ricardo-sf

As mentioned the regs require all pitot static instruments to be certified for ifr flight.

this is an easy question. No you cannot log those approaches for currency. since you did not have a safety pilot, and one would be required in order to log an approach in VMC. Now if those approaches were dont in IMC, then you could log them, because you would not have needed a safety pilot. The FAA may choose to come after you for flying under the hood without a safety pilot.

oh — i didn’t realize the question was wether a non-certificated pilot should file IFR for practice. the answer to that is NO .. do not file IFR if you dont have the rating. — i think there is an exception to this rule if you are flying with a CFII and receiving dual .. then yes you can file IFR.

it depends on the pilot .. some will use the extra training to survive an event. — others will take that small amount of knowledge and get themselves killed with it. it takes more than just reading a plate to be able to fly it in less than vfr conditions. you have to have training to be able to fly the numbers regardless of what all your other senses are telling you to do. i’d like to think that some familiarity will save lives because the pilot will be able to overcome the startle effect of the emergency and remember their training.

If you complied with the Garmin SB from a year ago regarding pitch trim on the GFC500 then you are already compliant with this AD afaict. The shops I use charged me nothing to make the software upgrade .. took them about 15 minutes. .. (ok maybe 20 because they had to print the log entry)

You can do a GFC500 with avidyne units .. no reason to go to GTN units just to get the GFC500

doesn’t everyone have 5g unlimited plans nowadays? ..

a laptop and a cellular internet hotspot will solve this problem. you can do the card updates planeside on your laptop.. no need to drive back and forth.