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Avionics FAIL on a night Instrument approach

The Flying Reporter

22,825 views

This flight shows how important it is to know your avionics inside out! An innocent setting change, could have caused major problems.

I make inspirational videos about my flying adventures around the UK and Europe. I have a dream too, to one day fly my PA28 across the atlantic to the USA. Subscribe to my channel for more inspirational flying vlogs and honest post-flight debrief videos.

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#generalaviation #flying #privatepilot #pilot #atc #airtrafficcontrol #aviation #pa28 #flight #debrief #travel
00:00 Introduction
00:54 taxi
01:21 take off
02:25 Overflying Reading
03:10 contacting London Information
04:09 Satellite weather
06:14 Overflying Silverstone racecourse
07:45 Landing Sturgate
08:45 Norvic Aero Engines
09:30 Take off Sturgate
11.26 Aberdeen approach
13.25 Navigator goes dark
14:59 Landing Aberdeen
17:50 Taxi to the apron
18:59 Costs

20 Comments

@aakoksal 6 months ago (edited)

When Garmin instruments go dark like that, just turn on your headlight onto the light sensor which will make screen visible again, and turn off auto dim feature when you can. Happens all the time to me with those G5s…

@gcorriveau6864 6 months ago (edited)

As with the 'emer-gear deployment' system... For EVERY automatic function the pilot NEEDS to have and know a way to over-ride it! A Catch 22 of automated systems. I strongly suggest you devise a back up way to overcome this inadvertent screen darkness - for when it happens again! i.e. can you momentarily deactivate it by covering up a specific spot/sensor on the screen? Or turning full cabin interiour lights ON? Stabbing in the blind on a dark screen is one of the many reasons I strongly dislike touchscreens and menu driven functions in airplanes... or any moving vehicle.

@stevenlow3036 6 months ago

EGPD Aberdeen, my local airport.
Flew my first solo with the Flying Club there in the early 2000s.
The club had great Instructors.

@idlewise 6 months ago

19:19 - that's expensive! :face-fuchsia-tongue-out:

@diverdriver7028 6 months ago

Great video as always. I always tell my students "you can never have enough torches". I've got little reading lights that can be attached to headsets/glasses, small cigeratte lighter torches and clip on mini lights

@stephenashby9858 6 months ago

Another enjoyable, and honest flight. Love the nighttime approach…
Cheers,
Stephen

@owencarlstrand1945 6 months ago

Did the dunker course about twenty years ago. If you haven’t been turned upside down under water you have no idea how disorienting it is. The techniques they teach could be life savers.

@colawarsveteran 6 months ago

EGPD ABZ is my home airport. Learning there just now - did my first solo there. For a busy place, it’s very friendly!

@AgricolaPilot 6 months ago

Hi Jon, as always entertaining, honest and a learning experience. Many thanks for sharing this.

@OkayPilot2992 6 months ago

I stopped in Aberdeen on a ferry flight, the FBO there was amazing! Got a traditional Scottish breakfast, tour of the downtown area, saw the castle, and found a teapot for my Grandma all organized by Signature (driving on the wrong side of the road was NOT on my bingo card that day). All in all, a great little stop-over, only thing missing was WiFi in the building!

@barrywood5357 6 months ago

Nice one jon everyday is a school day when you flying as theres always something to learn about your aircraft be safe and crack on

@ChrisWakeford.Connects 4 months ago

Love your channel.....brilliant.

@whathasxgottodowithit3919. 6 months ago (edited)

Best not go to war between Christmas and New Year then! Aberdeen is great Nice easy instrument approaches from either end, particularly when coming in over the sea.
Not really a problem it was VMC from where you had the problem, and the Airport well visual by then, Had it been IMC that would have been different.

@dr_jaymz 6 months ago

I think I would call that a bug. The display doesn't need that much range on its brightness. At the wrong point in flight that kind of distraction could be extremely dangerous. If you'd shone your head torch at it then it would have increased its brightness. But to be honest if you have to rely on a head torch to operate anything, you probably should reevaluate your life choices. It was OK in a C150 60 years ago but not today. Absolutely wouldn't be acceptable on a cheap car, so why its acceptable in an aircraft shows how slow things move.

@owainv1 6 months ago

Ah, the ABZ Signature FBO, defo one of my favourites (I think the Southend Jet Centre just pips it with it's wall of pick and mix sweets 😂). I operate on the other side of the airfield these days and you're right, they do love a high viz vest . . . . and it has to be done up . . . and you have to have your pass showing 🙄

@guyhooper9993 6 months ago

I loved this video. Great to get the rtf with such clarity and also the garmin drama, or Garma! The video fell apart when you refused a Tunnock’s caramel wafer: shocking adm/TEM!

@SuperReasonable 6 months ago

The real gotcha on your aircraft is when the instrument dimmer is rolled to full dim, something that is not noticed during bright sunlight flights and the U/C 3 greens don’t show when you drop the wheels. It caused me some alarm when the instructor who converted me, rolled the switch off without me noticing!

@kieronedwards7296 6 months ago

Another great video Jon - did I hear you mention autopilot - any video about that coming out - I didn’t realise you had a working one on board I can’t see the familiar blue button of the gfc500 ! keep the vids coming - love the ifr stuff - would be great to do a video on how you use the g5 on different approaches ils / r nav and holds.

@kevchilton908 6 months ago

A very enjoyable video again, Jon. Everything so professional... especially the flying. Well done for stretching yourself again, it's always so easy to repeat the things you're used to 👍🏻 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻