I am looking at flight schools to do my PPL, and several seem to be split between conventional guage cockpit and Garmin glass cockpits. Which should I use? The schools with Glass say that this is now the way to go, is this true, Does it really matter?
Private - as little instrumentation as possible. It's a VFR rating...LOOK OUTSIDE.
For the instrument, if you've got a G1000 airplane, please learn the basic attitude stuff in a standard 6 pack airplane...learn your partial panel...shoot some approaches. Then pop into the G1000, do the XC and checkride prep...just make sure you get some 6 pack for the instrument.
You definitely need to get exposed to both glass AND steam gauges during training. Once you get out there into the "real world" you're going to encounter both, and being trained in only one or the other is going to present a handicap eventually.
Definitely learn the basics of instrument flying with a 6 pack of steam gauges, then move on to the fancy glass toys for the XC stuff.
Glass is cool, if you can afford it. However, I've only been asked once if I had any "glass" time (in a flight instructor interview). "Does Microsoft count?" I asked. She just laughed. I got the job anyway.
"Glass" time for primary instruction is a complete waste of money. Find the cheapest 150/152 you can and get your private in that. We have two G1000 172's at my school and they seem to never move. The ratty 172's are always booked at least a week out.
I agree, glass is a marketing tool for flight schools to hook uneducated new canidates, or for aircraft companies to have an excuse for charging a half million for a 1000lbs of aluminum.
With the glass, there's a lot of "gee-whiz" things to distract you while flying. You don't need that when you're just starting out. You gotta crawl before you can walk.
Ever wonder why so many SR-___s have fallen out of the sky this year alone? Train in something that will develope your skills as an AIRMAN not a systems manager. I am going to go so far as to say this is not only my opinion, but something I think will save lives.
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