For those folks wondering what it looks like to fly with a ?Highway In The Sky? display, I shot this little demo video of an approach to Runway 12 at Anahuac, TX (T00) the other day. (Rick Pellicciotti was kind enough to host this on his web site, and asks that people ?right click and download? rather than running from his server, or the entire internet - and the space-time continuum - might come to a screeching halt!)
http://www.rocket-boys.com/images/GRT_SAP_HITS.wmv
This is a GPS non-precision approach, but the Grand Rapids EFIS can create a Synthetic Approach to any runway using GPS data. (Now obviously, you are not going to use the vertical guidance in anything but an advisory capacity, and not below Minimums unless you have the runway in sight! I just did this there because I thought about enabling the recorder function on the EFIS, which I never remember to do when I am flying an ILS. You can couple the ILS to the HITS, so it looks the same as this. When the ILS is live, you get needles or bars - your choice - in addition to HITS.)
I wasn't intending to land from this, I just wanted folks to see what it looks like to fly the HITS display, so I was cooking down on this little unsuspecting field at 170+ knots. Not the way to fly an ILS, but it does allow a 3,000 fpm missed approach! I rolled onto the final approach course from the east, right about DEPPY, (the FAF) and went directly inbound. A few things to note if you are not familiar with the GRT HS display:
1) You will note the circle with the little stub "wings and tail". This is the Velocity Vector, which tells you where the airplane is going (not where it is pointed). Keep it inside the corridor, and you're going to end up at the runway.
2) Directly underneath the Velocity Vector, you'll see a number - this is computed height above the runway (computed from GPS). Anahuac is about 20' MSL, so it is essentially the same as the Baro altitude in this case, but this is quite useful when going into airports with significant altitude. Less math to do in your head.
3) This is the GRT HS Display - this is a higher resolution, brighter, and larger screen than the original EFIS, but using the original processor. Their next generation HX EFIS will have the Synthetic Vision Virtual Terrain that we've been seeing lovely picture of recently. (No, I can't wait either! ) The HS does give us the line of engine and systems data along the bottom - it allows me to use the second screen (not shown, below this) for moving map, HSI, etc) and still see engine stuff.
4) Most of the data on the screen are easily interpreted by anyone who has seen a modern EFIS PFD. Some of the data in the bottom blocks might be ambiguous, because they are user (me!) defined. In the lower right block, I have fuel remaining, Percent Power, Range Remaining, and Fuel Flow. In the lower left block, you will see Next Waypoint, Time to Waypoint, Distance to Waypoint, and Groundspeed. Ignore the Selected heading - I wasn?t using it, so I left it randomly where it was (090 degrees), but that is used to drive the autopilot if I want. The "G+XX" number above the altimeter setting in the lower right is the current difference between barometric and GPS altitude - interesting to know!
Paul
http://www.rocket-boys.com/images/GRT_SAP_HITS.wmv
This is a GPS non-precision approach, but the Grand Rapids EFIS can create a Synthetic Approach to any runway using GPS data. (Now obviously, you are not going to use the vertical guidance in anything but an advisory capacity, and not below Minimums unless you have the runway in sight! I just did this there because I thought about enabling the recorder function on the EFIS, which I never remember to do when I am flying an ILS. You can couple the ILS to the HITS, so it looks the same as this. When the ILS is live, you get needles or bars - your choice - in addition to HITS.)
I wasn't intending to land from this, I just wanted folks to see what it looks like to fly the HITS display, so I was cooking down on this little unsuspecting field at 170+ knots. Not the way to fly an ILS, but it does allow a 3,000 fpm missed approach! I rolled onto the final approach course from the east, right about DEPPY, (the FAF) and went directly inbound. A few things to note if you are not familiar with the GRT HS display:
1) You will note the circle with the little stub "wings and tail". This is the Velocity Vector, which tells you where the airplane is going (not where it is pointed). Keep it inside the corridor, and you're going to end up at the runway.
2) Directly underneath the Velocity Vector, you'll see a number - this is computed height above the runway (computed from GPS). Anahuac is about 20' MSL, so it is essentially the same as the Baro altitude in this case, but this is quite useful when going into airports with significant altitude. Less math to do in your head.
3) This is the GRT HS Display - this is a higher resolution, brighter, and larger screen than the original EFIS, but using the original processor. Their next generation HX EFIS will have the Synthetic Vision Virtual Terrain that we've been seeing lovely picture of recently. (No, I can't wait either! ) The HS does give us the line of engine and systems data along the bottom - it allows me to use the second screen (not shown, below this) for moving map, HSI, etc) and still see engine stuff.
4) Most of the data on the screen are easily interpreted by anyone who has seen a modern EFIS PFD. Some of the data in the bottom blocks might be ambiguous, because they are user (me!) defined. In the lower right block, I have fuel remaining, Percent Power, Range Remaining, and Fuel Flow. In the lower left block, you will see Next Waypoint, Time to Waypoint, Distance to Waypoint, and Groundspeed. Ignore the Selected heading - I wasn?t using it, so I left it randomly where it was (090 degrees), but that is used to drive the autopilot if I want. The "G+XX" number above the altimeter setting in the lower right is the current difference between barometric and GPS altitude - interesting to know!
Paul
