Waypoints often mark a point where something important needs to happen. Examples include: Course change (e.g. ILS Localizer), clearance limit, and ATC-requested reporting point, missed approach point (MAP), and Altitude change if you didn't go into the Altitude Planning option.
I think optional waypoint alerts would be very useful. My first thought was to have a pop-up such as airspace or time-to-climb alerts. But to keep things simpler and less cluttered, I would propose to have each of the waypoint instruments fitted with a waypoint alert accessible under Instr Group, Customize, Instrument Options. The alert would apply to all waypoints in the flight plan, and would be 'silenced' by tapping the instrument that is in alert. I thought about a snooze function but it would be easy enough and maybe better to set a time alert nearer the WP and a distance alert a bit farther out. I would propose the following variables to be configured by the pilot:
- The value of "ETE: wpoint" or "Dist: wpoint" below which the alert starts alerting
Enter Zero to disable, with zero being the default.
- The instrument color while alerting (the non-alert color is already configured as it is now)
Toggles thru the available colors, each offered in both solid form and flashing.
- Whether there is a sound associated with the alert; whether the sound occurs once one the alert changes state, or continuous until silenced
- For the waypoint ID instrument choose which time or distance alert to mimic, tapping the ID would silence the ID and the one it mimics
Just one alert of this type (per waypoint instrument) would do it, and would not add screen clutter, but would draw attention to important stuff.