The Great Western Adventure

Our first leg was 503 nm from Newport News VA (PHF) to Smyrna TN (MQY) then to Addison TX (ADS) for another 542 nm. The weather was getting unstable towards the last leg but with XM WX and ARTCC looking at the storm cells we rerouted around them and kept a healthy distance from the building cells.

The next day we set out to Roswell NM (ROW) for gas and lunch. There were no aliens to be found but the scenery over the desert was spectacular. At ROW we replanned our route because of nasty storms near Albequerque and went south towards El Paso to get around the restricted area enroute to Chandler AZ (CHD) outside of Phoenix. We had a great dinner at the “Top of the Rock” that overlooks the Phoenix skyline.

At that point, we were thinking about heading back to home base and maybe trying to catch a glimpse of the Grand Canyon when we happened to meet a fellow aviator at our hotel who was watching us scheme and plan. His advice was, “You can’t be Lewis and Clark if you almost get near the Pacific and then go home”. Well, that was enough of a friendly poke to rethink the next flight and Catalina Island (AVX) was only 2+30 away so westward ho we went to collect trinkets and souvenirs to keep the homefront pacified. The weather around southern California was beautiful and the airport at Catalina was interesting with the 1500’ drop off at either end. It felt like looking at a carrier deck again, but with no arresting wires! Socal approach was helpful in vectoring us clear of the LAX traffic too.

Out of Catalina, we headed towards Vegas and landed in Barstow-Dagget CA (DAG) in the high desert for gas. We had been reading about flying in the Grand Canyon, and that was our next destination. The G1000 was a big help in allowing us to input lat/long user waypoints to mark the beginning and end of two of the VFR corridors. We got the chart, read up on the procedures and set off for a photo recce of the canyon. We also figured out why we were the only crazy aviators to be flying in the afternoon….the winds were high, it was hot outside and the turbulence was rough. We stayed at the corridor altitudes (11,500 and 10,500) just to have more options if we had to make an emergency landing, but the pictures came out great anyway. We bumped our way over the canyon then decided to forget the second corridor and keep heading to Albuquerque NM.

The last day was the longest flying day. We took off early in the morning as the balloons were rising north of Albuquerque, climbed east between the mountains and over the interstate, then settled in as the terrain below turned from desert to the plains of West Texas to trees again in Oklahoma and Missouri. This leg was 724 nm and took 5+45 to get to West Plains MO (UNO) with perfect VFR conditions. We needed to stand for a while and hoped to borrow the courtesy car but alas it had just had a flat tire. But we talked to a guy in the FBO (Jack Bowman) who happened to be the airport manager for the county (Pomona MO) and he offered to take us to a nearby restaurant that had great hamburgers and local fare. Jack turned out to also be the local auctioneer, guitar player in a country band and motorcycle rider with the local club.

Out of UNO, we filed direct to Bristol TN and actually got it. That seems to never happen in our local neck of the woods. Storms in the southeast were building rapidly and ARTCC and the XM WX helped keep us to the north of the storm systems. We had a few pop up cells but we could visually stay clear and center was getting flight plan deviation requests from everybody including us. The flight from Bristol (TRI) to Newport News was at night and we got to see a picturesque red moonrise. It was a long day with 1500 nm of flying but was worth it to see the landscapes of the states we had travelled across.

A few observations we made:
1. The G1000/GFC 700 autopilot was a great help. We alternated flying each leg and exercised the knobs and buttons to the fullest on the G1000. In 36 hours of flying you have a lot of time to fiddle with every function and button on the system. SVT is a great invention.
2. We planned for an emergency landing in the desert by packing tents, sleeping bags, survival tools and water.
3. We had a backup portable gps and portable radio with lots of batteries.
4. The controllers will generally work with you if you are prepared and considerate of them. Diverting left and right of course to get around cells was never a problem and several controllers offered different routing to bypass storm cells. The XM WX was generally agreeing to what the controllers were painting on their radar. We realized the satellite picture was dated but it did provide a strategic picture.
5. There are some real characters at the airports and places we visited. Talking with those folks really made the trip.
6. After flying a long leg (anything approaching 4+00) we made a pact to go get something to eat and be away from the plane for at least an hour.
7. The next time, we want to stay for a while in some of the places we landed and see more of the towns, attractions and friends. This was a good trail blazer. Now we have no excuses for that DAA fly-in in Utah!
8. The calculated fuel burn was a couple of gallons higher than the actual fuel burn. The fuel gages were dead on accurate.
9. I’d do it again! (But I need a few days to recover).

“I had the occasion to use the SVT to back up an approach to minimums and subsequent missed approach with a weather divert recently. I was going into Lake Placid. They have a GPS approach which takes you through some hills. Even though the approach minimums are around 1400 AGL, the approach course is interesting with the course taking you between hills/high terrain. I had the GFC700 coupled up for the approach and I was able to monitor the approach both with the MFD, the PFD course indicators for approach course compliance. But what made my approach “comfortable” was knowing I could “see” the terrain throughout the approach. The missed requires I climbing right turn out of the valley with terrain all around and the SVT provided a very high sense of confidence regarding terrain clearance. I ended up diverting into Glen Falls NY for the night. All of the avionics as well as the Nexrad were instrumental in the flight. And the 50 gallons gave me a very nice margin for divert decisions.”

Mark Brightman N970DS DA40 XLS

Mark R. Brightman
Owner of a 2008 Diamond DA40 XLS

Why Fly a Garmin 1000 with SVT?…I’ve now learned the answer to this question.
It’s like asking why write with a pen and paper when we have perfectly good stones and chisels!  All kidding aside, as a new glass cockpit operator, I can now begin to more accurately explain what the difference is all about and share my experience with other pilots interested in these “Glass Planes”.

I had the same questions in my mind when I began looking at the modern cockpit of a Diamond DA-40 XLS compared with my Cessna 172RG cockpit. I had just upgraded the Cessna with a G430 WAAS unit but that didn’t seem to keep my eyes from wandering to the new modern birds with their sleek lines and full glass cockpits. Once I learned about and understood the impact of the 2008 tax incentives  I purchased a new Diamond DA40 XLS with a partner and we have been in modern flying heaven every since.

At the point I was considering a new plane upgrade, all my training had been in round dial “steam gages” and I felt very comfortable flying with them and in fact had just completed my Instrument Rating.

But wow, what a difference the glass cockpit makes and the added benefit of Synthetic Vision Technology makes it remarkably easier. The only thing people think might be “wrong” with the glass panel is there is so much gee wiz information that you have a tendency to reduce the outside scan but then you realize the info provided on the screens is actually going to help you avoid other traffic and you begin relying on it instead of squinting through the haze.

Let’s talk about the benefits of a glass cockpit from the perspective of a low time pilot transitioning from analog gauges. The first thing I noticed was the clarity and size of the Primary Flight Display (PFD) and how easy it is to keep your scan going. The attitude indicator is always in the background when you are scanning the altitude, airspeed, course or VSI and there are a combination of electronic “tapes” and readouts to help out when looking at and interpreting a particular instrument readout.

The VORs are displayed in an HSI format and the whole thing blends very well with the autopilot (more on that later). I mentioned VORs, but in truth most of our navigation has been with the GPS system with the VORs being used as a backup.

When you add the SVT, all of a sudden the airports show up visually in three dimensions, as does traffic, terrain features and obstructions which really gives a level of comfort when you are in the goo (aviation technical term) or just in unfamiliar territory.

To date I have used the system in limited IMC and the additional situational awareness is truly awesome. The additional Pathways or “Highway in the Sky” feature comes on when you have a direct to or flight plan loaded in the system.

The highway in the sky feature shows up at the altitude you select and all you have to do to maintain the course is to make sure the flight path marker is in the magenta boxes. If you do that, you are within practical test standards for IFR flight. Additionally, when you are shooting an LPV or ILS approach, the vertical path guidance is also shown as the highway in the sky boxes and you put the flight path marker in the boxes for a perfect approach.

In addition, the airport runway shows up with the appropriate number (07 etc) so that you know you are lined up with the correct runway and the flight path marker shows you where you will intersect the terrain. Essentially the SVT will allow you to nail your touchdown point every time.

I have not flown the SVT system in other than coastal areas to date, but plan to make some trips to the mountains where the terrain features will show up in a 3D sense on the screen. Once you explain the highway in the sky concept, novice pilots and non-pilots can easily hold a course or shoot an ILS approach as the displays are readily understandable to anyone who has ever flown computer based flight games.

The multifunction display (MFD) makes a Garmin 530 look small and the amount of information that is available is amazing. In addition to looking at a larger view of your flight plan, you can display XM weather radar for see and avoid planning (don’t use it to penetrate a storm), traffic information via TIS (or optionally TAS), and a plan view of terrain features. Also you can call up chart information, Safetaxi airport information, approach plates, METARs and TAFs and XM radio to keep you entertained while you play with all the other features.

In all, the G1000 with SVT is remarkable in the increased situational awareness that it provides when compared to the traditional analog instrumentation. The ease of use, graphical depiction and intuitive display makes for a better informed pilot and in my opinion a safer pilot.

The GFC700 autopilot is well integrated into the G1000 suite and basic operation is intuitive. It works so accurately and well it quickly gives you a sense of confidence and it’s nice to be able to read a chart or fiddle with a weather page on the MFD without having to divert attention to maintaining altitude and heading. The digital autopilot will virtually fly the airplane to the ground but so far, because of the Synthetic Vision Technology, I’m having more fun hand flying it on my approaches!

Joey Ritchie
N633DC
2008 DA-40 XLS with G1000, GFC700 autopilot and SVT

Today I had the pleasure of giving an impromtu flight to Captain JJ Quin.  We just struck up a conversation at his home airport and I offered to give him a flight. At first he said, “No…I’ve got some paper work to do.” I looked at him and cock my head and said, “Are you really going to turn down a ride in a brand new SVT G1000 airplane?” All of a sudden he came to his senses and said, “Let’s go!”. I arrived home later to receive this email. I had no idea I was flying with a legend!

Hi John,

It was pleasure meeting you in Warrenton today. I really had a great time flying your Diamond aircraft. I wanted to share my impressions with you based on by past experience.

I have been flying for 51 years and have ATP’s in DC-6/7 727,737,747,757 767, Learjet and Citation. I have amassed 28,000 hours and today I had the pleasure to fly the Diamond with the Garmin 1000 and the amazing Synthetic Vision Technology. [Captain Quinn wrote to correct his previous email...after checking he realized he has been flying 58 years! ed]

I have to admit it is the best ” glass “airplane I have ever flown. It makes all the other large jet panels I have flown obsolete. I was truly impressed with the Synthetic Vision approach system (SVT) and the total awareness it gives to the pilot.

I would be happy to recommend this aircraft and its system to all pilots.

J J  Quinn
Captain, retired
United Airlines

.

One of the most amazing things about our new digital glass panels we lucky pilots get to enjoy is their connection to the satellites. We not only use the GPS satellites for easy advanced navigation but we also obtain our current weather radar, Metar, Sigmet, Airmet, TFRs, Freezing levels, winds and more via satellites.

This wonder of technology is made possible through the delivery of the data from the XM Radio (nasdaq: XMSR) satellite network. Yes, this is the same network that many of you use to entertain yourself in the cockpit of your Chevy or Lexus as the case may be.

We can also enjoy the many channels of audio while we fly too. Don’t underestimate the enhanced enjoyment this little addition brings. I’ve enjoyed many a sunset evening coming in to land with just the right tune playing in the background and a smile on my face…it is the perfect crowning touch to our new digital cockpits and it’s quite refreshing.

Speaking of refreshing…sometimes it is necessary to “Refresh” the activation signal to our Garmin G1000 unit either the first time or again after a change to the system or if something is not working quite right. The process is actually quite simple and only requires that you have your digital identifiers from your unit known as the Data ID and the Audio ID. With that info in hand you can go to www.refresh.xmradio.com and follow the instructions below.

	To refresh a radio previously activated through the Listener Care Center, XM’s eCare Website, or an Automotive Trial, please follow the instructions below. Position your XM radio antenna so that it has a clear view to the sky. If using a home unit, make sure the antenna is located in a south-facing window. Turn on your XM radio and tune to Channel 0 to obtain the 8-digit XM radio ID. NOTE: Please check your ID code carefully. None of the following letters are used: “I” (eye), “o” (oh), “S” or “F”. Tune your XM radio to Channel 1 and verify that you can hear the XM Preview Channel. Enter the 8-Digit XM Radio ID Here:

My wife and I own a graphic design studio called King-Searls Designs (www.ksdport.com) currently in Greenville, SC. Based at GMU, we operate at one of South Carolina’s busiest airports. GMU is home to flight schools, corporate flight departments, air taxi operators, and numerous transient aircraft, and as such, one must constantly “See and Avoid.” And let me tell you, this is done much easier with the SVT option on board. Traffic, terrain, obstacles, and even airports are much more visible from inside the aircraft on your PFD versus trying to see the same picture looking outside on a hot/hazy summer day.

The amount of information actually provided by the G1000 w/SVT is more than one can appreciate for some time. The 3-D representation depicted on the PFD of what is outside the aircraft provides a tremendous amount of additional awareness, efficiency, proficiency, and most importantly, safety to the pilot. Any good pilot will constantly be thinking of the “what if’s” while flying. Yes, listening to the XM radio on board your DA40 is also fun while in cruise flight, but what if that highly unlikely engine failure occurred? Could you make your nearest airport or off airport landing site? This question, along with many others, is answered instantly on the SVT equipped G1000 through the Flight Path Marker (FPM). Your FPM depicts the projected path of the aircraft accounting for wind and aircraft direction. So if you are at your glide speed and headed toward your landing site, and the FPM is on or beyond your intended landing spot, then you will make it to that site.

The substitution of “brown” below the PFD horizon to represent ground with an actual
3-D depiction of terrain is another obvious enhancement in safety and awareness provided by the G1000 w/SVT. You will be alerted both visually and audibly of any dangerous proximities to terrain, obstacles, or traffic (better if TAS equipped). This added awareness became obvious on a recent flight into Asheville, NC. With mountainous terrain below, in and out of clouds, a 1,000ft ceiling, and on a heading to intercept the LOC for the ILS34, my mind was completely at ease as I saw the 3-D terrain on the PFD move safely below. The flight path marker showed my descent would clear all terrain and obstacles, and the “highway in the sky” (HITS) boxes presented a picture of my future flight path descending on the ILS (all of which cleared terrain and obstacles) all the way down to the runway (which I could see on the PFD as well!). However, looking outside the canopy, I could only see portions of terrain, limited visibility due to haze, no runway, and occasional IMC. Can you now see the added safety?

Having flown a wide range of aircraft from small single-engine props to corporate jets to the 50 passenger ERJ145, I can honestly say the avionics provided by the G1000 w/SVT blows them all out of the water. No matter how fancy the glass cockpits in today’s airliners look, they do not provide the kind of information available in your Diamond – simply amazing!

From the weekend flyer, to the flight instructor, and right up into the corporate pilot/airline pilot skill level, the SVT has applications beneficial to all. Can you remember first learning to fly using an NDB as your navigation source? Whether it was intercepting a bearing, flying an NDB approach, or holding over an NDB, it first took a few drawings on the back of your flight log to get that “mental picture.” And while you flew that NDB approach, your focus may have been solely on “pushing the head”, or “pulling the tail,” and nothing else. Dependent on levels of experience, our mental capacities are only so big. The G1000 w/SVT relieves the pilot of any tendencies to fixate, allowing that pilot to have the full picture during any task – normal or abnormal. Since you now have the HITS easily showing you where to point the airplane during that NDB/GPS approach, your mind is free to monitor other items as well. Not to mention, in an abnormal or emergency scenario, having these added features will reduce a pilot’s workload, increase your awareness, and increase the likelihood of a successful outcome.

These are only a few of the many examples of how technology, SVT in particular, has significantly increased a pilot’s level of awareness, and thus has also increased the safety of our industry.

Another important aspect of owning any aircraft is properly maintaining and caring for your investment. Our DA40XLS is currently managed and maintained by Special Services Corporation out of Greenville, SC (www.specialservicescorp.com). They have a professional team of mechanics and pilots that are trained on the Diamond aircraft and attend to the various needs of our aircraft so we can keep our focus on the fun part – flying! So if you plan on purchasing a new or used Diamond aircraft, take the time to familiarize yourself with the nearest Diamond service facility.

We have also received outstanding customer support from the team at Premier Aircraft Sales from day one. From the purchase of our DA40XL in 2006 and right through our newest purchase of the DA40XLS a month ago, Premier’s dedication to meeting our needs, answering our questions and dedication to keeping us happy has kept this customer smiling. We would like to give a special thanks to John Armstrong for always taking our numerous phone calls, for his professionalism, for his fun spirit and great customer service. Thanks for an outstanding product.

Safe Flying,
Brad Searls

ATP, CE500

King-Searls Designs, LLC

Greenville, SC

SVT First Look Video

Thanks to our friends at AOPA
you can watch the
Synthetic Vision First Look Video.

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