The Boyds are an aviation family. John Boyd is an A&P and retired Boeing 737 captain from Alaska Airlines. John’s sons, Jason, 32, and Justin, 30, both hold instructor ratings and are planning aviation careers. Jason is also an A&P. The family also owns a Cessna 182 Skylane that it flies regularly. In summer 2017, John Boyd decided it was time to get something a little more comfortable for family travel, and something for the boys to build their multiengine time in.

“I chose the Twin Comanche because I flew one back in the 1980s, and I loved it,” says Boyd. It’s an efficient twin and faster than the 182.”

The ‘Before’

N7163Y rolled out of the factory in 1963. When the Boyds acquired it, the aircraft still had most of the original panel in the original layout—the instruments were scattered, as the classic six-pack arrangement we know did not become the norm for Piper Aircraft until the late 1960s.

The original instrument installation made the airplane difficult to fly sometimes, says Jason Boyd: “I flew an IFR approach at night with that old panel, and my scan was terrible! I vowed never to do it again.”

There were other surprises from the older technology: Activation of the vintage autopilot for the first (and only) time resulted in an “unexpected flight event,” and the Boyds decided “never to turn it on again.”

Shortly after acquiring the aircraft, they began an interior restoration, replacing the brown cloth seats and side panels with cool, gray leather. The interior project spanned several years because John Boyd was still flying the line, and the boys were working full time at a local flight school.

• READ MORE: All Flight Jackets Tell a Story

The panel was not strictly 1960s, says Boyd, as it sported a 1980s-era BendixKing KNS 80 nav unit, which they replaced with a Garmin GNS 530 and flew it like that for a while, getting used to the airplane. If they ever had a question about systems or aircraft quirks, Boyd reached out to Webco Aircraft, the Comanche specialists, located in Newton, Kansas.

“They’ve seen everything,” says Boyd.

Planning for the panel upgrade was meticulous. They went through the aircraft system by system to determine what they wanted to keep and what would be replaced.

Some of the engine instruments or their components were no longer available. They learned that some of the avionics and instrument manufacturers were out of business. Other times, the cost of repair to the often 50-plus-year-old technology made them balk.

There was also the question of instrument reliability.

“The mechanical tachometers were off,” says Jason Boyd. “It made it difficult to sync up the propellers. If you tried to do it with the levers, they would be way off.”

“Finally, the last straw was the erroneous reading on the fuel gauges,” says John Boyd, noting that while no pilot truly trusts their fuel gauges, there is technology available that makes them more reliable, and therefore safer than they used to be, so the pilot has a better idea of how much time they have in the tanks.

Instrument Selection

The decision was made to remove all the analog instruments and replace them with digital. But there is so much out there to choose from, they spent several months shopping and eventually decided to delay, as they waited for Garmin to certify the GFC 500 3-axis autopilot.

“We knew they were working on it, and it was close,” says John Boyd. “I wanted them to certify it before I pulled the trigger. I even offered my airplane as a testbed, but Garmin said no thank you, we already have an airplane.”

• READ MORE: Be Safe But Authentic with Your New Old Panel

Jason Boyd, the family techno-geek, supplied a list of the new instruments, noting his favorite item is the autopilot. “The fact I can pull an engine back in cruise and have the yaw damper hold the airplane straight and level and continue on course is, in my opinion, the ultimate in safety,” he says. “The technology makes this an airplane you can fly single-pilot IFR day or night, as long as you are ahead of the programming.”

The aircraft now sports touch screen panels, top-of-the-line nav/coms, engine monitoring systems, and backup instruments to help a pilot maintain situational awareness even if they are task saturated.

All this glass meant an overhaul of the electrical system was needed, says Boyd.

“When we first got the airplane, it had alternators with old internav voltage regulators,” Jason says. “The old over-voltage regulator was a problem, so we swapped them out for Hartzell Plane Power R1224 regulators. Now the airplane has paralleling alternators.”

Says John: “Everything was chosen for safety. I wanted redundancy and reliability.”

It wasn’t just on the inside. The exterior lighting was also upgraded. One of the first items to be replaced was the 1960s-era tail beacon, which was swapped for a Whelen beacon and Orion navs and strobes that are synced when activated.

“The shell of the rotating beacon is original to keep the aesthetic look of 1963, but the internals are updated to the Whelen/Orion LED Beacon,” says Jason.

Makeover Prep

The combination of a busy avionics shop and global supply chain challenges made for an interesting experience.

“We had to wait our turn at the shop,” says John. “We got on the waiting list at Spencer Aircraft in September of 2022.”

“And it was nearly a year before we got in,” notes Jason, adding that they spent that downtime in their hangar at Pierce County Airport-Thun Field (KPLU) not far away from Spencer preparing the twin for the new digital devices by removing the old mechanical instruments. Doing the removal themselves saved money and, according to John, made for a cleaner installation because they took out all of the unnecessary lines and wiring.

“Sometimes avionics shops simply cut the lines or wires to the old instruments and leave them there to save time,” John explains. “We had the time, so we figured why not?”

Says Jason: “I think we removed about 30 pounds from the aircraft.”

When parts arrived, the PA-30 returned to the shop. When there was a parts delay, the airplane would move back to the Boyds’ hangar. This process continued for several months.

Time to Test Fly

The aircraft was back together by October, and John and Jason took it up for flight tests. There were no surprises, they note. “But it did require a few tweaks,” says Jason.

John points out that they are making adjustments to establish a baseline for operations, such as engine temperatures, so they don’t get erroneous warnings.

“Pretty much the only thing that will keep us on the ground now is icing,” he says.

Flying the aircraft is a different experience now, says Justin Boyd, who shortly after the family purchased the airplane flew it to Iowa with his father and found it labor intensive.

“It’s almost like a different airplane,” Justin says. “The modern Garmin displays and autopilot make it a night-and-day difference from what it was.”

The senior Boyd figures they spent about $80,000 on the panel upgrade, but there is still one more element: the Beth test. Beth Boyd is John’s wife and the boys’ mother. It was because of Beth that John insisted that the aircraft be equipped with Garmin Smart Glide.

With the mere press of a button, the avionics return the wings to level flight, and the aircraft goes into a controlled descent on autopilot. This allows the pilot more time to focus on troubleshooting whatever issue there may be—a big win for safety and peace of mind.

Everything the Boyds Added to Their Panel

• G500 NXi GDU

• 1060 PFD/MFD

• G500 NXi GDU with 700L EIS

• GDL 69A SiriusXM satellite weather, music

• GTN 650 Xi GPS/nav/com 1

• GMA 345 Bluetooth audio panel

• GTX 345 transponder with dedicated ADS-B In and Out

• GNC 255A nav/com 2

• GI 275 backup electronic instrument

• Garmin GFC 500 autopilot

• GMC 507 control head

• GSA 28 Roll

• GSA 28 Pitch

• GSA 28 Pitch Trim

• GSA 28 Yaw

• Falcon angle-of-attack indicator

• DSTR-AOA-9200K with heads-up display

This column first appeared in the December 2023/Issue 944 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Going with Glass: The Mother of All Panel Upgrades appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In the dozen or so years since Garmin’s G1000 integrated flight deck made its debut in Cessna and Diamond single-engine airplanes, the cockpit has steadily evolved to offer new features and improved displays that have managed to keep it fresh and relevant. Even in the face of Moore’s Law, the idea that ­suggests electronics double in speed and capability every two years, G1000 has remained at the forefront of the general aviation ­avionics world by changing incrementally instead of radically.

Now, it would seem, Moore’s Law has finally caught up with the original Garmin glass cockpit. The big news is the introduction of G1000 NXi, the new iteration of G1000 under development for the past 18 months, which is now certified for retrofit in the King Air 200, 300 and 350 models and is coming soon to most new airplanes delivered with G1000, including those from Cirrus, Piper, Textron Aviation, Diamond, Quest and others.

At the heart of the G1000 NXi ­system is a marked increase in ­computing power that frees avionics engineers to add technologies that until now were beyond G1000’s capabilities. To achieve this goal, Garmin has gone from single- to dual-core processors, increased G1000’s memory from 64 megabytes to 16 gigabytes (if you’re not a computer person, trust us, that’s a huge leap), and introduced all-new LRUs that can be replaced and upgraded much more quickly in the field. The changes allow Garmin to bring new features to G1000 that pilots have long been asking for. And even though the physical glass primary flight displays use the same 10-inch XGA technology as before, they look sharper, respond faster, and present information better than ever thanks to the computing horsepower behind the scenes.

Last November at the NBAA Convention in Orlando, Florida, Garmin invited me into a backroom at its show booth for a sneak preview of G1000 NXi. Nobody told me beforehand what I was about to see. Standing before the NXi avionics demonstrator, I could tell this was something very different, but I wasn’t exactly sure what all had changed. As I began playing with the buttons and knobs, the new cockpit seemed at once familiar and yet vaguely intimidating. After this brief introduction to the “new” G1000, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. Were the changes too much, I wondered?

It wasn’t long before I had the chance to take a deeper look at G1000 NXi that assuaged any concerns I might have had about the new cockpit in the beginning. Garmin brought its King Air 350 demonstrator with G1000 NXi to my home airport in December to give me the chance to try it out in a real-world setting. It was a cold and gray day when I arrived at Morristown Airport in New Jersey for my demo flight. A 500-foot overcast ceiling and 3 miles’ visibility were ideal conditions for putting the new cockpit through its paces. It was also my first chance to fly a King Air since I went to school at CAE SimuFlite in Dallas for Model 200 initial training, so I was eager to get to fly the twin turboprop.

Super-Fast Speed

My host, Scott Frye, Garmin’s sales manager for retrofit avionics programs, strapped into the left seat, and I settled in beside him as his hands danced over the controls to get the engines started and the avionics powered up. Here was the first clue I had that G1000 NXi is something different indeed. The system booted in what seemed like an instant. As I began scanning around the PFD and MFD, I was struck by how much better the overall presentation is than on previous versions of G1000, including the Perspective by Garmin avionics system in my Cirrus. The symbology is crisper, the edges of numbers and letters are nicely rounded, the map pages zoom and pan effortlessly, and menus slide pleasingly on and off the screen. Already, I was warming to this new cockpit, and we hadn’t even released the brakes yet.

“Since you’re a G1000 guy, I want you to do all the button pressing and knob twisting,” Frye told me before keying the mic and calling clearance delivery. It’s true, I am a “G1000 guy.” In fact, I was one of the first people outside Garmin to fly G1000, in early 2003 in one of the first Diamond DA40s to receive the cockpit. Since then, I’ve flown with G1000 regularly in Cessna Skyhawks, a DA40 and now my Cirrus SR22T with Perspective. I know the system well. If I had any difficulties figuring out how to use the new G1000, that would be a huge red flag for me.

When we received our IFR routing, I began inputting the flight plan and immediately realized G1000 NXi isn’t intimidating in the least. The architecture is familiar, though I would say it’s simpler as well. It might help that I’ve also flown with the G3000 cockpit in the TBM 930 and Piper M600, with which this system shares many common traits, but I found G1000 NXi to be as easy as I’d hoped.

As we began the taxi to KMMU’s Runway 5, I noted one of the first of the many new features of G1000 NXi. Garmin’s Surface Watch, first introduced in the G3000 and G5000 cockpits, ­provides warnings for closed runways, runways that might be too short, and touchdown and groundspeed alerts, annunciated on the displays and over the audio system. Coupled with Garmin’s SafeTaxi technology, these are excellent tools for avoiding a runway incursion and other on-airport hazards. Because of the limited computing power of earlier G1000 systems, Surface Watch and other advanced features ­simply weren’t available. Now they are, and in my opinion, it’s a boon for safety in a cockpit already well known for raising the safety bar.

Into the Gloom

Frye handled the takeoff and we climbed briskly into the clouds, commanding the autopilot to fly the Morristown 6 departure for the transition to our planned round-robin flight to Wilkes-Barre Scranton Airport, about 70 miles away. In moments we broke out into bright-blue skies and continued climbing to our cruise altitude of 8,000 feet in smooth air.

Once we were airborne, a new feature of G1000 NXi that struck me — and the one I was least sure about when I saw the demo back in November — was a new map presentation overlaid on the HSI that replaces the traditional inset map view. I wondered if the moving map presented underneath the HSI would be distracting. By the end of the flight, which included instrument approaches into Wilkes-Barre and back at Morristown, I decided I really like the change. If you instead prefer the traditional inset map positioned off to the left of the HSI, you can still fly with that, but having a map layered under the HSI compass rose and needles with traffic, terrain, weather or any combination you choose is actually really cool and, more important, useful for overall tactical situational awareness. I got the feeling that even Garmin isn’t sure what pilots will think about the HSI map capability, but it’s a change that makes a lot of sense to me.

Another nice enhancement included in G1000 NXi is the ability to select visual approaches from the procedures menu. This is a feature ­borrowed from G3000 and G5000 that will make King Air pilots’ lives much easier. If ATC clears you for a visual approach, you can select it just as you would an ILS or RNAV approach, by hitting the procedure key. The avionics will then create a 3-degree glideslope to the runway threshold with appropriate guidance cues. You can select any runway, set customized minimums, select vectors or straight-in for the final approach intercept, and fly the visual approach coupled with the autopilot. It won’t guarantee you ­terrain and obstacle separation, but it’s a nice feature to have.

I would have loved to try it, but on this grubby IFR day, it wasn’t in the offing. Instead, Wilkes-Barre Approach cleared us for the ILS to Runway 22. My fingers effortlessly loaded the approach as ATC vectored us for the final-approach course intercept. As we broke out of the low, broken cloud layer and descended to 200 feet above touchdown, Scott pressed the go-around button on the throttles and increased power to 80 percent. Automatically, the autopilot began to pitch up for the climb and transitioned to the missed approach, flying a coupled go-around that depicted our course toward the hold and the teardrop entry on the enormous MFD in the center of the King Air cockpit. I recalled flying similar missed-approach procedures with Rockwell Collins’ EFIS-85 avionics during my King Air training. With the simplicity afforded by G1000, the miss almost felt like cheating.

This, of course, is one of the chief reasons Garmin has had such success selling retrofit G1000 systems in the King Air market. The ­avionics transform great airplanes into exceptionally easy and capable ones as well. If you’ve already installed G1000 in your King Air, the good news is you can upgrade to G1000 NXi for a fraction of the price of what a full install would cost. The upgrade involves swapping out the displays for the new versions, installing a new keypad and loading new software. It’s an upgrade that a competent avionics shop can complete in a day, Frye said. If you’ll be ­upgrading to G1000 NXi from an EFIS-85 or electromechanical cockpit, the installation will take four to six weeks on average. In addition to all the added capabilities, pulling out the old instrumentation and replacing it with G1000 NXi components will provide a weight savings of about 250 pounds on average, Garmin says.

G1000 NXi Options

The system also provides an upgrade path for ADS-B compliance that includes extra flexibility. It can use two GTX 335R units that provide ADS-B Out capability to meet the FAA’s 2020 mandate, as well as a GTX 345R that provides ADS-B In for FIS-B traffic and subscription-free weather capability. The King Air I flew also was equipped with TCAS II, which integrates with ADS-B and Garmin-specific features, including TargetTrend, which provides a more intuitive method of judging target trajectories and closure rates, and TerminalTraffic, a view of ADS-B-equipped aircraft and ground vehicles on and around the airport.

An option that should prove popular is Garmin Connext wireless cockpit connectivity, which utilizes the Flight Stream 510 unit for wireless transfer of aviation databases from the Garmin Pilot app on a mobile device to G1000 NXi. Flight Stream 510 also supports two-way flight-plan transfer, as well as the sharing of traffic, weather, GPS information, backup attitude information and more between G1000 NXi and compatible mobile devices running the Garmin Pilot or ForeFlight Mobile apps. There’s a dual-chart option to display Jeppesen or Garmin charts, and for the first time, G1000 is offered with digital IFR en route and VFR sectional charts. An optional Platinum package bundles synthetic vision, Jeppesen ChartView and the Flight Stream 510 technology.

After we completed a turn in the hold at KAVP, we returned to Morristown to shoot the RNAV GPS Runway 5 approach. This time I was in charge as we descended through the murk toward the runway. I found the situational awareness afforded by the large 15-inch center MFD and new enhanced HSI map to be a welcome improvement. A few other nice features I noted during the demo are comm-frequency decoding below the frequency that tells you who you’re talking to, and a new approach to buttonology that shows a green bar when a feature is turned on rather than making the selection gray, which some pilots confuse with meaning “off.” The joystick on the keypad is also slightly taller, and panning is smoother, making for an improved experience. They’re small changes, but they add up to a big improvement overall.

As I came over the numbers at Morristown at 100 knots, I got lucky and greased the landing. We taxied back to the ramp as I thought more about the changes to G1000 that Garmin has made. Despite all the added capabilities, the transition for pilots should be extremely smooth. Nobody who’s flown with G1000 in the past will need to sit through a ground-school course to make the transition, and that’s part of the beauty of how G1000 continues to evolve through the years. I would imagine that NXi eventually will become the standard in new airplanes across the world of general aviation, and the “old” G1000 will start to become less appealing as more pilots clamor for the advanced ­technologies of today as well as those that are sure to be offered by Garmin in the future, some of which we probably can’t even yet fathom. I’m cool with that.

HSI MAP OVERLAY

The change we liked best in G1000 NXi is the moving map on the HSI that can overlay traffic, terrain, weather and more.

FREQUENCY ID

Note the word “approach” below the nav frequency on the PFDs. The feature lets you know at a glance who you’re talking to.

VISUAL APPROACHES

IFR visual-approach capability lets you select an arrival to any runway and follow a 3-degree glidepath to the threshold.

FLIGHT STREAM 510

Garmin Connext lets you wirelessly upload nav databases, transfer flight plans to and from a tablet, and share flight data.

FASTER PROCESSORS

All-new dual-core processors and more computer memory allow features that weren’t possible in the past.

IMPROVED VISUALS

The PFDs are the same as before but look crisper due to better processors. The 15-inch XGA MFD is higher-resolution.

The post We Fly: G1000 NXi appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

If you, like many pilots, have one of Garmin’s latest glass avionics products installed in your panel or are considering an upgrade, you may want to consider a training course to learn the ins and outs of operating the systems.

Garmin recently announced dates for in-classroom training programs for its latest panel-mounted equipment at its headquarters and several locations around the country. The company will offer several training sessions for panel-mounted navigators, flight display systems and integrated flight decks.

Most of the courses are offered at Garmin’s headquarters in Olathe, Kansas, from March through October. A two-day training course for the GTN 650/750 and G500/600 costs $625 and includes lunch, dinner and a factory tour. The course focuses on the transition from analog gauges to glass. In addition to classroom instruction, attendees will have a chance to practice on the equipment.

A separate course is offered for the GTN-series touchscreen navigators. The GTN course runs a day and a half for $495. This course is focused on operations in the IFR environment.

The G500/600 and GTN 650/750 course is also offered at remote locations: Vero Beach, Florida, in February; Salem, Oregon, in June; Frederick, Maryland, in September; and Chandler, Arizona, in November. The remote course curriculum is identical to the one offered at the Garmin headquarters. However, the cost is $795.

Garmin also offers training courses for the G1000, G3000 and G5000 integrated flight decks. These courses are provided on demand and are specific to the aircraft the pilots are flying.

In addition to the classroom-based courses, Garmin offers several eLearning programs online that operators can take advantage of at their own pace. These courses include avionics training as well as other courses such as weather radar operations.

More information, specific dates and registration information for Garmin’s courses can be found at fly.garmin.com.

The post Garmin Offers Training Programs for Glass Avionics appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A few years back, my parents bought a beautiful tiled wood stove for their home. The first year, they bought a light truckload of wood. But Dad found buying wood to be a pricey way to feed the stove. Being retired with spare time on his hands and the desire for physical work, he decided to cut his own firewood. At first, he got permission from the local government to clear out wood from a lot close to my parents’ home where trees had been cut down to thin the forest. Then Mom and Dad set out to purchase a small wooded lot. In the end, they purchased an 11-acre property with three buildings and a lake. Why am I telling this story? Perhaps you can relate to a similar story of how the decision to buy one thing can lead to other, much bigger purchases. A new TV could lead to a new home audio system, which would require new furniture for the living room, and then perhaps even a new house. For me, the story has to do with avionics. When I bought my 1974 Mooney M20C, which I named Manny, I knew some upgrades would be required. The first and most serious need was a new transponder. Controllers would often tell me one of my digits was indicating something other than what was displayed on my analog Narco transponder. The issue was always resolved by twisting the errant knob around full circle. However, when it came time for the transponder check, the ancient unit came out flawed, and I spent nearly $1,000 fixing it. Since Narco has been out of business for years, it has become increasingly difficult to find someone willing to work on the equipment, and it is equally if not more difficult to find replacement parts. It was time for a change.

Manny would also have to comply with the upcoming ADS-B Out requirements in a few short years. I had learned about the L-3 Lynx ADS-B-compliant multifunction touch-screen transponder and figured it would be a great addition to Manny’s panel. And I thought it would be fun to add some shiny glass to the old-school avionics stack.

Having spent the past decade flying mostly on glass panels, it was a challenge to go back to round gauges when I bought the Mooney. The Narco transponder had matching MK-12D navcoms. In some ways, it was fun to twist VOR radials with an OBS, but I just didn’t feel as safe in the clouds as I had with WAAS GPS on board. So after I decided to add the Lynx transponder, of which the installation would require some major elective surgery to the panel and fuselage, I decided to explore what other parts of my panel I might want to upgrade.

Making decisions on what to put in the avionics panel is a much more complex challenge today than it was 20 years ago. When VORs and airways ruled our tracks in the skies, it was simply a matter of choosing a navcom unit or two, VOR indicator(s) or HSI, and a transponder capable of sending and receiving a signal. It was all pretty straightforward — find the units that had the best signal strength and reliability for your budget.

But these days, making panel choices is far more complex. There are multiple layers of decision-making as GPS, FMS, synthetic vision, weather, traffic and more have gradually been introduced into general aviation panels. Functionality, buttonology and screen quality are just a few things that today’s avionics consumers must spend time researching. Aside from that, avionics are constantly changing. Today’s latest and greatest technology could be completely outdated in 10 years.

A big part of me wanted to choose an all-Garmin stack since I am intimately familiar with a variety of the company’s fantastic products, including the GNS 430 and 530, GTN 650 and 750, G1000 and G3000. I also bought the GDL 39 a while back to get ADS-B In into my Garmin Pilot app, which has made flying with VORs again a little more palatable. Garmin’s products are top-notch, and its reputation for reliability and customer service is terrific as well. It would be an understatement to say I’m a fan.

I’d had little opportunity to experience Garmin’s light airplane competition other than playing with the equipment at exhibits at major aviation shows. I had already decided on the L-3 Lynx before Garmin came out with its all-in-one ADS-B solution, the GTX 345, and the Lynx communicates with the Aspen Evolution system, which displays the traffic and weather data from the transponder right in front of the pilot. The Aspen units display a ton of data in a compact package, a must for the tight real estate on the Mooney panel. Up for trying something new, I decided on a two-display Aspen Evolution 2000 combination.

Of course, the Aspen equipment would need to be fed by some kind of GPS source. I had almost decided to go with Garmin’s GTN 650 or possibly the GTN 750 when I learned that Avidyne’s IFD series had added some slick new features in the spring. The IFD540 and 440 navigators can be controlled with a miniature portable keyboard, which connects to the panel-mounted equipment via Bluetooth. I have really enjoyed flying with the keypads that connect with the G1000, so this new Avidyne hardware was attractive. Avidyne will also add synthetic vision with the next IFD software update, and the units might even eventually connect to the Internet because Avidyne partnered with Globalstar for satellite service. I also liked the fact that the IFDs have both hard keys and touch-screen capabilities, so I decided to go with Avidyne.

Initially, I was going to replace one of the Narco navcoms with an IFD440 or IFD540, leaving one of the old Narcos in the panel. But after reminding myself of the hefty transponder bill, I decided to remove all the obsolete Narco equipment. I could have replaced it with a different and simpler navcom. With more and more pilots switching to GPS, there are reasonable deals on more reliable, and better-supported used navcoms, such as the BendixKing KX 155. There are also some new basic navcom units on the market that would cost less than a second GPS. But in the end, I couldn’t resist getting the IFD540 for its instrument chart capability and the IFD440 as a second GPS/FMS for redundancy. I also matched the IFDs with Avidyne’s AMX240 audio panel. No more Narcos!

The more I delved into the avionics options, the more hypnotized I became by glass. Jeff Landon at High Desert Avionics in Lancaster, California, was already deep in the installation process when he suggested the addition of an electronic standby instrument. An all-glass M20C? Heck, why not? And while at the Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida, in the spring, I fell in love with the ESI-500 electronic standby instrument at the L-3 booth. It has a beautiful PFD display with options for synthetic vision, terrain, obstacles and navigation. And its small size — the body slips right into a standard 3-inch round hole — is perfect for the tight M20C panel. Yeah, I totally blew my budget, but, man, am I happy I did.

During the installation process, I visited Manny a couple of times in Lancaster. It was like visiting a friend in an intensive care unit. It was as if he was in open-heart surgery, with gaping holes and wires all over the place. With all the changes I made along the way, it was three months before I was able to crank up Manny’s purring O-360 once again.

The first time I saw the panel lighted up after the installation, I was in shock. It was absolutely stunning. While Landon managed to retain the old beat-up instrument panel, he somehow made it look as if all this new equipment was designed for the 40-plus-year-old panel.

There are way too many terrific features available in the electronic equipment to write about all of them here, but I’ll touch on some of my favorites. Avidyne’s MK 10 keyboard is as cool as I had hoped. It is small enough to fit into the pocket in front of my seat, and it makes entering and modifying flight plans quick and easy. I also love the fact that flight plans on the IFD units are color-coded: blue for airport, magenta for the next waypoint (like the active leg) and gray for the remaining fixes.

There are many ways to enter data into Avidyne’s IFD540 and 440. I’ve found myself using a combination of keys (on the unit itself and on the keyboard) and the touch screen. The pinch-zoom is fantastic, getting airport data and communications frequencies is quick, and the IFDs automatically load the missed approach procedure after the instrument procedure itself and activate the missed approach when you go past the missed approach point.

The Aspen MFD talks to the Avidyne units and displays the loaded flight plan on a moving map that can be decluttered based on preference. The PFD puts the vertical and horizontal guidance right onto the attitude portion of the primary flight display, showing all necessary cross-referencing parameters for instrument approaches in one tiny but easy-to-read format. Entering the minimum descent or decision altitude takes seconds, and that important number is also displayed right near the altitude tape, which has three levels of bugs to alert me when I’m getting close. The Aspen MFD and IFD540 are both capable of showing my ship position on the instrument chart or on the approach path on the moving map. Once on the ground, the MFD automatically goes to ground mode and displays the airport diagram, showing runways, taxiways and buildings.

I can also connect to a variety of iPad apps through the IFDs or the L-3 unit. I can stream a flight plan from the Avidyne to ForeFlight, and in later software updates, I will be able to stream a flight plan from the app to the unit, eliminating the need for entering fixes on the panel. Not that entering a flight plan is an arduous process. The system automatically includes victor airways, for example, so I can just enter the departure point and the first fix on the airway, select the airway and the exit point, and I’m done.

The L-3 Lynx makes it a breeze to enter transponder codes right on the touch screen. The ability to see weather and TFRs on the unit has come in handy, particularly with the fire season upon us in California. And I can check current metars simply by entering any airport code on the metar screen. The L-3 ESI-500, with its internal battery and functions that blow round-gauge backups out of the water, provides peace of mind in the event all the other equipment blacks out.

Another terrific feature is the ability to stream music to the AMX240 audio panel via Bluetooth. The sound quality is incredible. And when my son, Benjamin, starts to sing along into his headset mic, the isolation features justify the cost of the unit. The repeat button has also come in handy to clarify the details of an ATC call.

While I am absolutely thrilled with my new panel, I made some mistakes along the way. The biggest was bringing the airplane to High Desert Avionics before I had made my final decision on what to put in the panel, other than the Lynx transponder. That mistake and my indecision though the process ended up costing me dearly in installation cost because Landon and his team had to take apart the airplane more than once. Manny did not previously have any GPS antennas, so the airplane required major surgery for the equipment to function. The GPS antennas are not included with the avionics, which makes sense since many general aviation airplanes on the market already have GPS installed.

If you’re looking to upgrade your panel, get a quote from the avionics shop. The Avidyne IFD540 and IFD440 are direct replacements for the Garmin GNS 530 and GNS 430, which are commonly installed. Gary Reeves, who trained me to fly behind the Avidyne units, said it took about 30 minutes to slide his GNS 430 out and replace it with the IFD440. The installation cost in a situation like that would be minimal.

Learning the Panel The panel of my M20C went through a complete overhaul, replaced with equipment that I had not previously spent much, if any, time behind. Needless to say, I needed professional training to maximize the use of the new technology. I knew from experience that the basics, such as how to fly direct to some fix and how to tune in frequencies in the comm and nav boxes, are easy to figure out. But more technical inputs, such as loading a flight plan and activating approaches, are more complex. I was fortunate to be linked up with Gary Reeves of pilotsafety.org, who is a master CFI with more than 5,500 hours, to learn more about the Avidyne IFDs. After watching Reeves’ videos on the systems, I had a chance to fly with him in my airplane for a couple of hours to gain a deeper understanding. Reeves showed me how to configure the electronic checklists, load flight plans, use VORs and victor airways, twist radials and more. We also shot a few approaches into Long Beach and Camarillo. The experience was invaluable, and I felt much more confident with the IFD functionality after the flight.

I also got help figuring out the features of the Evolution 2000 PFD/MFD from Aspen’s Robert Blaha in Carlsbad, California. We spent time on a desktop trainer and in my airplane, going through the logic behind the buttons. The MFD has features such as angle of attack, weather, navigation, charts and more. It allows for a single view, or two or three split screens, so with all the different selections, it may take a while to finalize my ideal configuration. It’s a fun process. Now I just have to remind myself to look outside.

The post Manny the Mooney Gets a Panel Upgrade appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Akin to Garmin’s integrated G1000 with the GFC 700 autopilot installed in certified airplanes, the integrated EFC900X system incorporates the GFC 7X autopilot into the experimental G900X avionics suite and will be capable of flying VNAV descent profiles, holds, procedure turns, arcs, missed approaches and coupled instrument approach procedures including WAAS-enabled LPV approaches.

The EFC900X also includes L-3 Avionics Systems’ Trilogy ESI-2000 Electronic Standby Instrument, eliminating the need for backup round gauges. The ESI-2000 displays airspeed, altitude, attitude and heading data in a format that matches the G900X, and is powered by an internal lithium-ion battery capable of providing power to the instrument in case of a power failure.

The EFC900X is now standard on all Lancair Evolution kits. The price for the kit is $545,000.

The post Evolution First Experimental With Garmin Autopilot appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Marty Blaker is a CFI who, as vice president of avionics course development for King Schools, oversaw the development of its Garmin G1000 training materials. He says:

“All things being equal, there is no significant disadvantage in training on either glass or round dials for any license or rating. However, things are rarely equal, so here are some things to consider:

“Train in the airplane you will fly most often. Proficiency in your airplane translates directly to your safety and comfort on a given flight.

“Consider your costs and purpose for flying. If you fly for fun and will operate on a tight budget, convert your dollars into logbook entries. Use your money to build experience and explore flying, which likely means in an affordable trainer. If you want utility out of your flying, then make an investment in your training to fly the airplane that will meet your mission. (‘Mission’ here means consistently and reliably getting to your destination in a variety of conditions). Utility could cost more and lengthen your training time, but that’s necessary whether you choose a glass or very capable round-dial aircraft.

“There are more self-study materials available for glass than for older avionics. That could translate to a small financial advantage for a transition to a glass cockpit. However, self-study courses do not replace your need to hire a competent CFI until you are proficient in the new airplane.

“Training initially with simple avionics can make for a simpler check ride. A check ride is not a test about avionics. A check ride tests how you use the aircraft to meet the FAA Practical Test Standards. For example, the Private Pilot PTS says an applicant must demonstrate using an electronic navigation device. But if your airplane has ADF, VOR and GPS, any of these three qualify. So that means you’d need to be proficient with all three for your check ride. Bringing an airplane with only the avionics that meet the basic requirements for the check ride limits the scope of what you must demonstrate in order to pass the practical test.

“When you transition to another airplane, there’s going to be a learning curve. The differences between the two aircraft determine the gradient of that curve. But either way, there’s going to be something new to learn. Keep in mind that the transition is about learning the new airplane, not just the avionics.

“In the end, there’s no significant advantage or disadvantage to training in any airplane — provided that you think through your goals and finances first, and then choose the options that’ll get you there in the way that you want.”

Max Trescott is a Master CFI who’s given more than 4,000 hours of dual instruction. He was named the 2008 National CFI of the Year, and he specializes in teaching and writing books and on glass cockpit aircraft (maxtrescott.com). Max says:

“I’m unaware of any controlled study that tested whether it is easier for glass cockpit trained pilots to transition to flying round-gauge airplanes or vice versa.

“The closest data I have came from a former Air Force B-52 Stratofortress instructor. He taught in a simulator for the redundantly named Navigator and Radar Navigator stations, located side by side on the B-52’s lower flight deck. He said the digital-trained crews had more difficulty adapting to the analog simulators than the analog-trained crews had adapting to the digital simulators. Yet in a NASA study, 25 students given IFR training in a G1000-equipped Diamond DA40 were given a mock IFR check ride in a round-gauge Cessna, and all passed.

“I believe glass cockpit instruments are easier to interpret, potentially making it more challenging for glass-trained pilots to switch to round-gauge instrument panels. But regardless of the aircraft type in which you choose to train, you’ll benefit from a flight or two in the other type during your training.

“While I am an unabashed supporter of teaching primary students in glass cockpits, they’re not for everyone. I recommend learning in glass aircraft for people who: o Plan to do most of their flying in glass cockpit aircraft. o Don’t plan to fly much in round-gauge aircraft. o Have an interest in technology. o Want to learn to fly in the best of what’s available. People may want to learn in round-gauge aircraft if they: o Need to minimize training cost. o Expect to fly only short, 50- to 100-mile trips. o Plan to fly in daytime VFR and not get an instrument rating. o Dislike computers and technology. o Cannot find a glass cockpit aircraft or a knowledgeable glass instructor. “Perhaps more important than aircraft type is choosing an instructor experienced in the aircraft in which you choose to learn. Regardless of your choice, have fun learning to fly!”

The post Flight School: Glass Panel Training appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

I was conducting an IOE (initial operating experience) trip with a captain who was re-qualifying on the 767/757 after a six-year tour on the Airbus A300. We raised our eyebrows at the interesting news. After consultation with the inbound pilots, the “fire” had transformed itself into a simple burning smell. Apparently, the electronic door-latch system had issues. The crew disabled the system via the system switch.

No problem. We would resort to the old-fashioned method of cockpit security: a deadbolt.

In a matter-of-fact tone, the copilot added, “Oh … by the way, the airplane has winglets.” And then came the kicker: “And it has a flat-panel display too.”

I cringed for a brief moment. Although the flat-panel display had been incorporated into some of our simulators, I had never been given the opportunity to experience its operation in recurrent training. At present, very few airplanes in the fleet have been converted. Regardless, my day of reckoning had arrived.

I thought about my not-quite-proficient captain. I thought about his unfamiliarity with European operations and North Atlantic crossing procedures. I thought about the flat panel. What could possibly go wrong?

Why the flat-panel displays on old Boeings anyway? In the interest of preserving two relatively efficient and durable airplanes until the year 2025, my airline had invested approximately 263 million bucks toward a total instrument panel makeover in the form of an MFD (multi-function display).

There is more than meets the eye to the new MFD. The display itself can be upgraded. Eventually, when the angst from the pilot adjustment period wears off, the delta-bar flight director will disappear. The flight director will be replaced by the more accurate dual-cue linear display. In addition, updating the database will no longer require 25 minutes of using the ancient technology of a floppy disc. Instead, an Ethernet connection will be used. When our IT folks develop a server, updates will be possible wherever the airplane is located.

At some point in time, an EFB (electronic flight bag) that includes an approach plate display will become part of the package. And to compete with the average Cessna 172 that rolls out of the factory in Wichita, Kansas, Nexrad weather radar will be available, allowing us the ability to plan for deviations more than 1,000 miles ahead of the airplane. Very cool, especially for oceanic crossings.

The new panel conversion also includes the ability to utilize ADS-B service, a requirement for the year 2012. In essence, virtual radar will be available across the ocean.

As an added bonus, both airplanes will be wearing sexy, new winglets. The winglets have increased fuel efficiency and overall performance. As of this writing, the 757 fleet has been completely retrofitted with winglets. Only a handful of 767s are sporting the new airfoil.

In any case, I was looking forward to experiencing the new technology and at the same time hoping that the challenge wouldn’t be overwhelming for both me and my IOE captain. I summoned extra courage as I trotted down the jet bridge ramp.

I maintained my game face while I plopped down into the right seat. I stared at the glossy computer screens and pleaded with my brain. “Please don’t let me forget how to use this new stuff.”

Rarely do my flights ever begin in a calm, sterile environment, but I hoped that this particular trip would have a limited amount of distractions. I was an idiot. The distractions began immediately.

First, we were informed by a flight attendant that one of our frequent passengers had a pallor to his skin that looked as though he was one step away from being pronounced. He was overweight and diabetic. But the gentleman claimed that he was OK. He indicated that lack of sleep and overactivity was the cause. I suggested that we monitor his condition as the boarding process continued. I was well aware that a medical diversion over the North Atlantic is an adventure to be avoided.

Our mostly female flight attendants were a friendly group. The fact that our relief first officer was also female seemed to invite frequent banter in the cockpit. I did my best to be cordial, but it was sometimes difficult to balance the interruptions with the task at hand.

When scheduled departure time slipped by the captain in his effort to finish preflight preparations, the ground crew supplied more interruption. Through the intercom, inquiries regarding the reason for our tardiness seemed to be never-ending.

When we requested our push-back clearance, life got more interesting. Barcelona changed the departure runways from west to east. Ordinarily, a runway change is no big deal. But in Europe, a runway change is accompanied by a Chinese menu choice of SIDs (standard instrument departures). It becomes a matter of guessing which departure matches the appropriate direction of flight to a given fix. As I monitored the engine start and the captain’s consternation, I began to flip pages in my Jeppesen manual in the hopes of making an early guess as to which SID might be on the menu. We would have to take another delay while I allowed the captain to begin another lesson on reprogramming the FMC (flight management computer).

In the interest of moving the lesson at a faster pace, I began to talk through the procedure. I pushed buttons. And then I pushed buttons again. But nothing on the green screen of my FMC was moving. Great. The computer had frozen. I asked the captain to try entries on his FMC, but I should have predicted the result. The left FMC was also frozen. Where are the control/alt/delete buttons when you need them?

Other than attempting to negotiate a return to the gate in order to request our contract maintenance while the airplane was already blocking the ramp area, we had only one choice: Reset the computer circuit breakers. It was a technical no-no, but I didn’t see that the cycling of computer circuit breakers would cause a safety-of-flight issue, especially while we were still on the ground. The reset did the trick. Unfortunately, our ACARS communication did not seem to be downloading our route. Manual entry was required. Imagine that. …

Once we confirmed our route, I called for taxi. As hard as I tried to interpret the accent, the instructions were lost in translation. After a handful of “say again” requests, we managed to find the departure end of the runway with a minimum of scolding.

As we launched skyward, it became apparent that my IOE captain had not read the fine print regarding noise abatement departures in Barcelona. As is typical for many European airports, Barcelona requires takeoff power until 1,500 feet agl in order to allow the airplane the opportunity to climb as high as possible above noise-sensitive areas in a shorter period of time. At 1,500 feet, the thrust is reduced to climb power. And at 3,500 feet, the flaps are retracted for a normal climb profile. It took prompting on my part to make this occur.

For a moment, I was distracted by an unclear clearance from the departure controller. The captain took the opportunity to approach a flap-limit speed. The credit for preventing the overspeed belongs to our relief copilot. In a polite but assertive tone, she warned the captain of the impending situation. The captain was focused on following the guidance of the flight director. He was doing it with precision. As it was discovered later, I deserve responsibility for a good portion of his error.

Apparently, I had made the mistake of setting the top flap-retraction speed for the VREF entry rather than just VREF itself. The computer is programmed to place the remaining flap-retract speeds in the display based on the first number entered. Since I had given the computer the high number, it calculated the flap-retract speeds at ridiculously high values. The flight director reacted accordingly.

Once the problem was rectified by good old-fashioned pilot skills, we continued on our merry way — but not without additional distractions.

I have an agenda or, more accurately, a lesson plan to accomplish on the return trip home. The lesson involves a fair amount of discussion regarding emergency procedures and various other procedures regarding westbound North Atlantic operation. I have to pace my discussion with the flow of the flight. Unfortunately, ATC seemed to be requiring additional attention.

At first, our oceanic clearance was granted via our ACARS datalink. And then it was rescinded by a subsequent message that stated the clearance was canceled. After a few attempts on the infamous low fidelity of a high frequency, it was determined that there was never an issue. Our clearance remained as filed.

And then ATC made repeated requests for various altitudes. We attempted to comply with its uncharacteristic indecisiveness, but finally gave up with a simple “unable.” That statement seemed to solve all of the problems. I was able to continue my lesson objective without further interruption.

The remainder of our flight was routine. The captain rallied with a superb performance into JFK. After our gate arrival, I debriefed him with some of my concerns. He accepted my critique with a professional attitude. I pronounced him North Atlantic-qualified and sent him on his way.

Once again, I learned something new. New panel. New problems. No problem.

The post Jumpseat: New Panel/New Problems appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The company announced new details and increased value on the G3X flat-panel avionics system for LSA and Experimental airplanes. Because it’s not governed by standard certification regulations, Garmin was able to create displays that are very innovative and take advantage of the available space. And the price point for the products is nothing short of revolutionary. In addition to the displays, the G3X system will include the magnetometer, ADAHRS, and engine monitoring hardware (sensors not included) for prices starting at $9,995 for a one-screen system that blends PFD and MFD functions for non-certified applications.

Pilot My-Cast has new features and a new platform: In addition to its core features of extensive government weather graphics and text, and flight planning and flight plan filing, it now features a METAR and TAF “bubble map that displays current and predicted weather in a pictorial format.

Garmin announced the delivery of their 100,000th GNS all-in one nav/comm system. Garmin claims that approximately half of all U.S. single and twin-engine piston and turbine aircraft are now GNS 400/500-equipped.

The post More Goodies from Garmin appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The post Avidyne Offers Budget Versions of its New Avionics for Cirrus appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

• The GTS 800 series is a brand new lineup of three active traffic systems. They include the GTS 800, GTS 820 and GTS 850. All are fully TSO certified TAS and TCASI systems. The systems combine on-board active traffic and ADS-B target information to give greater accuracy and information about threat aircraft when paired with the appropriate Mode-S transponder.

• The G500 flat-panel PFD/MFD is a new offshoot of the G600. It offers a revolutionary price point of $15,995 and provides much of the functionality of the G600. Even new G600 features, namely SVT and GAD 43 (see below) are available as options on the G500.

• The GAD 43 is an adapter that allows G500 and G600 owners to use the ADHRS output from those units to drive the attitude input of many popular existing autopilots that previously required fragile and expensive-to-repair mechanical attitude indicators. There are tens of thousands of such autopilots on the market, which will make the G500/600 a very attractive upgrade option.

• And enhanced G600 that now offers Garmin’s synthetic vision product (SVT) along with GAD 43 as standard. G600 is also now approved for many larger, heavier and faster Class 3 airplanes. Current G600 customers get SVT upgrade for free, and a greatly reduced price on the GAD 43.

To find out more about these introductions, visit garmin.com.

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