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EFIS or SIX-PACK?

EFIS or SIX-PACK

  • EFIS

    Votes: 121 89.6%
  • SIX-PACK (digital)

    Votes: 8 5.9%
  • SIX-PACK (vacuum steam)

    Votes: 6 4.4%

  • Total voters
    135

Tony_T

Well Known Member
Patron
Could not find a thread on this, near the surface anyway, so starting a new one. Should be an interesting discussion. Putting it in the RV-12 forum since most of them have the capability to display either, but if it belongs somewhere else, moderators feel free to move it.

Whadda ya like:
Six-Pack (digital)
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or EFIS:
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The poll has a third option, vacuum analog, which probably won't see much action, but I could be wrong.
 
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It's a trick question Tony. BOTH of the pictures you show are EFIS displays - its just one has a "tape" format, and the other has a "round gauge" format.
 
The six pack is horrible. I turned it on briefly as the new owner of my RV-10 is a real six pack, analog guy. He flew with it for one approach and quickly figured out just how much awareness he lost from that of the normal display. It never got turned on again.

I also fine the Highway in the Sky feature to be less than useful. It stays off as well.

Carl
 
Of course, when I had my -12 it had the D180, so Six Pack wasn't even an option. I have a Skyview in the Sportsman and thought the concept was cool, but so far I have not even turned it on.
 
I think the 6-pack makes the EFIS display way too cluttered. Synthetic Vision, Highway in the Sky are almost lost in the background. Having been a pilot of the 6-pack era, I am glad the glass cockpits are so prevalent.
 
It's a trick question Tony. BOTH of the pictures you show are EFIS displays - its just one has a "tape" format, and the other has a "round gauge" format.

I know, but I'm just using the nomenclature that Dynon uses in the manuals.
 
Initially, I missed the six pack style panel...now; no way would I go back. Much more info and easier to follow all aspects of flight..just my 2 cents!
 
Initially, I missed the six pack style panel...now; no way would I go back. Much more info and easier to follow all aspects of flight..just my 2 cents!

Agree with that. You eventually train yourself to know exactly where to look on the screen when you think airspeed, alt or... After several years with the Skyview format, when I sit in front of steam gauges it takes me a split second longer to find what I'm looking for.

I wonder if the folks who study this kind of thing have measured that phenomenon?
 
Another bone of contention I have is the "drag foot approach" the FAA has to allowing the rest of the aging GA fleet to upgrade to this new technology "cheaply" using Garmin and Dynon style panels.

Who in their right mind would spend The $$$$ for TSO'ed equipment on an old piper or Cessna not worth much of anything. Would make all of us safer in the long run...
 
Initially, I missed the six pack style panel...now; no way would I go back. Much more info and easier to follow all aspects of flight..just my 2 cents!

Dynon made the six-pack display available while I was still building. Having only flown with steam gauges, I thought it would really make the transition to an efis easier for me. In the end there was no transition. After the first couple of flights I felt comfortable with the tape display, and still haven't got around to trying out the six-pack.
 
Different perspective

The tapes are obviously fine when the flying is prosaic.

My background is mostly rotary wing. There are several normal helicopter
maneuvers where things happen quickly, such as in Cat A and
rooftop takeoffs. Practicing engine failures during a takeoff from an oil rig
is inherently a fast exercise. Being able to see trends at a glance plus not having to read and interpret digits (which takes time) during such maneuvers is very advantageous.

We had one model with vertical tapes but steam backup airspeed and
altimeter located off-axis toward the center of the cockpit. I made it a point
to notice what the flying pilot was looking at during rapid maneuvers.
Without exception it was the backup airspeed, not the tape right in front of him.

Subsequent models from our company had steam gauge replicas on the EFIS.

I'm curious as to what type gauges aerobatic competitors use. I've only seen a few Pitts, which had steam.
 
One thing worth considering with some experimentals and older certified aircraft, is that with analog gauges, electric power isn't required. Once that's part of the mix, the weight goes up and the cost, especially if you need to add ADS-B.

One has to carefully assess their own goals - but not installing all that stuff can have certain advantages worth considering.

Dave
RV-3B, now skinning the fuselage
 
One thing worth considering with some experimentals and older certified aircraft, is that with analog gauges, electric power isn't required. Once that's part of the mix, the weight goes up and the cost, especially if you need to add ADS-B.

One has to carefully assess their own goals - but not installing all that stuff can have certain advantages worth considering.

Dave
RV-3B, now skinning the fuselage

I'm all for the EFIS weight advantage. However, miss the practicality of being able to fly partial panel with steam gauges. Was wondering if anyone knows of any EFIS inflight shutdown information or lessons learned, outside of, have a charged backup battery and a portable GPS? Lastly, all be it navigation, if the Digital DG becomes unavailable has anyone successfully installed traditional standby compass? Thank you for your thoughts!
 
I started flying with Dynon Effis 2.5 yrs ago and never looked back! Maybe it is because I stared at that panel for a year and a half while finishing my 7 but I had no problems transitioning to 100% glass!
 
I'm all for the EFIS weight advantage. However, miss the practicality of being able to fly partial panel with steam gauges. Was wondering if anyone knows of any EFIS inflight shutdown information or lessons learned, outside of, have a charged backup battery and a portable GPS? Lastly, all be it navigation, if the Digital DG becomes unavailable has anyone successfully installed traditional standby compass? Thank you for your thoughts!

I would never consider flying IFR with a single EFIS display, nor would I fly IFR with a single power source for the panel (I'm not a fan of multiple backup batteries so I address this with a dual battery electrical distribution scheme).

EFIS partial panel is, for me, defined as "I lost the other display". I did my IFR check ride with a dual SkyView panel and the examiner was ok with the partial panel check being done by turning off one of the SkyView displays. The two ADHARS modules are independent in operation as well as power source, so losing both of them is a very low probability.

I note that while not required by any regs that I could find, my local FSDO office required a whiskey compass in the plane before signing off the airworthiness certificate. So I have one. That was over five years ago so perhaps they have come up with the times. I'll find out next year on the new project.

Carl
 
I'm all for the EFIS weight advantage. However, miss the practicality of being able to fly partial panel with steam gauges. Was wondering if anyone knows of any EFIS inflight shutdown information or lessons learned, outside of, have a charged backup battery and a portable GPS? Lastly, all be it navigation, if the Digital DG becomes unavailable has anyone successfully installed traditional standby compass? Thank you for your thoughts!

Since I've been flying Experimental EFIS equipment (namely legacy Dynon products) I've replaced a "steam" altimeter, DG and two Turn & Bank indicators while the EFIS hasn't so much as even blinked once.

As has been mentioned previously, "partial panel" is a concept developed to match with the steam gauge panel. If building with glass, build in sufficient redundancy that "partial panel" truly means loss of one redundant display. Switching to glass requires one to think differently - trapping our minds in a paradigm that no longer applies is dangerous thinking indeed.

I was once asked what this last phrase meant. I likened it to driving a modern car without a buggy whip. When you run out of gas you'll feel naked because you no longer have a buggy whip to produce motive force. The buggy whip is as much an anachronism as the steam gauge "partial panel" concept.

Oh, by the way... Tapes format for me, hands down. Situational awareness is vastly improved with them. Especially when one doesn't come into the cockpit with many thousands of hours of steam gauge bias. I tested this out with my kids, using FlightSim. They simply could produce a more accurate picture of their flight situation using tapes (and they had zero hours of flight experience).
 
Oh, by the way... Tapes format for me, hands down. Situational awareness is vastly improved with them. Especially when one doesn't come into the cockpit with many thousands of hours of steam gauge bias. I tested this out with my kids, using FlightSim. They simply could produce a more accurate picture of their flight situation using tapes (and they had zero hours of flight experience).

I suspect a lot of thst is also the "HUD-like" pitch ladder, synvis, and flight path marker. Just given those you can make a very quick and useful assessment of the aircraft's general energy state and flight condition, without having to interpret dials or tapes.
 
6 pack

I like the 6 pack view. But then I've been flying a Cherokee with 6 pack for 20 years. My RV-7A is almost done and will have a Dynon. I hope I can transition to tape view and like it.

But right now when I look at the two screens, I can quickly figure out the 6-pack view. I have to read the tape view and it takes me 3x as long.

I'm pretty sure the initial first flight will be 6 pack view.

have fun
 
Back when we were still flying the Space Shuttle (last flight now what....six years ago?!), I came to realize that we had pilot astronauts, all generally military test pilots before they had been selected for the astronaut corps, who had started their basic training in glass cockpit airplanes in their military primary flight training. Flying anything with steam gauges was the oddity for them. The Shuttle's "Glass Panel" upgrade merely replicated the tapes and round ADI/HSI displays (a weird mix of formats with a heritage that could keep be traced to the XB-70), so it really was a transition for guys used to a PFD display.

That just puts into perspective how old those of us who grew up with steam gauges might really be.....:)

All PFD on EFIS on the airplanes I own these days!
 
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Gee, the responses so far overwhelmingly favor the EFIS tapes. I’m surprised.

I have some observations and thoughts:
How easy and natural is it to roll into a coordinated 2 minute turn? Here’s how the turn indicator works on the EFIS tape display:

“The turn rate indicator is displayed as a curved magenta bar along the top, outside curve of the compass rose. The bar grows in the direction that the aircraft is currently turning and is anchored at the arrow of the numeric display. The minor tick marks to the immediate right and left of the numeric display arrow represents a half-standard-rate-turn. The major tick marks to the left and right of the minor tick marks represent a standard turn rate of 3 degrees per second.”

Got that?

Now compare that with the dial turn coordinator on the six-pack display. Just line the wings of the little airplane up with the mark. Easier? Yes.

How about the VSI on the tape display? You have to look at the arrow, read the number, and double check if it has a “-“ shown as it is hard to tell if it’s up or down without staring at it.

On the six-pack VSI a quick glance at the needle shows if you are going up or down by the hand position and you don’t even need to read the numbers. Can you tell time by looking at a conventional watch without numbers? Plus you can see the whole range, not just a small segment.

And the six-pack airspeed indicator — nice that pattern airspeed (RV-12) has the needle right at the 3 o-clock position. No need to read the numbers. A quick glance on final tells you are on-speed for landing (not considering AoA here).

So, do the tapes need less or more reading and interpretation than the dials?

I haven’t voted in the poll yet. Up until my RV-12 with the D-180 all my flying had been with six-pack, except for a G1000 weekend checkout in a Diamond DA40. Then 380 hours with the D-180 and I’m used to looking at tapes. Now with Dynon leading the way with a six-pack display option, I am taking another close look at it. Is that a pun?

If Garmin and other manufacturers include a six-pack option, would that give it more credibility? I see round gauges presented on big airplane flight decks for the engines now, does that mean the heavy iron PFD EFIS might eventually show round gauges too?
 
Gee, the responses so far overwhelmingly favor the EFIS tapes. I’m surprised.

I have some observations and thoughts:
How easy and natural is it to roll into a coordinated 2 minute turn? Here’s how the turn indicator works on the EFIS tape display:

“The turn rate indicator is displayed as a curved magenta bar along the top, outside curve of the compass rose. The bar grows in the direction that the aircraft is currently turning and is anchored at the arrow of the numeric display. The minor tick marks to the immediate right and left of the numeric display arrow represents a half-standard-rate-turn. The major tick marks to the left and right of the minor tick marks represent a standard turn rate of 3 degrees per second.”

Got that?

Now compare that with the dial turn coordinator on the six-pack display. Just line the wings of the little airplane up with the mark. Easier? Yes.

How about the VSI on the tape display? You have to look at the arrow, read the number, and double check if it has a “-“ shown as it is hard to tell if it’s up or down without staring at it.

On the six-pack VSI a quick glance at the needle shows if you are going up or down by the hand position and you don’t even need to read the numbers. Can you tell time by looking at a conventional watch without numbers? Plus you can see the whole range, not just a small segment.

And the six-pack airspeed indicator — nice that pattern airspeed (RV-12) has the needle right at the 3 o-clock position. No need to read the numbers. A quick glance on final tells you are on-speed for landing (not considering AoA here).

So, do the tapes need less or more reading and interpretation than the dials?

I haven’t voted in the poll yet. Up until my RV-12 with the D-180 all my flying had been with six-pack, except for a G1000 weekend checkout in a Diamond DA40. Then 380 hours with the D-180 and I’m used to looking at tapes. Now with Dynon leading the way with a six-pack display option, I am taking another close look at it. Is that a pun?

If Garmin and other manufacturers include a six-pack option, would that give it more credibility? I see round gauges presented on big airplane flight decks for the engines now, does that mean the heavy iron PFD EFIS might eventually show round gauges too?

Tony:

My AI died on the way to AirVenture 2017. I paid $600 to overhaul DG 6-weeks earlier. I purchased a G5 from SteinAir and hope to install it next week. When I made the purchase, I planned to only use the G5 as an AI. Since I am due for a Transponder / Pitot / Static Test soon, I have changed my mind and will break into the pitot / static system and add the air data info then get the pitot / static / transponder test done early. The G5 costs less than a new vacuum gyro and a little more than an overhauled unit outright based on prices published on Aircraft Spruce website / 2017-2018 catalog.

Figured I would have all digital glass panel in my RV-8 and I can learn to get use to the RIBBON Airspeed and Altitude while I am still flying the backup analog gauges that have been serving me well for the past 20-years. Most likely it will be another two weeks before I have data on using the G5.

Will add a 2nd G5 and magnetometer some time in the next several years to replace the DG. Plan is to wait till it dies but SteinAir may get more money from me before that happens.
 
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So, do the tapes need less or more reading and interpretation than the dials?

IMO, no. It took me a while to adjust to the PFD - where things are - but now that I am comfortable with it, I would not want to go back. My scans equal or faster than my steam gauge Cherokee 140.
 
I've gone back and forth with what to equip with for at least the last 18mos and swing from full up IFR AFS (or Dynons - when will they collapse to one format?) to a trip to Wentworth for Cessna gauges and be done with it.

I think the helo poster has it right tho, and thats that when you have no time to read numbers and process, you can still understand a comparative needle instantly. IOW, the difference I see we have here is that most folks arent flying in emergency split second situations and probably never will, so the interpretation presentation of tapes is of no consequence for them.

That said, all I know for sure right now is that I plan on having steam Alt, Airspeed and DG/Whiskey in my panel - as backup or otherwise - no matter what else I use for the rest of the required information.
 
Gee, the responses so far overwhelmingly favor the EFIS tapes. I?m surprised.

Not sure why you are surprised Tony - just like approach guidance has progressed to GPS (follow the magenta line) from Low Frequency AN ranges (Dit-Dah....Dah-Dit), we've learned a few things over the years with instrument as well.

I have some observations and thoughts:
How easy and natural is it to roll into a coordinated 2 minute turn? Here?s how the turn indicator works on the EFIS tape display:

?The turn rate indicator is displayed as a curved magenta bar along the top, outside curve of the compass rose. The bar grows in the direction that the aircraft is currently turning and is anchored at the arrow of the numeric display. The minor tick marks to the immediate right and left of the numeric display arrow represents a half-standard-rate-turn. The major tick marks to the left and right of the minor tick marks represent a standard turn rate of 3 degrees per second.?

Got that?
It could also be described as "bank the airplane until the magenta bar matches the tick mark". Bad manual writing doesn't mean it is hard to use!

Now compare that with the dial turn coordinator on the six-pack display. Just line the wings of the little airplane up with the mark. Easier? Yes.

How about the VSI on the tape display? You have to look at the arrow, read the number, and double check if it has a ?-? shown as it is hard to tell if it?s up or down without staring at it.

I actually find the number (plus or minus is REALLY quick to interpret) quicker, more accurate, and more stable tan tick marks or needles. YMMV - but try it before you decide.

On the six-pack VSI a quick glance at the needle shows if you are going up or down by the hand position and you don?t even need to read the numbers. Can you tell time by looking at a conventional watch without numbers? Plus you can see the whole range, not just a small segment.

Most of the EFIS VSI's show you a needle as well as a number - pretty quick to see, just like a steam VSI.

And the six-pack airspeed indicator ? nice that pattern airspeed (RV-12) has the needle right at the 3 o-clock position. No need to read the numbers. A quick glance on final tells you are on-speed for landing (not considering AoA here).

Most EFIS's allow you to put a tick mark on the ASI for various speeds - easy to match the "needle" (indicator) to the tick mark - no interpretation needed.

So, do the tapes need less or more reading and interpretation than the dials?

Better or worse? Or just Different? Different isn't Worse - and oftentimes better!


I haven?t voted in the poll yet. Up until my RV-12 with the D-180 all my flying had been with six-pack, except for a G1000 weekend checkout in a Diamond DA40. Then 380 hours with the D-180 and I?m used to looking at tapes. Now with Dynon leading the way with a six-pack display option, I am taking another close look at it. Is that a pun?

Actually, almost all of them have a six-pack display option - but take a look at your poll results for how popular they seem to be. Just saying....

If Garmin and other manufacturers include a six-pack option, would that give it more credibility? I see round gauges presented on big airplane flight decks for the engines now, does that mean the heavy iron PFD EFIS might eventually show round gauges too?

I'd suggest an open mind and a learning attitude until you've had a chance to fly what you might find to be new and different. You can buy a flight sim for your computer and get head start in trying out different options before you commit to aviating.

And oh - those AN Range approaches....talk about working up a good sweat! No way I want to fly those for real - I learned them in a Link Simulator, and I'll take a GPS approach any day!
 
The whole idea with electronic displays is the Burger King approach: have it your way. I think each user has to decide which format suits them best.
 
Is it because glass has been proven absolutely reliable and the given that all pilots carry portable gps's that standby compasses are not required. At least on the 12?
 
What I like about the typical EFIS PFD tape display is all the required info is so close together it makes maintaining a scan easier, at least for me, compared to the eye movement required for a scan with a traditional 6-pack. For whatever reason I tend to fixate less with the tapes.

Bottom line this is all about works best for you, and not whether one is better than the other, as both presentations get the job done.
 
My -12 has dual GRT EFIS displays...but as far as "hand flying", I thought the B-757 had the perfect mix of glass/steam instrumentation. It had a standard airspeed indicator and altimeter as primary instruments with the glass attitude and navigation displays in the center. Having a broad instrument needle with a bug set for reference allowed monitoring airspeed and altitude deviations with peripheral vision...required no interpretation.

My -8 also had dual GRT's with analog airspeed and altimeter. I always used both for takeoff and approach.

Having grown up with steam...that is my comfort zone. All you youngsters are dialed in to the current magic...to now include the HUD!

Sorry...my response wasn't exactly on topic.
 
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I transitioned to EFIS/glass over 20 years ago due to new jets the company purchased. It was a lot easier than learning to scan a six-pack when I worked on my private/commercial/instrument/ATP ratings. My RV9 is EFIS/glass and no iron gage instruments. The backup attitude/AS/altimeter is glass. My wife transitioned easily to the EFIS.

I was told long ago that I could either get on the technology train, or get left at the station. I chose to get on!
 
I'd suggest an open mind and a learning attitude until you've had a chance to fly what you might find to be new and different.

I agree.

There has been comments that such and such method is easier.....

Easy in anything is usually based prior knowledge or experience that can be applied to a new experience or situation.

Someone that learns using an EFIS from the very beginning wouldn't consider analog displays to be easier.

I assure you it can be learned. And once learned, jumping back and forth between analog and traditional EFIS/PFD is then no big deal.
 
I agree.

There has been comments that such and such method is easier.....

Easy in anything is usually based prior knowledge or experience that can be applied to a new experience or situation.

Someone that learns using an EFIS from the very beginning wouldn't consider analog displays to be easier.

I assure you it can be learned. And once learned, jumping back and forth between analog and traditional EFIS/PFD is then no big deal.

Scott, so I can drop the subject, why aren't standby/whiskey compasses required anymore?
 
Scott, so I can drop the subject, why aren't standby/whiskey compasses required anymore?

If you look up the equipment requirements in the FAR's, it says you must have a "magnetic heading indicator" Something that derives its heading disply using the magnetic field of the earth. All EFIS systems that I am aware of use a magnetometer to do that so they meet the requirement.

The problem is there are still some airworthiness inspectors that have their own personal interpretation of what that requirement means.
 
Right! thank you, what are your thoughts about my following interpretation of that FAA verbiage? In what sounds like an extreme and highly unlikely circumstance, where the EFIS display totally fails, and the magnetometer is useless, this leaves the unprepared pilot without a backup NAV aid.
I agree with the general sport pilot community this scenario as unlikely and in my case, barring an untimely EMP event, I will likely survive the day with a hand held of some sort.
 
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Right! thank you, what are your thoughts about my following interpretation of that FAA verbiage? In what sounds like an extreme and highly unlikely circumstance, where the EFIS display totally fails, and the magnetometer is useless, this leaves the unprepared pilot without a backup NAV aid.
I agree with the general sport pilot community this scenario as unlikely and in my case, barring an untimely EMP event, I will likely survive the day with a hand held of some sort.

No one flying IFR should have a system where a single failure precludes continued IFR flight. Hand held is not adequate.

Carl
 
How about VFR Carl.

Since this is the RV-12 forum, VFR is the context I was thinking in, which is why all that should be needed for standard equipment in the airplane is the single magnetic heading indicator.

I am a firm believer in use of the back up equipment called "look out the window".

With the level of information that we have in airplanes with EFIS systems today, any proficient pilot should at the moment the screen goes dark, know exactly where he is, what the winds are, what his ground speed is, and with the use of their paper chart or what ever other back up map method they have chosen, be able to navigate to a nearby airport.

If they can't, then it would probably be best if they don't get out of sight of their home airport.
 
Should add:

I'm only a VFR guy; I flew steam gauges all the way through training and the first 10 years of flying Dad's -6. When he changed to a Skyview it didn't have the six-pack available yet, so I started flying the PFD presentation. I had no trouble with that part. The much greater challenge was transitioning to using knots instead of statute miles per hour.

But, I also had thousands(?) of hours of PC flight sim flying as a kid, with both steam and PFD/HUD displays.

I can't speak much to flying IMC and all that, but from some experimenting we've done with the -6 I've found it easier to fly under the hood than I remember the steam C150 being. But again, I have no formal IFR training.
 
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I am adding an autopilot to my conventional round gauged RV so I am leaning to the trutrak gemini to replace my vacum AI. I like round and do not like the appearance of mixing square and round together. It looks cobbled. Reading this thread I can't help but think about flying vfr in my RV (800hrs) all over the US and Canada. I am looking out the window 99% of the time (looking out for guys with their head down). All the fancy efis stuff is just expensive square junk along for the ride. (unless your IFR and stare at the dash which i can do in the basement on my computer) So six pac for me.
 
I am adding an autopilot to my conventional round gauged RV so I am leaning to the trutrak gemini to replace my vacum AI. I like round and do not like the appearance of mixing square and round together. It looks cobbled. Reading this thread I can't help but think about flying vfr in my RV (800hrs) all over the US and Canada. I am looking out the window 99% of the time (looking out for guys with their head down). All the fancy efis stuff is just expensive square junk along for the ride. (unless your IFR and stare at the dash which i can do in the basement on my computer) So six pac for me.

What kind of standby compass do you have, was swinging it difficult?
 
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Hello Airhound. I thought all GA aircraft had to have a compass? Anyway, not sure what brand I have but it is mounted in panel and not the type that sits on the dash to obstruct your view. I have nothing on my dash to obstruct my forward view. I had it swung at an avionics shop. One guy stood way out in front of the aircraft with some type of gun pointing it at the plane while the other guy made adjustments to the compass. Plane was running and he would move to different locations on the ramp while we realigned the plane with him. Since then I have simply checked it on a compass rose at a local airport. Apparently the plane is supposed to be running during this high tech maneuver.
 
Carry backup HH GPS with extra batterys.....

Hello Airhound. I thought all GA aircraft had to have a compass? Anyway, not sure what brand I have but it is mounted in panel and not the type that sits on the dash to obstruct your view. I have nothing on my dash to obstruct my forward view. I had it swung at an avionics shop. One guy stood way out in front of the aircraft with some type of gun pointing it at the plane while the other guy made adjustments to the compass. Plane was running and he would move to different locations on the ramp while we realigned the plane with him. Since then I have simply checked it on a compass rose at a local airport. Apparently the plane is supposed to be running during this high tech maneuver.

Howdy!
Post 37 explains requirements and I'm good with it. I'm thinking when we know the engine driven electricity has stopped, for those with EFIS and no standby compass or HH GPS, its best to be on the ground by the time the backup battery craps out too!

Even the most proficient orienteers/pilots can become disoriented/temporarily lost, especially, if flying over unfamiliar/snow covered terrain or maneuvering around clouds etc....
 
Hello Airhound. I thought all GA aircraft had to have a compass?

Apparently the plane is supposed to be running during this high tech maneuver.

In the US the FARs say 'Magnetic direction indicator', and some FSDOs have okayed using an EFIS (with magnetic sensing) to fullfill that rule.

Standard practice when swinging a compass is to have all normal electrical stuff on, as electric currents generate magnetic fields that may 'pull' a compass.

What was the device the tech used? A fancy compass?
 
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