September Fly-Bys
Easy Does It

CIRRUS Primary Flight Display reduces workload, dramatically increases situational awareness

The CIRRUS PFD is part of the CIRRUS “glass cockpit,” or advanced integrated flight deck system. This revolutionary advancement is similar to the integrated flight deck systems found in virtually all new air-transport and high-end business jet aircraft. CIRRUS was the first to incorporate the concept into a general aviation airplane.

The PFD is a 10.4-inch diagonal, high-resolution, sunlight-readable, full-color flat panel liquid display. It integrates primary flight instrumentation into one easy-to-read pictorial display within your primary field of view. The PFD includes attitude direction indicator (EADI), horizontal situation indicator (EHSI), altitude, airspeed and vertical airspeed, as well as a pilot-selectable moving map presentation of flight plan data and an RMI pointer.

The CIRRUS PFD reduces your workload and dramatically increases your situational awareness. Rather than constantly scanning six different three-inch analog displays, you now quickly scan one large display. Information is magnified and simplified. You can see small changes and adjust to them more quickly. You’re able to maintain better control and safer flight of your airplane in Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions.

A pilot learning to fly IFR with conventional instrumentation typically has a difficult time maintaining altitude and headings because of the complexities of six-pack scan and crosscheck. CIRRUS finds that pilots very quickly adapt to the PFD’s large pictorial display. The same pilot who is challenged by six-pack flying during the first few times in IFR conditions has a much easier time maintaining altitude and heading with the PFD.