Why New Avionics Require New Skills, with Garmin’s Jessica Koss

By John Zimmerman
Dec 3, 2024
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Pilot's Discretion Podcast, episode 92

Advanced avionics are changing GA airplanes, but all that technology is useless if you don’t know how to use it. Jessica Koss, Garmin’s chief flight instructor, shares her time-tested tips for avionics mastery in this episode, from understanding integrated panels to managing autopilots. She also talks about the latest Garmin technology, like Emergency Autoland and touchscreen panels in jets. In the Ready to Copy segment, Jessica describes what it’s like to land with auto-throttles, explains how to teach better ground schools, and shares her pick for the best barbecue in Kansas City.

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Quotes:

Learning new avionics: “I think flight instructors are a pivotal resource.”
Understanding integrated avionics: “It’s not just the nav/com by itself… The critical part there is understanding where all the information comes from.”
Fighting complacency with automation: “There’s often a disconnect between ‘I’m gonna tell the autopilot to do this, I expect it to do that’ and then I kinda just keep on going through my flow in the cockpit.”
Why safety features like ESP are different: “It’s often misunderstood because it’s there in the background when you’re hand flying the airplane. It’s not only active when the autopilot is on.”
Garmin’s goals for emergency features: “Autoland should be in every airplane out there flying today. We owe it to our passengers.”
Adapting to touchscreen avionics: “In order to improve upon what we have in the cockpit and be better and incorporate better integration potential, it has to be a little different from what we have today.”
Tips for flying with family: “I involve them as much as they want to be involved.”
Young people’s expectations about aviation: “They also are always surprised at how easy it is. I always try to emphasize that because I know getting into flying for me was a bit daunting.”
Heads-up displays in piston airplanes: “They’ll definitely make the presence known, in one form or another.”
What it’s like to land with auto-throttles: “It’s like an out of body experience.”
How to teach a better ground school: “Bring a lot of energy… It may have been the third time that you’ve talked about airspace that week, or whatever the case may be, but get excited about it.”