Since I'd like to go with the GRT EFIS in my panel, and intend on flying IFR occasionally, I'm personally not comfortable without some sort of backup. The choices as I see them are either a slightly complex and relatively fragile AI, or a brutally simple turn coordinator.
First, my method of deciding: I'm always looking at my plane from a system reliability standpoint. I'm part of that system, and I have no confidence in my abilities to reliably pull off flying blind on partial panel without serious pucker factor. I'm sure everything would be fine in the end, but I'm also sure it would be absolutely nerve racking esp. in turbulence. Frankly, the practice it takes to do it
comfortably is probably not something I'd want to commit to. YMMV but I'm just being honest with myself. I think most would agree that partial panel is a serious situation and no amount of practice would result in warm fuzzies should you ever have to do it for real with your life on the line. I'm not looking for "*PHEW* I made it!*. I'm looking for NO pucker factor from begining to end, even with a failure or two.
I don't need a backup gyro for VFR flight. In fact, I could jetison the alternator and batteries and it wouldn't matter diddly squat in terms of flight safety for VFR (big deal...I don't know what my CHT's are or my attitude...That's what my eyes and ears are for, for heaven's sake
Given this, my intent is to put the electric backup AI on a switch and only switch it on when I intend to do any sort of IFR (and regularly switch it on during normal flight to exercise the switch/gyro and make sure it's working). This is standard practice in the KCABS I use for acro, and the turn coordinator (they don't have any fancy shmancy AI's
) last forever and a day. I don't see why this wouldn't significantly increase the life of the AI as well for someone who like to yank and bank.
I'm sure I'll rethink this and change my mind half a dozen times before I actually build the panel, but this is what I've figured so far. Does this sound reasonable, or is there something I'm not thinking about the right way?