Unfortunately, this topic has totally jumped the shark, or the Jaws music has slowly started!!! 
Alright, i overly complicated the issue with the scary dark night scenario. I realize some people will never ever night fly because it's dangerous and IFR yadda yadda yadda. This is not a VFR/IFR or VMC/IMC question or night/day or a controlled/or uncontrolled issue. I realized those people who probably fly at night would never fly to an uncontrolled field either. Sorry I brought it up!
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The NEW scenario is broad daylight, unlimited vis, in the middle of Iowa, not a hill in sight, and you are on downwind WITH a control tower! It is hard for you to see the end of the runway because of the Monsanto genetically engineered monster corn stalks growing out here that are like 20 feet tall!
Instead of asking Tower to call your base, all you want to do is use the tools in front of you, that you spent thousands of dollars for, so you can take a QUICK glance at the MAP, to guide you when to start your base turn for a rectangular pattern. That is it.
How do you do it with our tools? That is my question. I believe i have reduced the question down to its simplest elements that the majority of us can understand, oh please i hope.
This is my answer.
As I approach an airport, i progressively zoom in on the map. At first I was using range setting 3 or 5 miles, but I realize now that it was probably zoomed out too far. The runway depiction is there but because of the zoomed out level, it is just too small to make out meaningfully.
With the addition of extended runways, it really hides and obscures the runway pictorial now. All i see on the MAP are the green extended runways going out off the edges of the screen. Because of this, there is no sense of scale. I can zoom in and out but those extended runways are probably 5 miles to each side for 10 miles. The runway is let's say 1 mile. That is 11 miles of green lines when I am at zoom level 3 or 5??? I have to consciously read the zoom level, which is extremely hard for me to see because the default font color is WHITE on the map, too.
Thus, my options are:
1. Just turn off extended runways. This is too bad, because like i said, i do find them useful on the Ipad.
2. Remember to consciously set the zoom level way down to 1 mile or so maybe, so that the runway depictions, when available, are more visible. Will test this out.
3. Toggle to the airport diagram. However, not all airports have an airport diagram and not all of them are georeferenced either, i think. Also, it forces you to go North-up, which i dont like.
4. What Garmin seems to do is overlay the airport diagram automatically for you, which might be nice. Again, I would have to see a demo of this, but at least they are thinking of things like this.
PS. I know there could be grain towers or wind mills in Iowa.
PS. I know there is **** that is dangerous. Why are we even flying??? I dont know, it's fun maybe?
PS. I acknowledge i am not a good enough pilot in your opinoin based on your superior years of experience. I am sorry I have to endanger your life because I am exercising my right to fly same as you. Thus, clearly this topic is not for you!
Alright, i overly complicated the issue with the scary dark night scenario. I realize some people will never ever night fly because it's dangerous and IFR yadda yadda yadda. This is not a VFR/IFR or VMC/IMC question or night/day or a controlled/or uncontrolled issue. I realized those people who probably fly at night would never fly to an uncontrolled field either. Sorry I brought it up!
**************************************
The NEW scenario is broad daylight, unlimited vis, in the middle of Iowa, not a hill in sight, and you are on downwind WITH a control tower! It is hard for you to see the end of the runway because of the Monsanto genetically engineered monster corn stalks growing out here that are like 20 feet tall!
Instead of asking Tower to call your base, all you want to do is use the tools in front of you, that you spent thousands of dollars for, so you can take a QUICK glance at the MAP, to guide you when to start your base turn for a rectangular pattern. That is it.
How do you do it with our tools? That is my question. I believe i have reduced the question down to its simplest elements that the majority of us can understand, oh please i hope.
This is my answer.
As I approach an airport, i progressively zoom in on the map. At first I was using range setting 3 or 5 miles, but I realize now that it was probably zoomed out too far. The runway depiction is there but because of the zoomed out level, it is just too small to make out meaningfully.
With the addition of extended runways, it really hides and obscures the runway pictorial now. All i see on the MAP are the green extended runways going out off the edges of the screen. Because of this, there is no sense of scale. I can zoom in and out but those extended runways are probably 5 miles to each side for 10 miles. The runway is let's say 1 mile. That is 11 miles of green lines when I am at zoom level 3 or 5??? I have to consciously read the zoom level, which is extremely hard for me to see because the default font color is WHITE on the map, too.
Thus, my options are:
1. Just turn off extended runways. This is too bad, because like i said, i do find them useful on the Ipad.
2. Remember to consciously set the zoom level way down to 1 mile or so maybe, so that the runway depictions, when available, are more visible. Will test this out.
3. Toggle to the airport diagram. However, not all airports have an airport diagram and not all of them are georeferenced either, i think. Also, it forces you to go North-up, which i dont like.
4. What Garmin seems to do is overlay the airport diagram automatically for you, which might be nice. Again, I would have to see a demo of this, but at least they are thinking of things like this.
PS. I know there could be grain towers or wind mills in Iowa.
PS. I know there is **** that is dangerous. Why are we even flying??? I dont know, it's fun maybe?
PS. I acknowledge i am not a good enough pilot in your opinoin based on your superior years of experience. I am sorry I have to endanger your life because I am exercising my right to fly same as you. Thus, clearly this topic is not for you!
