one that you may switch to soon (so you have it ready to go in the background) or one that is providing you with additional information or awareness. The same rules apply as above in that you need to ensure it is accurate as well by the usual means. Some examples could be:
Select these nav sources as appropriate and change when needed. For example, when using CDI on GPS to track (primary nav), have bearing pointer on an upcoming VOR –change to use the bearing pointer as primary nav (may necessitate change in automation) while you manipulate the CDI (now secondary nav) to whatever track you need next.
Change between the two smoothly and regularly to achieve your aims but ALWAYS be certain of what you Primary Nav is and how you have verified its accuracy. The consequences can be dire otherwise.
A Tertiary Nav can also be seen in some systems and may be a simple distance to a nav source. I find this quite valuable when, for example, flying around terminal areas as it can give me easy reference to Class C airspace range rings so I don’t violate controlled airspace.
The most important com (mostly ATC/CEN/APR etc) should be on com1, mostly due to placement of the aerial and failure mode of the com panel.
You should never train yourself to have a frequency that is audible but that you are not actively listening to. If you are not using that frequency then turn it off. If you are using that frequency then actively listen to it. Many people keep a frequency going and just don’t listen to it or talk over it, treating it as background chatter like kids in the back seat. This then trains you to not listen to the frequency and important safety transmissions will be lost.
You should also train your passengers to pause any conversation whenever they hear any transmission and resume only after you have decided that transmission was not relevant to you. A further action is to study the capabilities of your comm panel and know how you can isolate yourself or various crew to ensure the radio is not over-ridden.
Your most important frequency shall be designated Primary Comm with both com and mic selected. This is the one you will be transmitting on and listening to primarily. It should also have the louder volume of the two comms so you can differentiate. If you have the capability of stereo headsets then this is also an incredibly useful tool for comm awareness.
The secondary com has only com selected so you can listen to it. It should be a lower volume to the primary comm but you must still actively listen to it.
Make definite changes in these so youare always with your primary com. For example, when onapproach into CTAF,ATC will give you traffic/clearance. The next things you need them for are any additional traffic or to cancel SAR so this can become your secondary comm. To change, simply select comm2 (where you have your CTAF frequency) as active (both mic and com active) and adjust the volume as necessary.This now allows you to concentrate on CTAF calls while still listening out on the ATC frequency. If you are departing a CTAF the reverse applies where you switch from CTAF as primary comm to ATC as primary but still listen to the CTAF until out of the vicinity for safety.
Hand Flying –as it states is the most basic form where you simply set attitude by hand.
Flight Director –once you have a system programmed (FMS, FPL etc) you may have a Flight Director (FD) available to you. This will display ‘V-bars’ or similar on your PFD and, if you hand fly the aircraft to keep your attitude within those v-bars, then you will achieve what you have programmed into the FMS/FPL. IN fact, turning on the autopilot simply automates this process and the aircraft flies itself to the v-barsin order to achieve the programmed flight path. What you program into the FMS will keep you safe (as you have considered this and planned to do so) so you should follow the v-bars. If you plan to fly through the v-bars (eg visual on approach and manoeuvring for a landing without time to reprogram the FMS) then you should simply turn it off. Like comms, you should not teach yourself to ignore the visual cues the FD gives you as it is there to keep you safe. It is recommended to turn the FD on for departure so, if you go into weather you can simply follow it and stay safe. Buttons such as a TOGA button facilitate this.
HDG and ALT/IAS/VS –this is a more basic mode of automation that allows you to physically let go of the controls but you still need to manipulate the autopilot controls in order to achieve your aim. As this is our first level of automation with the autopilot on, we should discuss here how you should always activate the autopilot. In basic terms, you should always activate a lateral mode,then activate a vertical mode, verify the settings are all correct, then, and only then, activate the autopilot. Follow this immediately with a paranoid period of surveillance to ensure the autopilot is doing what you desire and keeping you safe. In this example you would sync the HDG bug, arm HDG mode on the autopilot, select your desired altitude on the bug, arm IAS mode, dial up the desired climb speed, check annunciations on PFD (you should see something similar to HDG, IAS 100kt, ALTS) and then activate autopilot. The ALTS will usually be in a different colour as it is in the background, ready to takeover once that ALT has been reached. To differentiate between IAS and VS modes –IAS for going up, VS for coming down is the general rule and, in fact, on many autopilot panels the IAS button is upmost with the VS below it –IAS up, VS down.
NAV and ALT/VNV –this is the next level up and, once programmed properly, requires less input from the pilot. The danger here is that pilots get complacent and allow the aircraft to fly them –this is a dangerous scenario! A pilot should always be thinking ahead, anticipating the autopilots moves and verifying it is doing the correct things. There are always comms and nav frequencies to dial up and identify, secondary nav sources to select and interpret and many other ways to keep an eye on the autopilot –taking selfies is not part of this, nor is answering emails or messages. When using NAV mode you need to be aware that this will simply follow the CDI you haveon your HSI. This means you need to have the correct source and direction (OBS) selected before activating NAV mode. If you need to change between NAV sources (eg from GPS to VOR as you approach a terminal area) you will need to remain safe by revertingto HDG mode or lower, then changing the CDI, verifying correct indications and only then moving back up to NAV mode.
APR –Approach mode generally adds a vertical path to NAV mode such as on a 3D RNAV approach or an ILS. Arm this when committed to the approach but do not expect it to do everything for you. There are many little tricks (like simple ALT select) that can ruin a good approach. You must have all of the other levels of automation ready to use if something does go wrong or be ready with immediate and incredibly accurate hand flying.
These procedures and hints are, again, mainly targeted at glass cockpit users although the concepts can be applied anywhere. For ease of use the procedures also look mainly at integrated systems such as Cirrus Perspective and G1000. A small degree of adaptation to some acronyms and the like may be needed for your specific avionics setup.
If required to track an odd track then you canconsider using OBS to achieve this.
Otherwise/normally:
For example, going YBAF HUUGOYWCK have CDI on GPS with VIMOL-HUUGOactive leg; have bearing pointer 1 on HUUGOand bearing pointer 2 on BN. If your clearance is track to intercept the VIMOL-HUUGOleg then you can use the CDI. If it is dct HUUGOthen turn to the bearing pointer 1. All the time keeping an eye on bearing pointer distance so you know which range ring from BN you are for airspace clearances.
If you are going straight into the soup and are assigned a height/heading then have the runway heading on the heading bug and the CDI set to a spare nav and turned to the assigned heading for after takeoff. This way you can track straight ahead and climb to the assigned altitude (also dialled up). For autopilot use, you can have HDG and IAS pre-selected on the runwayso, once you are up and stable a quick check of the bugs of the PFD and confirmation of autopilot mode on PFD then AP can simply be pushed.
Make system safe (ie back to heading mode)
Manipulate CDI source and tracking (eg active leg or selected radial)
Confirm PFD indications
Return to NAV mode
Ready for tracking direct?
PROC, select, be ready to (but do not) activate
Go to HDG mode
Ask for clearance/traffic and once gained
Activate theapproach
Turn HDG to top of magenta needle (ie tracking direct)
Confirm PFD indications
Return to NAV mode
Check RAIM
Try to achieve a constant descent to the MDA. If the approach has a level segment then try to calculate how you can achieve a constant descent. Factor in any sector entry or holding patterns as extra miles/minutes.
Always have ALT bug set to the current safe (or cleared,if higher) level and discipline yourself to never go through it.
Remember that speed will also change your angle of descent. Use this to your advantage –ie if you are slightly above slope and doing 500fpm then just slow down marginally (keeping to normal speed ranges).
Before going overhead the waypoint you need to be configured and OBS.
Select a Bearing Pointer to GPS source. This is now your Primary Navigation guidance.
Go to HDG mode using the Bearing Pointer for guidance.
You are now free to play with the CDI so OBS it and double check the Bearing Pointer has stayed on the correct point.
Turn CDI to inbound track of the hold. Visualise (or trace with your finger) the holding pattern on the HIS and find a logical sector entry. Confirm this with the heading and the approach plate.
Configure the aircraft (Approach Levelor Approach Descent)
Use HDG to steer around.
Keep Bearing Pointer on GPS so you can see where the waypoint is at all times for added Situational Awareness.
Set HDG for the intercept of the inbound track and intercept.
Turn HDG bug in the direction of the hold to the tail of the CDI, then tweak it a little for wind allowance as needed.
Keep an eye on the bearing pointer to see you pass abeam the waypoint and when this has happened, and you are on the outbound heading, start your timer.
Perform pre-landing checks.
Ensure you are in the correct configuration and speed.
Descend as necessary.
Once time is up turn HDG bug for intercept.
Intercept the inbound track of the hold.
Are you ready for the approach??? (pre-landing checks?, configured? Correct height?, cleared? Etc)
If so, un-OBS the CDI and you may return to NAV mode.
Ensure the waypoints sequence as you pass overhead.
Intercept the descent path. Use ALT bug to keep you safe by dialling it up to each safe height you are over. If there are too many then you can set minima. If the system has a minima set on screen then, instead of setting minima on the ALT bug (at the appropriate time), set the missed approach height ready for that.
Make CTAF calls (SIMPLE –eg 10nm SE leaving 5000’ inbound). At waypoint ‘I’ is convenient as it is not too busy normally and most approaches have this at 10nm.
Ensure CDI scaling is achieved approaching FAF. (LNAV+V, APR, GLP indication etc)
Ensure you are setup for a landing with all checks complete.
Ensure any required lights are activated.
Hand flying from about here gives you a feel for the aircraft ready for your poor weather landing.
Maintain not below MDA.
Wait for missed approach point.
When seeing a break in the cloud also assess the required visibility.
As you approach the missed approach point be ready for the GPS to SUSP.
Remember the basics –mix up, pitch up, power up, gear up, flap up, and set a climbing attitude using HDG bug.
Un-SUSP the GPS (or use the TOGA button) and follow the missed approach procedure as described on the chart with assistance from the HDG bug or NAV.
Once stable, re-engage the autopilot.
Always remember that this procedure only gives 100’ separation from the ground so do not be lax.
More and more people are using flight planning software and apps these days. The problem with that is some gaps may are start to appear in some basic skills. There are a lot of people who would immediately respond to the previous sentence by suggesting going back to paper maps, wizz wheels, pencils, compass, rulers and dividers. I am not of that school and am quite definitely a proponent of Electronic Flight Bags (EFB). I believe these holes have appeared due to a lack of training. A responsible flight school/instructor will add the teaching of EFBs as part of a syllabus, even though it seems to still not be specified in the Manual Of Standards (MOS) by CASA. The wording in the MOS is still taken to exclude EFB but I think this is just an issue of interpretation. When asked to extract information from WAC or other AIP charts, you can do that with maps in any format as long as they are an approved source (eg Ozrunways or Avplan). When asked to use “a navigation computer” or “calculate” there is also no reason that this can’t be done using a recognised/approved electronic calculator as opposed to the manual slide rule. The problems that have seemingly arisen could be attributed to so many people adopting EFBs with minimal training and very few training syllabus catering for this modern approach. I firmly believe that flight schools and instructors have a responsibility to look at how the student will fly post-training and adapt training to suit. There is no merit in training and assessing on paper maps and wizz wheels when that person will not use them once they walk out the door and will try to figure out an EFB by themselves in flight. It’s not only the use of the EFB itself that needs to be taught but also how to incorporate it into operational flight, cockpit management, organisation, placement and the like–eg Single Pilot Resource Management (SRM) or even under the banner of threat and error management. All of these bugs should be ironed out while there is an instructor on board for a bit of added safety.
One of the reasons I believe the use of EFBs has not progressed to where it should be is a lack of understanding of their workings. In order for someone to prove competence to training or testing personnel, a student must know how to demonstrate that they know how to flight plan –NOT just how to put data into an app. For example, when asked how fuel calculations were derived, “I put the correct times into the downloaded aircraft profile” will not suffice whereas “when I created my aircraft profile in my app I referenced the POH to get this (point to it in the POH) fuel burn figure and then the app calculated on the time I put in and it also satisfies a reasonableness/rule-of-thumb/idiot check” should suffice. Generally, a thorough knowledge of how your app arrives at its calculations will satisfy the learning outcomes you are being assessed against. If using an app then it also removes some human factors issues in calculation, transcribing, precision etc and (once understood) makes quick and accurate flight planning a dream. You just need to be aware of the new human factors it introduces and address then using the threat/error model as an example. All of these items could be separate articles in themselves but the crux of this article is just planning a flight and tips on how not to let the app fly you into trouble.
In order to look at this process, let’s look at a simple flight plan in general terms. The terms will be kept generic so the theory can be applied to any location as required. You all know the local nuances of your areas so you can simply apply those to this basic framework. Let’s start with a basic plan –I want to go from A to B.
I know there are many ways where you can put a departure and destination into an EFB and it will suggest routings for you. The problem here is this is where a lot of people start letting the iPad fly them. Keep it simple and just put your departure and destination in as a direct route(I used to do this on either WACs or ERCs to have a look at the route and get a general feel for it).With the EFB you now have a line on a map that allows you to easily visualise the rough route and any complications it may throw at you. You can zoom right out and have a look at the entire route and where on the map it will take you and, at this stage, just look for big things like the EFB trying to take you right across Sydney, through a large restricted airspace or over a large body of water. Your app may even have a feature that will allow you to view the PRDs for the route so this will come in quite handy. Each of these considerations has its own unique requirements that you should consider now. Do we cater for them? Do we plan around? If you decide to plan around areas then keep them in mind for when you start to amend the route in a moment.
Now that you have the big picture in your mind we can start to zoom in. Let’s look at the departure first. Are there any flight planning requirements that need to be satisfied such as in AIP, ERSA flight planning requirements or AIC H22/15? Are you IFR and should plan from airport to navaid and then on (eg YBAF AF LAV…..)? Are you VFR and have a specific departure procedure (eg YBAF LMC …..)? Have a look at departure altitude requirements. Will you need to dodge any restricted areas or be careful of flight training areas? Have a look at local weather and NOTAM at this stage and see if you departure plans are possible and compliant. Now you can amend your route from you destination, past these points to your jumping off point where you transition from the terminal phase to the enroute phase of your flight. Once you are fully briefed on your departure you can move on to your arrival at destination.
Does your destination have specific tracking requirements like those mentioned above? Just like you would have done with the departure, pan and zoom the EFBmap (such as a megaVFR or similar) and have a good look around. Do you need to plan by a STAR or another arrival route? Is it better to comply with local traffic flows for ease and safety? Consider all of this and also go and look at the weather and NOTAM and see if this destination is achievable for you within your personal minima. Any points or routing that need to be added at this stage can easily be done graphically by some means –usually pressing and holding on the map or bending the route to add a new point to the flight plan. You can now do this so you have an appropriate route from where you transition from the enroute phase back into the terminal phase.
Now that we have the departure and arrival all sorted out we can go back to the bigger picture of the enroute segment. First, zoom in a bit and have a look at terrain, heights, lowest safe altitudes etc and see what limitations you are dealing with. Then have a look at the weather and see if cloud, icing, SIGMET, head office NOTAM, FIR NOTAM(eg YBBB/YMMM),or anything else is going to present you with level (or even routing) limitations. Now, considering aircraft type, you have a selection of levels you can operate so choose a correct hemispherical one that suits you. At this stage you can also consider winds and fuel burn and choose an appropriate level (some EFBs will help with that even)
You now have most of the big picture so you can do a bit more amending and graphic rerouting via waypoints as appropriate along the route. Here I tend to look at what routes I should be travelling on, what restricted/controlled airspaces I come near and want to avoid a bit further, what navaids I want to track over, how long direct legs by GPS are and if they are AIP compliant, etc etc. I can also assess how far off track each of these little graphic re-routes takes me and if that is feasible. The other thing I tend to look at here is major traffic flows and whether I want to join them or avoid them –for example, trying to join major routes that RPT use may result in delays and a simple re-route away from them may make your flight a lot smoother (and quicker if you avoid holding or denial of a clearance!).
It should have already been in evidence by quick rules of thumb but you should now consider if you need any fuel stops. If you are ever unsure, always plan for a stop to stretch the legs and adjust the fluid balance in both the fuel and bladder tanks(a largely ignored human factors issue that is often overshadowed by a hairy chest –yes you too girls!! –and press-on-itis). Once you have made some more accurate assessments of your needs in flight, it is always easier to overfly a planned stop (simply proceeding straight to the next stage of your flight plan) than to try and divide a single plan and add a stop in(where essentially a further stage needs to be created from scratch).
A full fuel plan and weight-and-balance should be calculated and you can do that using the app if you like. There are a few traps though. For every aircraft profile you use, you must make sure it is your own. When loading an aircraft into an app for use, don’t just download a similar one and use it as a template. You need to go through templates like this with a fine tooth comb and amend everything to fit your particular aircraft. A more accurate method is to simply create your own from scratch and that way you will know everything is exactly right. Not only is this for safety but also so when your instructor/examiner asks how you came to get those calculations you know exactly where and how the figures were derived and can justify them. Trust me, an answer of “I dunno, it was in the download” does not actually demonstrate any competency in the MOS! Another trap is knowing how to use your app for this properly–for example, in Avplans aircraft loading don’t just put weights in the blank holes, use the “persons on board” blue hyperlink and add people properly(names included) as this will give you a proper load sheet to use.
A few more points are to review the weather/NOTAM just before you go and submit a flight notification. The weather/NOTAM should be easily accessible in your app and some will even draw where troughs etc are on your map for you. I have also noticed that the latest update has mine decoding the weather into plain English –brilliant. Consider all of the weather and use the same segments I mentioned before –terminal phase (can I get out of here), enroute (cloud, icing, turbulence etc), and terminal (can I get in at the other end).Also of note is my use of the term Flight Notification. I have come to use this correct term for our NAIPS submission more often so it is not confused with a flight plan –which is what I have described above. Just because you have submitted a “flight plan” (flight notification) does not mean you have planned the flight.
There are many more details that could be probed but I do have a word limit so let me make a summary and a few final points. By now you should have:
Once you have this process embedded it will be easier each time and the same theory can be applied to paper planning when you need to(or just don’t fly when that happens….:)).
Now you can go and fly your plan!
Don’t forget that you are using an EFB –this is an approved version of maps and charts. As you will have seen above I refer to either an app or an EFB. I consider the EFB to be the part that has the maps and charts and the app to be the part that has the associated flight planning tools and other toys which are fantastic but are above and beyond the basic EFB function. Learn to recognise when you are using the app or EFB part –if you spend too long in the app part you are probably missing some basics.
Remember to select the correct mode before you go (eg switch from ‘plan’ to ‘fly’).
Preserve your battery. Keep the device cool. Don’t let it float around the cabin. Don’t leave it in the sun. Whenever you are in range, update the weather/NOTAM. All of these basics can be forgotten due to a bit of familiarity or complacency and they can cause big dramas.
Some apps will also upload your flight plan to your aircraft. If you do this also recognise the threats/errors and do some checking of the data that was transferred against your actual plan.
Also remember it is an EFB, not a replacement for all aircraft avionics and systems. If you want a map of the area then select it, zoom to where you want, lock the screen, stop stuffing around with toys and use your map to navigate. The app may place an approximation of your position on the approved map but this is not an approved means of navigation –look outside or use your avionics for that. Many people infringe airspace as a result of this.
Finally, always have a backup and chargers. Yes I know what the rules say and how people interpret them but a prudent pilot will have a backup, be it a few bits of paper or another ipad (and in this case a maintained, updated and charged ipad not the one the kids are using in the back seat). This may seem simple but I have seen a lot of people try to wheedle a way around it by interpretation of rules or gossip. It’s not worth it as it can be the difference in calling home when you land or the police knocking on the door with a somewhat more sombre message.
So please, use these devices as they are of great benefit. Use them properly so we can progress their use and acceptance. Encourage your instructors to help you learn them. Most importantly, use them as the great tool they are to help YOU plan, fly and enjoy!
Cirrus Perspective Avionics – SR20, SR22, SR22T
Cirrus Aircraft
The interactive Flight Operations Manual, by Cirrus Aircraft, provides step by step guidance on flying Cirrus™SR aircraft safely and effectively and is the primary document used by Cirrus pilots and instructors around the world. This digital manual is designed to accompany SR aircraft equipped with Cirrus Perspective™ avionics and includes detailed information on General Operating Procedures, Checklist Usage, Emergency and Abnormal Procedures and Flight Maneuvers. Included in this book are a host of illustrations, videos and interactive tools all designed to enhance your study experience and to improve learning retention so that you can step into the cockpit with confidence!
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