big watches?

Question

with the onset of glass cockpits, gps navigation, fully coupled autopilots.........and the like....why do some pilots still wear big watches?

Answer 1

Well, I can't speak for all pilots, and glass cockpits are still very much in the minority apart from very new aircraft, but there are certain procedures when flying on instruments, which require very accurately timed actions. (Turn onto a specific heading, hold that heading for 60 seconds, turn to another heading, hold that for an additional 60 seconds, etc for a simple example.)

Although even basic aircraft now have GPS systems in a lot of cases, no system is infallible. Some of the instruments in the cockpit use old technology, vacuum driven gyros, air pressure etc. If a major electrical failure occurred, these instruments usually still work. I know from experience, and the fact that I was wearing an easy to read, accurate watch, enabled me to get safely back on the ground.

A lot of these "Pilots" watches also circular slide rules etc, useful when you are filling up at a foreign Field, and they are supplying you in Kilo's or Liters of fuel, when you are used to Lbs and Gallons.

(Oh, some wear them because they think they look cool too!)

Answer 2

Please excuse me, but we pilots do not wear watches, we use chronometers.

Yes the vast majority of airliners are equipped with EFIS (glass cockpits) but when things go wrong (not very likely) we still need a very accurate timepiece to tell us were we (think we) are.

A simple watch will only be accurate to a second every few days, a chronometer on the other hand will go for months before we need to adjust the second hand (using our GPS as reference).

As to Glass cockpits, GPS navigation and fully coupled autopilots, they have been around for decades, (hardly new) and with all the newer technology that is coming in the near future, there will never be a substitute for the professional pilot's trusty chronometer. Because.... they make us look good!!!!!!

Answer 3

Because an accurate timepiece is still a legal requirement...GPS is the only instrument with the time available - and if it went, then we'd be stuck.

So we wear a watch! It's handy too for quickly converting local time to UTC/GMT (which is the universal reference in aviation) and importantly, stops us wasting time and potentially altering the GPS output just to get a time off it.

Answer 4

Cuz if you had a Rolex or Tag Heuer, you'd slow it off as well.

And they'd really look stupid carrying that cockpit display around the hotel just to check the time.

Answer 5

Keeps us from being mistaken for the Purser.

Answer 6

so they can tell what time it is when they are not in the cockpit.

Answer 7

looks cool.