AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTATION FEATURE

Until recently, most General Aviation aircraft were equipped with individual instruments utilised collectively to safely operate and maneuverer the aircraft.

- ATHOL FRANZ

With the release of the electronic flight display (EFD) system, conventional instruments have been replaced by multiple liquid crystal display (LCD) screens. The first screen is installed in front of the pilot position and is referred to as the primary flight display (PFD).

The second screen, positioned approximately in the center of the instrument panel, is referred to as the multi-function display (MFD). These two screens de-clutter instrument panels while increasing safety. This has been accomplished through the utilisation of solid state instruments that have a failure rate far less than those of conventional analogue instrumentation.

With today's improvements in avionics and the introduction of EFDs, pilots at any level of experience need an astute knowledge of the onboard flight control systems, as well as an understanding of how automation melds with aeronautical decision-making (ADM). These subjects are covered in detail in aeronautical decision-m and automation. Whether an aircraft has analogue or digital (glass) instruments, the instrumentation falls into three different categories: performance, control and navigation.