I absolutely agree with everything here. A smart watch is not super small hand-held. A smartwatch is an additional tool to help manage your cockpit. To help clarify - and elicit more feedback - let's cover what a watch is and isn't.
· A watch is a watch.
o A watch is good at displaying clock time, countdown time, and elapsed time.
o A is watch aware of your tablet so it can help you keep track of time.
§ start itself on the outbound leg.
§ vibrate at the 4th mile or 1 minute (and restart)
§ vibrate at you to change fuel when you are within glide range of an airport at about the time you like to change tanks (settings).
§ Suspend and reverse time if your wing falls off during flight.
o A watch is only glanced at 99% of its life and stared at almost never. Same goes for alerts - You never read an alert you react to it.
· A watch is not a SUPER SMALL tablet
o No moving maps
o No Wx, No ASPC, No NAV, No FBO, No TRFC
o No Airport Info, No Runway Diagrams
o No instruments (ok, the nerd in me wants to show my friends my Dick-Tracy HSI…while standing on the ground)
o No Plates, No briefings, No Check-Lists, No-No-No...you need to let it go.
o You all ALREADY have a tablet. Love it or hate it.
· A watch is connected to your tablet. (Just like a 2 year old tugging at your shirt). Watches vibrate when something important happens (ALERTS).
· Watches are easy to touch. Dismiss a notification on your watch and it disappears on your tablet too
o Your eyes are busy looking out the window
o Your ears are busy with ATC and local radio traffic
o I personally ignore the iFly exlamation point so well, I've almost flown into Restricted space while flying around cumulus buildup.
o Developers KNOW you're eyes are bad, you're ears aren't much better, and that I have A.D.D. That’s why they gunk up our screens trying to keep us safe.
o A Watch = Less clutter because it uses vibration to get your attention instead of graphics.
· Flying VFR means you should be looking outside, not at your gps. Consider the following flight where you're looking out your window:
o Alert: "MOA R3256" Response: Confirm with ATC that it is cold. Dismiss. Eyes always outside.
o Alert: "Alert Area A685" Response: Dismiss. Eyes outside and increased scan
o Alert: "Terrain" Response: Oh crap!! Eyes everywhere! In and outside. Auto Dismiss when no-factor.
o Alert: "Gas M54<" Look left, check gas gauge, decide to change tanks. Dismiss. Eyes outside.
o Alert: "Restricted" Crap again!! Save me tablet! Eyes inside.
o Seat-belt sign illuminated: You're an Airbus passenger. You've been sleepwalking. Go find your seat.
Oddly enough, it was my eye's who asked me to make this suggestion. They're overworked and under appreciated in the cockpit.