For about the last 100 years or so, small airplanes have had the same “technology” in the cockpit. It consisted of six gauges (often called a “six pack”) 
that told pilots their airspeed, their altitude, if they were climbing or descending, if they were turning or if the wings were level, and what direction they were headed. That’s really all a pilot needed (or needs) to fly the airplane. But “flying” is not all a pilot is doing. You need to know where you are. And you need to talk on the radio. On top of that, there are all sorts of electrical and engine systems which need monitoring.
About 10 years ago, Cirrus began manufacturing small airplanes with a next generation cockpit. They didn’t really invent this new technology – it had been utilized in larger planes for years. But Cirrus was the first to introduce the technology to the small, single engine airplane. N464CD is a 2005 Cirrus SR20 and this is what my cockpit looks like. 
On the lower left of the dashboard, you can see three “old-fashioned” gauges. These are back-up instruments in case the electronic instruments fail. I admit to being a technology geek. I’ve told Heather that flying has allowed me to be in touch with my inner geek. She tells me it was there all along.
The two screens you see in the picture are the primary display (on the left) and the multi-function display (on the right). The primary display shows all of the information which used to be on the six gauges – plus lots of other information. For instance, on the PFD, you can see the
current wind speed and direction at your altitude – a piece of information which is enormously helpful and which pilots did not previously have access to.
The MFD has lots of screens that you can toggle between. The screen that I use the most shows a map with my current position and route with current radar weather overlaid on top of it. It also shows me other airplanes in the area and what their position and altitude are. 
There are other screens that show engine and electrical information, nearest airports with their current weather, and information about my destination including the current weather conditions.
All of this information can add up to one of two things – situational overload or situational awareness. Of course the key is to not be overloaded. Think about the map in N464CD as contrasted with how pilots used to have to fly. I am completely aware of where we are at all times. In the olden days (and the way many pilots still fly), you would use charts and things called “pilot-age” and “dead reckoning.” That meant plotting a route, looking for landmarks on the chart and finding them on the ground and recording the time between way-points. All of this could be understandably distracting for a pilot – allowing the pilot to pay attention to something other than flying the airplane.
One of the other instruments in N464CD which isn’t all that new is the autopilot. With the autopilot, the plane will automatically maintain an altitude and a heading, so that I can do other things – while always maintaining my awareness of the flying. For instance I can check the map screen, or the engine, or communicate with ATC on the radio – instead of constantly working the airplane’s controls to maintain altitude or heading.
In the view of many, the glass cockpit increases a pilot’s “situational awareness.” Think about it this way: when you’re driving your car, and you get lost, what happens to the quality of your driving? You’re looking for landmarks, street signs, addresses – meanwhile you’re spending less time watching out for the other cars. I’ve used GPS in my car now for probably 7 or 8 years – and I can’t recall getting lost in that time. And I can honestly say that I am less stressed driving because I am not worried about being lost.
Despite what I am saying, a recent NTSB study showed that glass cockpits were not, in fact, increasing safety. Their recommendation was that to realize the safety potential of glass cockpits there needs to be more training of pilots on how to utilize the functionality of the new technology.
The key to flying a plane like N464CD is not to get fixated by the glass screens. I need to remember that I am the pilot. I need to always remember to fly the airplane, to be looking outside.
