Page 31 - Volume 19 Number 10

market, listening to music with words and a melody, or saying The Pledge of Allegiance in school; flying used to feel more social and “American”. These systemic changes on both sides of the cockpit door have occurred due to a shift in our culture, and for safety, efficiency and economic reasons.Crank HandleChanges in the flying world are not restricted to Part 121. In the name of modernization, efficiency and security, all of GA is bracing for changes related to NextGen, including ADS-B compliance. Old-school is being replaced once again. The Duke, like a growing percentage of aircraft, is now compliant. Gone are its old Collins Nav/Coms, a first generation King IFR GPS, the ADF, DME, RMI and a handful of even more “antique” components – including a Collins RNAV and two marine radio signal-strength meters. Flying without the RNAV and those marine meters will be challenging, I’m sure. Fellow airport bums had been dispensing grief about the avionics– a bit beyond old-school, they said. “Oh, my God, an RNAV. I haven’t seen one-a-those since the seventies. Where is the loop antenna crank-handle for that ADF? Is that a Narco VOR? It has a crank too, right?” they would chuckle. The explanation was the same one I use as the reason I fly the MD-80 instead of one of the next-gen aircraft available at my carrier: like the old avionics, I’m old-school too. I’ve grown comfortable in the MD-80 and with its avionics. Truthfully, I’d do just about anything to avoid six weeks of training in a new jet at the flight academy in DFW. Teaching old dogs new tricks and all, you know.Itch ScratchingThe Duke’s Century IV autopilot is also old-school, but it’s coupled to everything, which anyone flying single-pilot in the soup, at night, or over long distances will tell you is very nice – so it gets used a lot. But, I still enjoy staying in touch with the flight control system, the engines and manual navigation, when appropriate, as well. The F-16 is a fly-by-wire airplane, complete with all kinds of classified magic and I have a type in the 737, so it’s not as though I’ve never beenAir Capitol Dial Quarter Page 4/C AdWinner Aviation Inc. Quarter Page4/C AdOCTOBER 2015TWIN & TURBINE • 29