From: Fredmoreno@aol.com
Message-ID: <cf39d85.2511d772@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 01:17:38 EDT
Subject: Sierra Fight Systems test flight
To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Mime-Version: 1.0

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    I visited the Sierra booth at Oshkosh and wrote about it in my OSH trip 
report.  Last week end I went to the Golden State Fly In In at Castle/Merced 
airport for a test flight in their C-210.  It is VERY impressive.  The 
display showed towers in the same place they were out the window, terrain 
(Sierra Nevada foot hills to the East), runways of airports we passed over on 
our way to Fresno Chandler, and the "highway in the sky" representation on 
final approach is especially impressive and very intuitive.  There is 
enormous flexibility and lots of information can be displayed based on your 
preferences.  The pictures in the brochure and the web site do not do justice 
to the presentations in the cockpit.

    It takes some getting used to, and a short test hop is not enough.  To 
use this stuff the way it is intended and with the level of precision that it 
allows requires some practice, but will improve your piloting skills.  The 
pitch, roll, and directional information is MUCH more accurate and sensitive 
than we are accustomed to in our mechanical instruments.  As an example, the 
heading information is spread across the top of the screen, and one degree 
heading changes are large and easy to see.  It also means that you can see 
rudder wiggles and yoke wiggles more easily.  As a result, you have to learn 
to fly with more precision which will make you a better, smoother pilot.  
Situational awareness is a no-brainer.  Flying in the haze of the valley with 
limited visibility was no problem.  It was all laid out on the screen.

    Flying home in my C-182 with a King HSI, I was amazed how much I had to 
move the airplane around to see detectable movement on the DG compared to the 
sensitivity shown by the Sierra display.  I was told that software upgrades 
and other improvements will further improve the already-impressive displays 
with greater smoothness and even more rapid updates (which are now several 
times per second).

    I quizzed the Sierra folks for at least 2 hours on the equipment, and 
then about their business.  Unlike many supppliers, there was virtually no 
BS.  I got straight answers, and when somebody did not know or was not sure, 
they said so with no bluffing.  Very refreshing.

    Much of the business information is confidential, but they do have some 
"deep pocket" supporters that provide the financial muscle needed to take 
this all the way through certification, planned for next year, and a lot of 
interest in the airframe community from various big names.  They have also 
been invited to participate in a military working group working on improved 
visual displays for fighter and helicopter pilots.  This is based on their 
work over the last several years on the "highway in the sky" presentation 
which they have developed and continue to refine.  They have also obtained 
the support of one of the NASA national resource specialists who focusses on 
cockpit display and man-machine interactions and will use his input to 
further refine the product.  

    One interesting effect of the Sierra installation is that it permits the 
panel to be substantially simplified since it displays attitude, direction 
terrain, map, airspeed, VSI, altitude, and engine data (along with a lot of 
other stuff).  So all the steam gages are replaced by three pieces of glass 
(two large, one small) and all you need in addition is a CDI/glide slope 
indicator, and back up instruments.  I did a layout and found I could put the 
two large Sierra displays, CDI/glideslope, and backup instruments (attitude 
gyro, airspeed, altitude, turn coordinator) all on the left panel leaving the 
right panel virtually open for Jepp book cubbyholes, CD player, and CD 
storage.  

    All in all, it was a very impressive and interesting day.  I guess I will 
have to put my MasterCard in the vise and see if I can squeeze out a bit more 
money.....

Fred Moreno
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