Perhaps we should just admit resistance is futile. Glass cockpits look cool and make a lot of money for airframe and avionics manufacturers, They’re here to stay. But, with two-hour checkouts now becoming 10-hour events for glass newbies, what can you do to cut down on that $200-an-hour checkout dual so you can actually afford to rent and enjoy a 172 or Archer?
The good news is that there are good training courses for the G1000, Avidyne Entegra and Aspen Evolution in the form of DVDs, online courses, a book and apps. We looked at most of the commercially available courses—which ranged from good to excellent—although none will erase the need for in-airplane learning time.
The most expensive costs about 1.5 hours of dual—and we’re convinced they’ll save you more than that in time you don’t have to spend figuring out the buttons and knobs in the airplane with an instructor. We also found an app and a book that can help keep that hard-won knowledge about the G1000 from leaking out between flights.