I’m considering some form of electronic attitude indicator. Garmin, Aspen, RC Allen makes a nice simple one...

Does anyone have experience with these off airport, specifically a windy day with rough water on floats? Will they find the correct attitude and function properly? I sometimes launch off the water straight into the IFR system.

Another concern is a lot of initializing. Another use of the airplane is multiple local sightseeing flights. I don’t care to push a lot of buttons on these short flights.

Thanks!

These devices do not have a "stabilizing" gyro, laser or other source. As I understand they function once receiving sufficient GPS satellites, usually at least four satellites are required before 3D navigation becomes fully functional so wave action should be an issue.

I’ve been using the Aspen in a turbo otter on floats for the last 3 years, works really nice! It’s only setup as a VFR airplane but it seems accurate.

Mapleflt wrote:These devices do not have a "stabilizing" gyro, laser or other source. As I understand they function once receiving sufficient GPS satellites, usually at least four satellites are required before 3D navigation becomes fully functional so wave action should be an issue.

I'm bit sure this is accurate. I can't speak to Garmins but the Grand Rapids units do not need any satellite signals to function. The GRT does mention keeping that airplane as still as possible during EFIS startup but also say that it will still function but will take longer to initialize. I'm pretty sure the G5 functions similarly.

So now I'm curious how does the Grand Rapid unit function as a navigation source if it's not receiving a signal, would it then be only a horizon with no lateral guidance.

I believe Whee is correct, the GRT will find a solution for attitude alignment without a GPS source. But it will not act as an INS and integrate it's accelerations/velocities/rates to solve for a new location, since it would 1) need to know where it started and 2) the IMU is not that accurate. Once GPS signals and thus a location is determined, it begins to show a lateral navigation solutions.

And yeah...if you takeoff before it aligns...results may not be what you want!

I'm considering getting a G5 for my straight floats 180.

I spent the last year Flying with an iPad Mini, Panel Mounted - and used it with the Stratus ESGi & Foreflight AHRS system. When it works, it's fabulous, but I ran into a ton of software issues with Stratus that caused it to flip upsidedown mid flight [extremely dangerous, distracting, and annoying].

I think I finally worked out the kinks through a trial and error process of Updating ios/foreflight, Hard Resetting the Stratus, and changing settings in Foreflight.