Analog Or Digital

[cap]

Helilog -----when some MoT person can point out to me what section of any rule book says the guages can't be in the 6 o'clock configuration, then I'll reconsider for the obvious reasons. I've yet to see or hear any government agency person bring any such subject up and that dates from July 1, 1965. It all goes back to who, how and where a person is trained. To some. they wouldn't be comfortable with what I prefer and that's to be understood and respected because I point no fingers at those that don't care for it. If you're flying my a/c and that's what it takes to make you comfortable, then where's the screwdriver because that's all it takes and I'd be more than happy to help make you comfortable.

 

With regards your comment about MoT, which MoT would that be....the MoT East or the MoT West......because they are not both the same?

[Charles W.]

Well I've been trying to decide how I feel about analog vs. digital.

 

After much thought and closing my eyes to go back...way back in time I have decided that analog on the instruments gave me the best feeling for how the machine was working...and deep in the night far up in the vast Arctic digital felt best, it may have been lonley but I could make it as tight as I wanted. :up:

 

As always...the Rev.

[Helilog56]

Cap....the inspector was out here in the Pacific Region, this happened to me in 1996. I will forgo mentioning his name (P.M.), but he was a source of frustration for us out here in the west for a number of years. As you pointed out, he actually had no basis for an arguement other than "it was not how the aircraft received it's airworthiness certfication". Even our Chief Engineer was in the debate, but alas, we either had to return the gauges to their original position, or my ride would not be carried out. So for the sake of "taking the path of least resistance", we co-operated for the time being....then of course returned them to where we had them for our vertical reference operations....

[alphonso]

Lots of good points.

 

What I am thinking is "How does your brain work when you look at an analog gauge?"

 

Do you read the number "78%" or do you reference the position "Getting close to the yellow"?

 

It slows me down a lot to say the numbers in my head (I try not to move my lips or use my fingers) but the accuracy is higher. I guess it depends on whether it is a quick scan or not.

[cap]

Well on most things and most times I'm "colour-coded". No colour means wait for colour before you add power and "rotate". Green means we're cool baby and let's double check the rest of the gear before we commit. Yellow means we're also in "working-mode", but take note. Two white lines, not lined up means the forking guage has rotated on us and we're missing some screws holding the guage in place. Now red is very important to me. It means the bloody forest fire has taken a run towards camp, the wife is really pissed this time, the a/c is talking to me and saying "whoa there ****-head", or the engineer is really going to be pissed, or the next pilot might just have to pay for my cavalier attitude with his life. So I'm "colour-coded" big time and I strongly suspect that eons ago they made guages like that in machinery just for "colour-coded" people like me. To this day, I can't and won't tolerate "idiot lites" on my car/truck instrument panel.......gotta have those guages with the pretty yellow, green and red lines/ colours, but I can't figure out how to turn them all to 6 o'clock ******.