Nits & Picks

Mtbengel

New Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2020
Messages
3
I thought It might be helpful to provide some feedback after using your Skyview HDX panels for several months in my Bo. First, I have to preface with “I think the the system is simply excellent overall and the autopilot is a delight!” That said, there are a few nits & picks that should be addressed.

1) First, the remote dial panel with “Baro, course/heading, and altitude” knobs. Ths panel is very useful but it is far too easy to disturb the baro setting when adjusting the altitude bug, course or heading. It would be very helpful if the baro knob was required to be “pushed in” or had some other safety feature to prevent it from being accidentally disturbed. I’ve had this happen several times and it is a serious safety issue when flying an IFR approach.

2) The AOA display is not very useful to me given its location on the PFD. My head is primarily focused on the outside environment in the pattern, not inside the cockpit. A remote AOA display on the dash would make this important safety instrument much more useful! Short of this, I will need to consider buying another third party unit, which would suck.

Thanks for listening,

MTBengel

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jakej

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2007
Messages
2,079
Location
Adelaide, Australia
Mtb,
1. Have you tried hanging 3 fingers over the top of the glareshield To brace your hand & using index & thumb To control the knobs?
2. “ your head is primarily focussed on the outside” - good point, IMO that’s what matters most as you should let the AOA audio do its job without looking at a display.😉
 

DBRV10

Active Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2008
Messages
925
Location
Brisbane, Qld. Australia
Make sure the AoA Audio is set up to suit your aircraft and the tone settings are suitable (read the manual for the changes you can make to optimise it) and then you will not look back!

Also give yourself 20-30 hours flying behind it. You will soon find over that time that your eyes will see things without you searching for them, which they are now. Then and only then will you actually see the AoA bar, without looking (if you get what I mean). You never spend all the time looking out the front even if you think you do. Your old ASI was often seen during every landing even if you did not think about it. The new ASI tape and AoA will become part of the data absorbing glance in the future.

;-)
 

Mtbengel

New Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2020
Messages
3
Yes, I usually brace my hand but this can still be difficult in rough air. I didn’t even notice the Baro had changed when this occurred until I was near enough the ground to realize my visual picture did not match what I was seeing on the altimeter. Thankfully, neither occurrence involved an actual IFR approach. It would also be possible to simply grab the wrong knob under the workload of single pilot IFR (they are closely spaced). Even if you realized it happened, having to deal with looking up and resetting the baro during the busiest phase of IFR flight would be a distraction. Wouldn’t it be better to simply have a “push to actuate“ knob and eliminate the risk?

Saying to forget the AOA display and depend on less granular audio queues kind of defeats the purpose of developing the display in the first place. The visual AOA display is an extremely useful tool when it’s in your line of sight. I do agree with David that absorbing information should get easier with more time behind the displays; I’m still searching for information on the screens that I previously absorbed from my steam gauges without thought. However, I still think a line of sight AOA display would offer great value!
 
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airguy

Active Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Messages
921
Location
Gods Country - west Texas
As David said, fly with it a while and I think you'll come to like the audio AOA more than the visual. I don't think I've even looked at my visual AOA once in the last 500 hours now, using the audio is so much better.

Not sure what you're dealing with on the altimeter adjustment, maybe it's an issue of needing a different location on the panel - can you swap that panel with another to change the position? I haven't made the mistake you're describing yet, and I fly a lot of single-pilot IFR.
 

MAD1

New Member
Joined
May 20, 2020
Messages
11
I agree, it would be preferable if the Baro knob had to be pushed to extend so it could be adjusted then pushed back in so it can't accidently be manipulated. While we are on it, having different knobs for the heading and altitude would be great and reduce the chances of mixing them up. All comes at a cost and I can understand trying to keep it affordable.
 

peter9545

I love flying!
Joined
Mar 4, 2018
Messages
23
Location
Australia
It might be possible to assign a sound to the operation of the knobs, different sounds for different knobs or off for those who don't want it. Probably achievable through a software upgrade, and then configurable to suit the individual.
 
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