Section 7
Description of the Airplane and Systems
Columbia 400 (LC41-550FG)
RC050002
Initial Issue of Manual: November 10, 2004
7-30
Latest Revision Level/Date: -/11-10-2004
AVIDYNE FLIGHTMAX PRIMARY FLIGHT DISPLAY
System Overview
– The FlightMax Entegra Primary Flight Display (PFD) is on the left side of
the instrument panel and is the pilot’s primary flight display. The PFD electronically displays the
airplane’s basic flight parameters, i.e., attitude (pitch and roll), airspeed, altitude, and vertical
speed. This type of presentation has been used in the airline industry for several years, and over
this time period, human factors experts have devised ways to present all the information in a
small area, thus reducing the range of one’s scan. Moreover, through the use of tape-type
indications and other digital displays, the information is more intuitive and easier to process.
The installed Air Data and Attitude Heading Reference System (ADAHRS) compute the
movement of the airplane around its three axes of flight, including airspeed and vertical speed.
The solid-state ADAHRS needs three to five minutes of warm-up time to stabilize, and the
airplane should not be moved until the red “X’s” on the display are extinguished. For example,
when the left battery switch is turned on during the startup procedure, the PFD will be energized
automatically. After the engine is started, the airplane may need to remain stationary for a few
more minutes.
An Avidyne
FlightMax Entegra Primary Flight Display Pilot’s Guide
is included as part of the
delivery kit with the airplane and is the primary source document for operation of the airplane’s
PFD as well as how it is integrated with other standard and optional systems. Proper use of all
the PFD features requires some practice and study. However, the long-term benefits more than
justify the time devoted to learning all aspects of the system. It is recommended that the guide be
reviewed at some length and a few hours of practice under VFR conditions occur before using
the PFD for complex operations.
The functions of the PFD’s knobs and buttons are detailed below and extracted from the Avidyne
FlightMax Entegra Primary Flight Display Pilot’s Guide
. A picture, with labels, of the
FlightMax PFD is shown at the end of this discussion. See Figure 7 - 7.
The PFD display may not be visible to the pilot if wearing polarized sunglasses. This may only
occur when viewing the display at certain angles. The pilot should be aware of the potential for
this to occur and be prepared to use alternate eye protection.
NOTE
The PFD display may not be visible to the pilot if wearing polarized sunglass
lenses.
General Discussion
•
Brightness Control (BRT/DIM) –
Controls display brightness. Power-on
default is 75% brightness.
•
Buttons and Knobs –
Used to select modes or change the display as
indicated. Knob and button functions are described in more detail on the
following pages.
•
Air Data –
Displays True Airspeed (TAS) and Ground Speed (GS) in knots.
Invalid data are displayed as dashes (---).
•
Airspeed Window –
Displays current indicated airspeed in knots. Hash
marks are displayed below 20 knots.