The PRIMARY FLIGHT DISPLAY ‘A guided tour of the Primary Flight Display (PFD) by Mike Ray Captain Mike Ray has already spent his youth pursuing aviation Sting behind a yoke, strapped to firplane seas, he was there for over 37 years, Finally ‘leased Jrom his cockpit daties by retirement, ke brings his perspective toa subject that isa passion fr allsinmers..alking about airplanes. If had to pick the “MOST IMPORTANT” instrument in the Boeing Glass Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) and if | also had to guess what instrument most befuddled flight simmers, it would be the PFD. This article is about the absolutely fabulous, incredible, beautiful, wonderful, unbelievable, great, terrific “PRIMARY FLIGHT DISPLAY’. This marvelous piece of engineering magic is probably the most enigmatic object in the Boeing cockpit environment. Itbegstobe ag understood and appreciated, Let me be your guide and let'stakeamomentto 6 understand a few of the intricacies 4 A A HANDLE ON THIS RASCAL ily Wed RAY 2008 + ons a eee Al artwork © Mlk‘Mr. Boeing wanted something new and different to show the pilots who were to fly his snazzy new jets. The ‘complex and exquisite system that his engineers devised (called the EFIS) is an integrated bunch of really ‘complicated computerized stuff. While only one part of this highly digitized suite of 5 flight instruments and controls that the pilot uses to operate the jet, the PFD is the focus of the system. With these five items, “glass” pilots can control their airplanes from shortly after take-off to any point on earth (fuel permitting) and make a CAT IIl landing with roll-out to @ complete stop without ever looking out the window or reverting to manual The BIG “5” like configure the airplane (raise flaps and gear and lower them for landing), comply with ATC THE MAIN PLAYERS IN OUR FLIGHT INSTRUMENT. clearances, talk on the radio, tell the customers AND CONTROL SUITE INCLUDES: where he thinks they are, all the while drinking prodigious amounts of cold coffee from paper cups and lotsa other cool pilot stuff like that EFIS CONTROL UNIT (ECU) MCP (Mode Contro! Panel) ND (Navigation Display) DU (Control Display Unit), and Think of the PFD as PED (Primary Fight Display. further divided into eee, 6 SECTIONS of this piece of technology, it would be usefil (L The way they have laid out the PFD thought) to break the PFD into 6 individual sections and is in six (6) separate sections: take each one separately, concentrating on the main points of is operation, We have to realize tht ths is Flight Mode Annunciator (FMA) REALLY only a cursory look, a mere glance into what Airspeed Indicator Tape (A/S) will become a long term Attitude Indicator (old GYRO) Flight Mode } leamingexperience foryou. Heading Indicator (HDG SEL) i Vertical Speed Indicator (IVS!) Ane Altitude | Altitude Indicator (ALT) Indicator Tape Airspeed Indicator Tape Vertical tude This “quick and dirty" look at Indicator | ise i, but rather wil just try t0 identify some of the details, re) Jew Heading IndicatorPIECES of PFD 1. AIRSEED selected on the MCP. 2, MAXIMUM ALLOWED AIRSPEED ...NEVER allow the airspeed in this range. 3. MAXIMUM MANEUVERING SPEED - displays the ‘maximum speed for either the gear, flaps, or airframe. 4, AIRSPEED NUMBERS in KIAS (Knots indicated airspeed), 5. MINIMUM FLAP SPEEDS - Do not fly at a slower speed without the next flap setting, 6. CURRENT AIRSPEED INDICATOR - Indicates the current airspeed; tum AMBER when you get slow SELECTED SPEED “BUG” - reflects the speed selected on the MCP or VNAV. 8. MINIMUM MANEUVERING SPEED - You ate about to STALL! DO NOT FLY at these airspeeds .T00 SLOW! ‘STALL SHAKER - STALL. If your airspeed drops into the red boxes .. OU ARE ABOUT TO DIE!!' 10, RADIO ALTIMETER READIN when operating below 1500 feet AGL. IL, SYSTEM STATUS INDICATOR .., Here ate two of the most common indications, there are a few more that we won't display here: CMD = Command and means that the auto-pilot is engaged. FID = Flight Director means auto-pilot is NOT engaged. 12, APPROACH REFERENCE CLUSTER. three possible indications: First: blank if auto-tune NOT receiving ILS signal Second: If only & FREQUENCY is displayed, the unit is receiving a signal but not sufficient for navigating an ILS. Third: Ifthe 4 letter identifier is displayed (an example would be IZSY from the approach plate for that runway) then the radio signal is OK for ILS. 13. SKY POINTER - This inverted triangle LWAYS represents UP, 14, PITCH LADDER - The pitch of the airplane. . THE “AIRPLANE SYMBOL.” 16, FLIGHT DIRECTOR BARS, target Pitch and Roll commands from the IRU. 17, LOCALIZER INDICATORS, The diamond tums solid when the line up is within 2 % dots of the scale center. 18. APPROACH COURSE. 19. MDA (Minimum Descent Altitude) is set on the EFIS control panel 20. GLIDE SLOPE INDICATORS turn solid when within 2 % dots from the center. 21, SLIP/SKID INDICATOR. ‘The technique is to “step on the sailboat.” That is, ifthe box is out to the right, then right rudder is needed, 22, BANK POINTER. This is the “sail” of the sailboat and represents the bank angle. only indicates