E6-Bs

[timel]

http://www.boldmethod.com/blog/vote/201 ... aper-e6-b/

Paper E6-Bs, or electronic stuffs?
Even if I don't use it much anymore, I still carry one with me in my flight bag, in case.

I know many new students don't even have the curiosity anymore to learn and use one.
What do you think?

[iflyforpie]

With every advance in technology... older technologies become casualties. Things from sextants all the way up to LORAN-Cs have all become either redundant or totally useless in the modern cockpit. Even though I'm sure that E6Bs are well represented on pilots watches, they are more for status than practical use (especially for those of us who are getting on in years and can't see the tiny numbers on the bezel).

I always carry a compact E6B with me... it goes in my trust tri-fold knee board that has my VNC (which I never use... it's 1:500,000 topo maps for me... now on iPad), and paper and pens for logging times and compiling reports.

I find the E6B useful for when I am doing survey at endurance speeds to figure out time enroute to break off to the nearest airport for fuel. A GPS doesn't tell me anything useful because I am usually not headed right to the airport and I am not going at cruising speed. All I have to do is set the aircraft cruise speed and read the distance off the GPS (or map if I had to). It's nice too that it stays where you leave it and doesn't need power to display information.

[sidestick stirrer]

It would appear that the Dalton E-6B only outshines shines the CX-2 at two tasks: true altitude solutions and this technique: on the wind side, put in the dots for the forecast winds at the available altitudes, circle each dot and put the altitude next it (3,6,9,etc.), then turn the disc until the Planned True Track is under the True Track pointer at the top, and now you have an instant and very-easy to visualize presentation of the best altitude, either the best tailwind or the least headwind.
Although the CX-2 cannot do this, Foreflight can, which is slowly reducing the E-6B's versatility.

[timel]

I find it faster on E6B than CX6, and CX6 is taking batteries and much more space.

Foreflight I have to admit is doing a lot of things, but it does not do all the options provided by E6B.
I think it is important not to forget basics, LORAN C is just not available anymore. I don't know about other countries.

[trey kule]

When I learned to fly we were issued a heavy metal E6 in a leather case. They were great. They could hold down a half dozen charts fairly securely in even moderate turbulence. No electronic one, will do that. And just spill coffee on one of those paper made or fancy electronic kind....those were not made for real pilots!

They are ready to go the way of the dinosaur. Charts are now electronic and the new electronic ones seem to be able to withstand the challenge to slip to the floor if you leave them unattended.

Times change. Now with synthetic vision and infa red imaging we can permanently cover the windscreens to keep out the sun

Nope, its time to eliminate them from the cockpit much like young sexy stewardessess.

[halfmilevis]

Just wanted to add a quick note that the E6B is still required for your written PPL exam, this means that you have to learn how to use it to some degree. I’m a newly minted PP and felt the need to learn how to use my metal E6B properly before even looking at the electronic one. While the Electronic E6B makes things happen slightly faster, it’s in no way leaps and bounds ahead of the metal leathered case edition already mentioned. On my XC for my PPL I had to use my E6B to estimate ETE's/ETA's although the original post was probably more geared toward the 703-705 world.

HMV

[trey kule]

First of all, my original post was rather light spirited. I recognize that the E6B is required for the ppl to demonstrate the navigational accuracy that is not really necessary actual flight today. Oh yes, the "what if" crowd will chorus.....if you are on top of your game you can get to your destination, return home, or go somewhere else using approximate figuring in your head....its all about the 1/60 rule, and having good positional awareness. Which makes me wonder about this:

Even if I don't use it much anymore, I still carry one with me in my flight bag, in case.

Just in case of what exactly? Unless you want to create the most bizarre, what if scenario I have a hard time thinking how it is a just in case item...perhaps I am missing something here, so please share what just in case means.

BTW..I like E6Bs...I really do. And I like slide rules as well. Still have mine around somewhere

[timel]

Mostly winds and speed + time and distance if i have to do things manualy on paper.

Actualy you don't have to know about E6B at exame if you have a cx6.

[trey kule]

Actualy you don't have to know about E6B at exame if you have a cx6.

E6B. CX6.......six of one...half dozen of the other!

[timel]

I like to think I can rely on one of those if the ipad get broken or battery is down.

[trey kule]

I see the reference to six got lost.....sigh....

I am not meaning to be antagonistic but if you are flying VFR (ppl), You can go from point a to point b without an ipad, GPS, or computer ..I know, I know. Its hard to believe.......but true.

Your instructor should have gone through all this with you. Common sense navigation. A dead ipad battery does not constitute an emergency, or require a backup for vfr flight.

[Pop n Fresh]

The problem with E-6Bs and any math is staying current. Unless I use it often I have to think about what I'm trying to do too much. It seems difficult. If you use one often enough you can actually go faster than you can enter the data on any electronic devise. It will do way more calculations than most people are ever shown. Once during a navigation class a few guys had started really playing with them the month before and showed us all sorts of extra things they could do. Initially it looked like magic but I tried a few things and it showed how simple they were to use if you took the time to learn it.

To navigate I only need to keep track of, time, location/distance remaining, fuel volume & flow.

Look around at things on the ground. Preferably match at least three noticable features. Roads, rivers/ponds/lakes, towns, power lines, rails. I like to look for things that might be interesting and stand out on route when I draw a line with small lines across it every ten nautical miles on the chart.
----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------O
Write 10, 20, 30... beside them.
You can do the five degree lines (I allways have) but I doubt I have ever used them. If I am off the main line I suspect I could still turn back toward it without them.

Then while I fly I scribble on a little Nav log, my calculated ground speed, fuel time remaining, distance time remaining and check to make sure the distance is going away faster than the fuel.

I suppose with GPS almost all the calculating is done, it tells us, what time it is, our location and ground speed, it has moving map. I probably should keep track of my fuel time remaining. A guy used to write here about a thing called a fuel totalizer. Maybe with one of those and an auto pilot I can just ride along.

Learning to do everything manually on an E-6B helped me learn details about all that stuff and how all the calculations are done using three numbers to find a fourth one. If I paid enough attention I could probably figure out how to do everything with basic math. I would look much smarter than I actually am.

As for back up. If the electricity fails. Just stay on course and keep track of distance and fuel time remaining. Everything else is just extra stuff.

[rotorspeed]

Ive noticed when I use my paper e6b, when Im solving sample problems such as altitude computations, its not accurate enough to read fine lines such as the hundreds of feet. Its hard to see exactly since the lines are so tight together and small. Taking the ppl private written test, would it be better to buy and electronic one?

[Cessna driver]

Any tc exam, i bring both, ppl,cpl,inrat, iatra...etc each has its perks

[LousyFisherman]

Ive noticed when I use my paper e6b, when Im solving sample problems such as altitude computations, its not accurate enough to read fine lines such as the hundreds of feet. Its hard to see exactly since the lines are so tight together and small. Taking the ppl private written test, would it be better to buy and electronic one?

I use the CX2 (electronic) on all tests/exams
I use the E6B when actually flying, mind you the only thing I seem to care about is density altitude, and even that I usually guesstimate.

LF

[Big Pistons Forever]

I am using my E6B right now. It is the perfect thickness to replace the broken rubber post on the bottom of one leg of my computer table.

[rotorspeed]

I notice when I do sample exams if the answer is lets say 6100ft and there's 6500 and 5700 as a possible answer its hard to read that finite the e6b. Any help?