Who likes "glass cockpits"?

As someone who puts cockpits and avionics together for a living (L-39 cockpits to be exact) I was thinking about this very thing at work today as I was assembling and installing a new instrument panel and it struck me as quite funny how we call the new lcd displays a "glass cockpit" when in fact, there is no glass in them at all. Actualy the term would be more appropriate for the old "steam gauges" (where's the steam?) as most of them actualy have a glass face on them.
 
MFD+PFD=Steam?

I don't have Bill's aircraft so I don't know if his display has airspeed and V/S trend bars, but on the A320 that is usually what the pilot monitors over the digital readouts to maintain speed and altitude. If the ball is centred and the trends are zero you are straight, level and on speed. Not that they handfly it much.
I myself like both the old and the new. There is something mighty impressive about a 747-200 cockpit with all those dials, gauges, and switches, especially at night with everything lit up. On the other hand the sleek modern cockpits with sidesticks and displays are about simplifying the display to what the pilot needs at that time and data integration. Very cool in it's own way.

Regards, Rob:ernae:
 
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