Is Partial Panel still relevant?

[Tim H]

For what it's worth...

Quote from Garmin G1000 Instructor's Guide:
"Pulling circuit breakers—or using them as switches—has the potential to weaken the circuit breaker to a point at which it may not perform its intended function. Using circuit breakers as switches is also discouraged in Advisory Circulars 120-80, 23-17B, and 43.13-1B."

Alternate method is to dim the PFD, but at that point wouldn't you lose the HSI?

[H60 pilot]

The case of flying partial panel is another ankle biter for me in regards to the DA40, specifically the ability to maintain heading control. The compass isn't positioned for the pilot to use and would be equally well located in the baggage compartment during night ops. It's odd to me this layout passes Diamond's sniff test when it requires a passenger to essentially provide PAR guidance off the compass? I'm upset to see the DA62 doesn't take advantage of the MD302's heading function, but instead maintains the wet compass. This tells me should the MD302 ever see a 40/42, the compass will not only continue to see service but remain in it's current useless location. It pains me a little to say that at present time, Foreflight provides me the safest solution for partial panel flight. Not the right answer IMO, but a better answer than Diamond has provided.

[Colin]

When I took my IFR check ride (2006?) the DPE had me walk him through all sorts of failure modes of the G1000 and asked for my plans if particular instruments were lost. He then said, "Okay. This is all so redundant that in a plane like this I don't test the pilot on any partial panel work.

I was surprised, but I did not complain. (So far the two worst flights I have flown as a pilot were my PP check irde and my IFR check ride.) My CFII actually worked pretty hard to train me for partial panel work.

When I was on a hard IFR flight a few years ago I tried to imagine losing the G1000. I craned my neck over to see if I could fly the compass. It felt ridiculous. The moment it was available, I ordered a backup for my backup and now I feel MUCH better in those situations.

I'm pretty sure that was the least expensive modification I ever made to the plane. The Stratus is $800 and even if you had to buy a brand new iPad you'd be in for less than two grand. I guess you could talk about the ForeFlight subscription cost but, again, that's the cheapest subscription I'm paying for on the plane.

[CFIDave]

Alternate method is to dim the PFD, but at that point wouldn't you lose the HSI?

No -- you push the big red button to invoke reversionary mode so the HSI is shown on both the PFD and MFD. Then when you dim the PFD (to simulate partial panel), the pilot has an HSI available to view on the still-visible MFD.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on the readability of the compass and where it's placed in the panel, but I have no problem reading it (in a DA40/42 panel, or DA62 up above the windscreen) from either front seat. It's illuminated at night by the emergency/backup battery (to be honest, I've never had to break the little wire to turn on this illumination).

[H60 pilot]

The 62 (and presumably the 50) appear to have the compass in a far greater position for reading than does the 40/42. I'm just surprised in an aircraft of this category Diamond retained them at all? The aircraft I fly for work have both a wet compass and backup EFIS with heading tape, and I will say that during an AHRS failure in IMC, the heading tape is easier to read by an order of magnitude. I have just surrendered to the fact that I will have to buy a standalone magnetometer to provide heading information to an off the shelf backup EFIS.

[ThomasD]

I have lost the AI, DI, localizer and glideslope when on an ILS approach in real IMC. It was IIRC just 3 days after I had passed my IR so was up to date with partial panel. (I used the backup AI and GPS to get down.)
So practising loss of main instruments can be useful.

[ememic99]

The moment it was available, I ordered a backup for my backup and now I feel MUCH better in those situations.

Since iPad is connected to Stratus via WiFi what can you do if you have to connect your iPad to another device also setting up WiFi access point (e.g. Gloze's ADL weather device broadly used in Europe)?

[Rich]

I have lost the AI, DI, localizer and glideslope when on an ILS approach in real IMC. It was IIRC just 3 days after I had passed my IR so was up to date with partial panel. (I used the backup AI and GPS to get down.)
So practising loss of main instruments can be useful.

This goes to my very point: your "backup AI". "Classic" partial panel assumes you don't have one of those - it was the Turn Coordinator/Needle Ball/Airpseed. If you do have independent backup instruments there's very little likelihood you'll lose both at the same time.

At the very least what we used to think of as "partial panel" needs rethinking in the context of how new airplanes are really configured AND what we really fly with. Then consider what happens later on if you have to fly a '78 182 with one measly AI powered by a vacuum pump

[ThomasD]

Yes, agree - it wasn't really partial panel: my "partial panel" backups were about what you normally get on an older airplane as primary instruments. (And best to avoid the older planes with vacuum pumps )

[TimS]

I'm just surprised in an aircraft of this category Diamond retained them at all?

Regs require a compass. I believe it may even specify a wet compass, but not positive without pulling the AC.
Further it must be visible from the primary pilot seat, and be lit at night.

Tim