re: Any Student Pilots? Soon To Be Student Pilots?

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Back in the day I had a electrical failure right after take off, a cell phone would have been great, we just circled until the tower flashed us with the green light. Bought a handheld Nav/com after that episode. I always feared a vacuum failure and having to actually fly on instruments with a partial panel, today’s glass panels have got to more reliable than vacuum pumps and mechanical gyros.

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They’re still required to know light gun signals, for that very scenario! That’s a great story. I did my initial training in an old six pack with a couple VOR receivers and a broken GPS unit. I also did a portion of my time building in a 1976 C150 with original instruments. The rest of my flying as a student and commercially have been with a glass cockpit. You’re right - there’s a world of difference. I’ve come to appreciate both types of flying for different reasons, but will always prefer a glass panel for the reasons you mentioned above.