Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watcgl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watcgl!dmmartindale From: dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: aviation calculators Message-ID: <619@watcgl.UUCP> Date: Sun, 2-Dec-84 23:08:25 EST Article-I.D.: watcgl.619 Posted: Sun Dec 2 23:08:25 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 4-Dec-84 06:45:22 EST References: <128@anwar.UUCP> Distribution: net.general Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 21 Well, I know the Avstar is available at my local flying club. I don't own one, though every once in a while I think about it. Basically, the idea of a specialized calculator where I could just key in wind speed, direction, true track, and true airspeed and get out true heading and groundspeed appeals to me - that's how a flight-planning calculator should work. I already do the other calculations involved in flight planning with a calculator, and I've written a program for my HP-10C to do the typical wind-drift calculation (though it is awkward to use). So for me, buying a specialized calculator would get me a better "user interface", but I'd lose Reverse Polish Notation for input, which I like, and probably lose the HP's nice floating point too (I haven't looked closely at the Avstar - I don't know if it really has scientific notation). Also, the HP doesn't know how to handle TAS/CAS conversions, pressure/density altitude conversions, and that sort of thing. But I definitely don't like the old-fashioned slide-rule type of flight computer, for the same reason that I prefer a digital calculator to a slide rule - it's simply easier to use, and more accurate. I still carry the slide-rule type though, for the functions that my calculator doesn't provide, and as a backup (no batteries!).