Technically Advanced Airplane and Glass-Cockpit Transition Lesson Plan

Special Cases • FAA transition-training guidance and aircraft manufacturer procedures

Transition training for technically advanced airplanes and glass cockpits, emphasizing systems knowledge, display interpretation, automation management, failures, and manual-flight proficiency.

Technically Advanced Airplane and Glass-Cockpit Transition Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Schedule

    Topic:
    Time:
    Systems and Displays:
    1:30
    Automation and Flight Planning:
    1:00
    Normal Flight Operations:
    1:30
    Failures and Manual Reversion:
    1:30
    Planned Time:
    0:00

  • Attention Getter:

    • Present a mode-annunciation mismatch during an instrument departure and ask what the airplane will do next—not what the pilot intended it to do.

  • Motivator:

    • Advanced avionics improve capability only when pilots understand modes, verify automation behavior, retain manual skills, and recognize failures early.

  • Objective:

    • Develop aircraft-specific proficiency in technically advanced systems, glass displays, automation, navigation, failures, and reversionary operations.

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Technically Advanced Airplane and Glass-Cockpit Transition Lesson Plan

Materials

  • Required Materials:

    • Aircraft POH/AFM, avionics pilot guides, current databases, checklists, flight-planning resources, and personal minimums.
    • The applicable aircraft, approved aviation training device, or manufacturer simulator.

  • Optional Materials:

    • None required.

  • Reference Materials:

Technically Advanced Airplane and Glass-Cockpit Transition Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • Part 1, Systems and Displays:

    • Teach power sources, sensors, data paths, PFD/MFD indications, navigation sources, annunciations, database limitations, traffic/weather depiction, autopilot/flight-director architecture, and system dependencies.

  • Part 2, Automation and Planning:

    • Practice loading, verifying, activating, modifying, and monitoring routes, procedures, altitudes, constraints, and approach sequences; emphasize mode awareness and cross-checks.

  • Part 3, Normal Operations:

    • Integrate avionics into departure, en route, arrival, approach, missed approach, visual operations, workload management, and sterile-cockpit habits without losing outside scan.

  • Part 4, Failures and Reversion:

    • Simulate display, sensor, electrical, navigation, database, autopilot, and communication failures; require prompt recognition, reversion, manual flight, alternate navigation, and appropriate diversion or landing decisions.
Technically Advanced Airplane and Glass-Cockpit Transition Lesson Plan

Student Actions

  • Explain system architecture, limitations, annunciations, and failure indications.
  • Program and monitor automation while maintaining aircraft control and situational awareness.
  • Revert to manual flight and alternate information sources promptly when automation becomes confusing or unreliable.
Technically Advanced Airplane and Glass-Cockpit Transition Lesson Plan

Completion Standards

  • Operate the installed equipment in accordance with manufacturer guidance while maintaining safe aircraft control and navigation.
  • Correctly recognize mode or system errors and choose simplification, reversion, diversion, or landing before workload becomes unmanageable.
Technically Advanced Airplane and Glass-Cockpit Transition Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • Technology is safest when the pilot remains ahead of it and is willing to reduce automation whenever understanding is uncertain.

  • Closure:

    • Document equipment covered, observed proficiency, limitations, and recommended recurrent avionics practice.