• READ MORE: Cirrus Delivers 10,000th SR Series Aircraft

One well-regarded avionics shop—Nexair Avionics in Plymouth, Massachusetts—has been specializing in avionics retrofits for Cirrus models for years and brought one to EAA AirVenture this week. It’s a 2007 SR22T G3 model sporting a fresh panel of new Garmin avionics, and we take a look at the airplane with Nexair sales manager Brian Wolfe.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on The Aviation Consumer.

The post AirVenture Video: Garmin Cirrus Retrofit appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

While these big projects could make sense for some, we suspect the majority of buyers look for ways to keep the budget and complexity in check.

Enter small-screen EFIS, otherwise known as a budget glass upgrade. These are generally two solid-state gyro instruments—an electronic attitude display and electronic HSI. While you’ll sacrifice screen real estate, you’ll also save big on install labor because mini EFIS units can fit the existing 3-inch instrument cutouts without having to cut new metal, and in some cases, even retaining the old-school plastic overlay.

Here’s a primer on the budget EFIS market, where Garmin and uAvionix are two standouts, with some words on the realities of a bare-bones avionics upgrade.

The $15K Upgrade

While that isn’t chump change, the $15,000 price point is a realistic budget to set, though you might have some left over. And it’s possible to come out of the upgrade closer to the $10,000 price point, depending on the equipment and options.

Still, after adding up the equipment costs and typical labor, there are always extras that add to the bottom line once the airplane hits the hangar floor.

Truth is, while the aircraft may go into the shop for a couple of electronic flight displays, you might decide to also install a new GPS navigator—or maybe a new audio system. The list of add-ons is long, especially for aircraft that haven’t seen an avionics upgrade since the Clinton years. And those extras add up quickly.

The good news is that a basic budget-priced EFIS upgrade is a fine opportunity to clean up old wiring and address problems in the supporting systems. This includes working on the pitot/static system (aging systems often have leakage, which needs to be fixed before installing the new instruments), replacing old circuit breakers, and perhaps fixing faulty panel lighting. If the aircraft has been sitting for a while (or sourced outside of the U.S.), it might not even have mandate-compliant ADS-B.

Bottom line: Before upgrading, our advice is to address the basic systems first, including the transponder, altitude reporting system, and audio systems.

And speaking of cleanup, even the most basic electronic flight instruments provide the green light for removing the vacuum system. When the system hits the rubbish bin, you’ll enjoy a generous weight saving, while also making room behind the panel for future supportability. Vacuum lines, fittings and filters take up lots of space, making it tough for techs to get their hands in it to work.

Once the fundamentals are covered, it’s time for some glass. We’ll start with Garmin’s budget-based offerings.

Small-Screen Garmin

A staple in Garmin’s lineup is the 3.5-inch QVGA color LCD display-equipped G5, which started life as an experimental EFIS before Garmin earned STC for retrofitting them in certified aircraft through an AML-STC covering nearly 600 aircraft models. The G5 is a no-frills instrument but a step up from spinning mechanical iron gyros.

The battery-backup-equipped G5 attitude indicator is $2,725, and the electronic HSI version with GPS nav interface adapter (for connecting to select VHF navs and GPS navigators) is $3,675. Two G5 instruments connected together offer reversionary ADAHRS should one fail, plus there’s a four-hour battery backup if the aircraft electrics quit.

The G5 DG instrument can work for IFR approaches with its electronic HSI but is limited to VHF nav and GPS sources with digital databases, mainly Garmin GNS 430W/530W, GTN 650/750, and Avidyne IFD navigators. The G5 can also work with Garmin’s discontinued SL30 nav/comm and the current Garmin digital nav/comm radios through an RS-232 serial interface.

A couple of G5 instruments have some limitations because to keep in line with the STC requirements, they can’t replace the entire six-pack of flight instruments. Legally, they’ll replace the existing AI or DG, or a single G5 attitude instrument can replace the rate-of-turn instrument. In our estimation, the tech built into the G5 is aging and compared to newer displays it shows—there is no synthetic vision and no touchscreen. Think utilitarian, and while the instruments fit in an existing full-sized instrument cutout, the G5s have square bezels. That means modifying the plastic panel overlays (or false panels, as they’re sometimes called) in aircraft still equipped.

Depending on your particular interface, and which equipment you plan to connect to (including third-party autopilots), you might need Garmin’s $525 GAD 26 digital converter box. There’s also the $412 GMU 11 magnetometer required for heading resolution on the G5 DG. Without it, the instrument will display GPS track and not magnetic heading.

Increasingly, shops tell us that Garmin’s GI 275 beats the older G5 in popularity, given the advanced feature set and overall design. With a form factor that directly replaces most 3 -inch round instruments, the GI 275 is aimed at incremental upgrades and not requiring cutting new metal—plus, you won’t have to modify the plastic overlays, if equipped.

The instruments have a modern 2.69-inch diameter (active screen size) color capacitive touchscreen and an extremely flexible electrical interface potential compatible with a healthy variety of third-party equipment. They can function as a primary flight instrument, EHSI, CDI, an MFD with synthetic vision, traffic and terrain display, and an engine monitor. However, when used as an attitude instrument and heading display, these functions are locked in place per the AML-STC requirements. The GI 275 product line can be confusing because these instruments are available in many configurations—including one that displays Garmin’s EIS engine instrument system.

But for a typical IFR installation, you’ll want the $4,195 GI 275 ADAHRS, which is the one for use as a primary and stand-alone EFIS because it has the sensors for displaying all primary flight data. Again, it’s locked to display only the flight data. Synthetic vision is a $995 option and downloadable, so you don’t have to bring it to a Garmin dealer when adding it later on.

In a budget glass upgrade, it’s common to install a second GI 275 ADAHRS to replace a round-gauge directional gyro, and it connects with the GMU 11 magnetometer for heading resolution. It can be configured as an EHSI, works with a variety of third-party nav sources, and has mapping, traffic, and weather overlay. A GI 275 ADAHRS with the magnetometer is priced around $4,700. Visit www.garmin.com.

uAvionix AV-30-C

The $2,299 AV-30-C (the “C” means it’s for certified aircraft) with a 3-inch color display fits in a traditional 3 1/4 -inch instrument cutout. The AV-30 has been slowly maturing over the past couple of years, and a recent upgrade that makes it compatible for IFR flying has kicked the capability up a few notches. In its basic form factor, an AV-30 is capable of serving as a primary attitude instrument. In a dual installation (one as an attitude indicator and the other as an electronic heading indicator), the AI is required to be locked when used as the primary, although it does display a heading tape at the top of the display.

The AV-30 is loaded with standard features. The short list includes built-in angle of attack, audio alerting, altitude alerting, and primary slip indication. The AV-30-C has an STC with approved model list (AML) that blankets a wide variety of single-engine aircraft with speeds below 200 knots. It’s approved as a stand-alone attitude indicator, as an electronic DG, as a replacement for a slip-skid indicator (it doesn’t have rate of turn—just a skid ball), and it can be used as the required backup attitude display for the majority of primary EFIS systems. It can even be used with the company’s ADS-B/transponder systems.

A dual-unit installation is fair game for removing the aircraft’s vacuum system, but that could need extra approvals or paperwork on the shop level since the specifics of removing the vacuum system are outside the scope of the instrument’s STC. A pair of AV-30s—one as an attitude display, plus electronic pitot static instruments (in certified aircraft you still have to retain the originals), and the other as a heading indicator—is a good way to give an old VFR panel a new lease on life.

At press time, uAvionix released a major upgrade to the AV-30’s capability thanks to external smart adapters. The new uAvionix AV-HSI smart converter accessory adds long-awaited utility to the previously lacking AV-30 IFR interface, with support for essentially all Avidyne IFD and Garmin GTN/GNS GPS navigators. It will work with the GPS-only Garmin GPS 175/GNC 355/GNX 375 navigators, plus the legacy GPS 155XL. This means you can finally display lateral and vertical course guidance for GPS approaches—plus, the converter also works with Garmin’s GNC 255 nav/comm, Garmin nav/comms, and Trig’s TX56/57 nav/comm radios.

For autopilot interfaces, another adapter—the $299 AV-APA—is in the works for communicating with S-TEC rate-based autopilots—which includes the System 20/30/40/50 models. It enables GPS track hold, GPS desired track, GPS bearing, and GPSS digital steering when using the EHSI.

Speaking of add-on interfaces, for aircraft where panel space is limited, the $299 AV-Link can be used to stream ADS-B traffic data to the AV-30 for displaying standard ADS-B traffic symbology. Any portable ADS-B In receiver that works via the industry standard GDL90 Wi-Fi protocol can interface with the display just as it’s done with an iPad. The AV-Link, which piggybacks between the main wiring harness and the AV-30 itself, is only available in experimental installations, for now. Visit www.uavionx.com.

Aspen’s Budget Evoution

The $5,995 Aspen Avionics E5 scales back the features and capabilities built into the flagship 1000 Pro MAX but shares the same drop-in, form-fit chassis that fits the existing holes of mechanical attitude and heading indicators. With a 400×760-pixel TFT Active Matrix LCD screen, the E5 is perhaps the largest of the budget EFIS models with its 6-inch diagonal Matrix LCD screen, and it has a built-in, one-hour backup battery. The E5 shows primary attitude information with altitude, airspeed, and vertical speed, plus an EHSI into a single display with a backup battery.

For IFR capability, the E5 needs to be connected to an IFR panel-mounted navigator but doesn’t require a backup attitude indicator like the Pro models do. It does, however, require Aspen’s ACU (analog converter unit) for connecting with autopilots and VHF nav radios—an accessory that kicks up the price to around $7,000, plus the extra installation effort. You can upgrade the E5 to the Pro MAX version without changing the majority of the hardware. Visit www.aspenavionics.com.

How Much for That?

We think an important step in any budget EFIS upgrade is gathering proposals for larger-screen glass as a comparison. That means bringing the aircraft to the potential installer so they can determine what will and won’t fit.

For sure, the buy-in will be higher, especially when the project requires metal work, but for some—especially with aging eyes—the price delta could be worth it. For others, the smaller screens are a trade-off for an easier installation and lower invoice.

This column first appeared in the Summer 2024 Ultimate Issue print edition.

The post Ultimate Issue: Mini EFIS Units Keep Budget, Complexity in Check appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Recently, we cheered on Stephen Mercer as Gardner Lowe Aviation Services in Peachtree City, Georgia, put the finishing touches on his family’s 1982 Piper PA-32R-301T Saratoga. Now, it is time for the pull-offs from that job to find a new life in Corey Sampson’s Cessna 172. We have been tracking this story from the beginning with Sampson’s decision to incorporate used-serviceable material (USM) in his retrofit. 

• Part 1: Cessna 172 Skyhawk Avionics

It is one thing to pull out the Garmin catalog and order up everything new and quite another to retrofit using USM. One must decide what to keep and what to jettison. The situation is not always cut and dried. What if you install all this stuff, and it doesn’t work? 

Thankfully, Sampson is an A&P and can do much of his own work. 

Avionics Equipment Installation

Planning for a major maintenance event comes down to one key element: attention to detail. I have seen more than one maintenance evolution derailed by the smallest detail. I once found myself stalled on a job—a major engine overhaul—for one bolt. Guess what? The airplane needs all of the parts to fly, not just some of them. 

I caught up with Sampson recently to follow up on the installation. He said that although routing was challenging, he didn’t hit any real snags along the way. 

Sampson mapped out his maintenance, and FLYING was there during the initial phases of this evolution. He ensured a clean, comfortable space in which to accomplish his work. The environment is everything in aircraft maintenance. Why do you think line maintenance aircraft mechanics receive a premium? Other factors to consider are tooling and technical data. Sampson had each of these lined up before removing a single component.

Sampson said the downtime for his 172 during maintenance was five weeks for the removal and installation, and one week for pitot-static recertification. He also removed the automatic direction finder (ADF), as it is now obsolete, and therefore, he could save some weight. 

Fitment and Operational Check

Once Sampson finished everything, it was time for Oasis Aviation Avionics & Maintenance to do the pitot-static and transponder check. The company also built up the harness and mapped everything to assist him during installation.

• Part 2: Cessna 172 Skyhawk Avionics

Once Sampson installed everything, it was time to button her up and functionally test the new hardware. To keep from running the engine in the hangar, he procured an external power supply from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty. 

“These portable power supplies are an excellent way to power your avionics on the ground while you train or practice in the cockpit,” the company says. “Especially helpful in learning how to operate glass cockpit avionics and panel mount GPS units.”

They are also furnished with Cessna-style, three-pin plug configuration and manufactured in the U.S.

Next, Sampson programmed and calibrated the two Garmin G5 Electronic Flight Instruments. Once that was complete, it was time to test fly the airplane around the pattern in Peachtree City. After the pitot-static check, he flew to New Orleans with his co-conspirator, Elijah Lisyany, for breakfast.

Continued Airworthiness Action

According to the FAA, “continued airworthiness requires that safety concerns within the existing fleet be addressed, and the knowledge gained applied for the benefit of future fleets as well.” 

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) breaks it down even further, stating that continued airworthiness “means all of the processes ensuring that, at any time in its operating life, the aircraft complies with the airworthiness requirements in force and is in a condition for safe operation.”

• READ MORE: Getting the Most from Your Prepurchase Inspection

That means Sampson now has to shift his maintenance plan to accommodate his new equipment.

Earlier in the project, Sampson opted for a Garmin GNS 430. Once installed, Corey adjusted the contrast, and viola, it worked beautifully. 

In January, Garmin issued Service Advisory (SA) 23018 Rev B—does it affect the continued airworthiness of Sampson’s Cessna 172? 

It depends. 

First of all, service advisory alerts are just that—advice. The only thing mandatory under FAR Part 91 is an airworthiness directive (AD). 

The SA clearly states that “display repairs for the WAAS and Non-WAAS GPS 400, GNC 420, and GNS 430 are no longer available and have been discontinued.” It does not say the units have been discontinued. 

Additionally, if feasible, someone could create an alternate repair either by DER or 145 process specification. There is more than one way to stay compliant. And, of course, Sampson could replace the unit with another USM GNS 430 or upgrade to Avidyne IFD 440.

The post Testing the Hardware After a USM Retrofit appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

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.

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) began installing the system, dubbed Mission Data Extender (MDE), in December and said it represents the first fully integrated, hard-mounted commercial tablet to be used as a primary mission display on a naval aircraft.

“This is a huge step toward open architecture, innovative solutions to mission-data presentation,” Lieutenant Commander Neil Whitesell, in-service avionics systems project officer for the H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopters Program Office, said in a statement. “We did it at low cost, fast, and we provided a major capability improvement to the warfighter.” 

• READ MORE: 5 Killed in CH-53 Crash, Marine Corps Confirms

The CH-53’s current primary panel consists of two smart multifunction color displays (SMFCDs) that show hover cueing, ownship position, threat reports, route/waypoint information, moving map, and real-time, forward-looking infrared (FLIR). But the system is also aging.

“The SMFCD is currently suffering from reliability and reparability issues that reduce availability on the flight line and hinder readiness,” NAVAIR said.

• READ MORE: MH-139A Grey Wolf Training Unit Activates at Maxwell AFB

The MDE system provides the capability of the legacy SMFCD by deploying both developmental and nondevelopmental commercial/government off-the-shelf components but at less than one-third the price of an SMFCD upgrade, NAVAIR said.

“The CH-53E now has an aircraft-powered, Wi-Fi-based mission display capable of seamless interoperability with several carry-on data terminals and capable of walk-on/walk-off expeditionary mission planning,” Whitesell said. 

The post Navy Turns to Off-the-Shelf Tablet for CH-53E Panel Upgrade appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

When a person owns an open-cockpit vintage aircraft, one of the first decisions to make is how radio communications will be addressed. You can utilize a portable battery-operated handheld radio so the instrument panel remains true to factory specs, you could eschew the legacy panel gauges and install a modern radio and the supporting electrical system in the name of safety and convenience—or you can get creative and have the best of both worlds.

The “both” option was taken by Bob and Bill Juranich. The brothers own the Gig Harbor Vintage Aero Museum at Tacoma Narrows Airport (KTIW) in Washington. The airport is Class D and located approximately 15 nm southwest of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA). It lies beneath Class Bravo airspace and, as such, inside the Mode C veil generally requiring a transponder. Still, the most modern aircraft in the museum’s collection is a 1953 Cessna 195.

Most of the designs herald from the 1930s and ’40s, and several are ADS-B compliant, though they rolled off the assembly line decades before radios were standard equipment, transponders were in common use, and radar—the technological grandfather of ADS-B—had even been dreamed about for light aircraft. And here’s the best part—you can’t tell by looking at the aircraft that they feature this modern device. You won’t find radio or ADS-B antennae, which frankly would stick out like a frog in a punch bowl. These airplanes look like they have just rolled out of the factory in a time when you could spend the day at the movies for 5 cents, and the console cabinet radio was the centerpiece of many a living room.

“That’s because Bob Johnson, the master mechanic who has restored these aircraft, is really good about hiding things in plain sight,” says Brandon Bainbridge, the director of operations at the VAM, which is primarily located in a 12,400-square-foot hangar. The facility is part museum, part event space, part repository for Juranich family history, and part high-end pilot cave. You can picture your aviation-enthused forebearers having such a space.

That was true for the Juranichs, who grew up around civilian aviation in the Midwest. Their father, Joe, was a pilot and owned Northern Airport in Basehor, 13 miles south of Leavenworth, Kansas. The brothers Juranich took to aviation in their teens. Bob, the older brother, soloed at age 17 in a 1946 J-3 Cub. Bill—not to be outdone—bought his first airplane, a 1946 Taylorcraft, at the age of 18.

You will find the J-3 Cub, the Taylorcraft, and their father’s 1946 Piper Super Cruiser meticulously restored and on display as part of the museum collection. You can thank A&P/IA Bob Johnson for that.

• READ MORE: Six Aviation Museums Where You Can Land and Linger

A Storied WACO

The Juranichs have known Johnson for decades. He has overseen the restoration of several of the brothers’ aircraft, including the 1934 WACO YMF-3, a black and white open-cockpit biplane that some describe as the crown jewel in the VAM collection.

According to Bob Juranich, when WACO NC14080 rolled out of the factory in Troy, Ohio, it was destined to be a rich man’s toy. The Great Depression was underway, and the only people with the money for such an expensive hobby as flying were the folks with large bank accounts or their sons and daughters. The first owner of the YMF was Philip T. Sharples, an industrialist who in 1939 also became one of the founding members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The WACO was in Sharples’ care for about a year until he experienced a nose over. The airplane landed on its back and was damaged. The YMF went back to the factory for repairs. The next owner was Benjamin Brewster, also an industrialist— a railroad tycoon and trustee for Standard Oil.

“At the time, the aircraft was stationed at Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York,” says Juranich, gesturing to a decal on the vertical stabilizer. “That’s the same airport Charles Lindbergh launched out of to fly the Atlantic in 1927.”

Brewster sold the WACO to Stephen DuPont, who kept it until the early 1940s. As the winds of war began to churn, DuPont sold the YMF to a flying service, where it was used as part of the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Then, as now, student pilots could be rough on the equipment. The WACO endured multiple student-induced damage events, including a collision with a snowbank that effectively ended its flying career for several decades. The bent and battered wreckage passed through many hands as a project until 2006, when Bob Juranich, who saw a YMF at a local fly-in and decided he wanted one, bought it from Harold Johnson in Moraine, Ohio.

For Johnson, A&P/IA (no relation to the previous owner), the WACO was the gauntlet of challenge being thrown down, as the airplane had not flown since 1943. Johnson, who has been turning wrenches since 1970, noted with some relief that the stock Jacobs L4 /R755-7 engine had been overhauled in the 1990s, and that was a big chunk of the work—so he could focus on the rest of the airplane. He paid special attention to the cockpit, which he determined needed to be aesthetically pleasing, period correct, and able to function safely in modern airspace.

A Special Update Process

The challenge with restoring panels in vintage designs to modern airworthiness, says Johnson, is that modern radios, navigation tools, and their support cables destroy the integrity of the design.

“I hate to see beautiful vintage biplanes with white wires going everywhere,” Johnson says with a cringe and shake of his head. “I always hide them behind tubing, put them in leather or use black friction tape or camouflage them in a way so they match the interior of the airplane.”

Go ahead and look in the cockpit of the YMF: You won’t see any radio, GPS, or transponder—but you will see a 1930s map case. Inside it, you find modern devices.

“It was Bob Juranich’s idea to hide them there,” says Johnson. “The map case looks like you carry it out to the airplane. There is even a leather handle on it. I painted it with crinkle paint to give it the right look.”

Several of the aircraft are equipped with ADS-B Out, although they are technically exempt because they were not originally certificated with an engine-driven electrical system, per FAR 91.215(b)(3) and 91.215(b) (5). Therefore, they need not adhere to the rule that went into effect on January 1, 2020, for flight in Class A, B, C, and D airspace where altitude-reporting transponders were required prior to that date. However, given that the museum is located at a busy Class Delta airport under a shelf of Class Bravo and surrounded by a Mode C veil, the Juranichs and Johnson agreed that ADS-B was a wise choice. But how to do it without installing a clunky antennae and ADS-B transponder?

“According to SkyBeacon, ADS-B can function through fabric,” says Johnson. “Both the Command-Aire and the WACO have ADS-B. Basically we just ziptied it to one rib and powered it with some nav-light wire as if it had been on the tail.”

The ADS-B pairs with the pilot’s iPad in the cockpit. The iPad is easily removed and stored when the airplane is on the ground on display and redeployed for flight.

Historic Renovations

ADS-B isn’t the only modern touch on the airplane, says Bainbridge. A few of the airplanes have been retrofitted with electric starters and batteries. Since the aircraft weren’t originally designed to have them, Johnson figured out a way to hide the modern conveniences. I won’t tell you where he hid them, but I will say you have to do a bit of a scavenger hunt to find the battery and switches for it on the instrument panel. Johnson has antiqued the panel so they look like original, fresh-out-of-the-factory equipment.

“In the Monocoupe, for example, the panel, which is metal, was made to look like it is made of wood,” Bainbridge says, adding that he spent the last two years of his Air Force career in Pearl Harbor working at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, where the saying is “history matters.”

“That’s a theme I carry with me now. I want people to see these airplanes still fly. The Juranichs and Bob Johnson want to keep the airplanes flying, their ethos is ‘We don’t want airplanes that just collect dust.’”

Bainbridge shares this sentiment, and he’s been using his mechanic skills to make an interactive aircraft that will be a “kid-friendly” exhibit.

“It’s a Reno Racer just for kids,” he says. “I want them to flip the switches and turn on the lights and go crazy.”

This column first appeared in the August 2023/Issue 940 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Be Safe But Authentic with Your New Old Panel appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

It’s enjoyable to help, though. Whether it’s a new pilot exploring ownership for the first time or a seasoned expert weighing upgrade options, I find it rewarding to help others avoid some of the hard lessons with which I’ve had to contend thus far on my own journey.

• READ MORE: The Fizzled-Out Promise of the Lockheed ‘Flatbed’

I recently spoke at length with two individuals asking for ownership advice. One was considering a panel upgrade, weighing the pros and cons of a few options that ranged from some minor modifications to a complete overhaul. The other was torn between upgrading the engine and propeller on his Cessna 170 versus selling it and buying a larger Cessna 180.

In each case, the most attractive option was to invest a fairly substantial amount of money into the existing airplane. Panel guy knew he wanted full IFR capability, and he knew he liked Garmin’s latest avionics. And 170 guy loved almost everything about his airplane except for the modest power. Each recognized that a big upgrade would result in their perfect airplane…but each shared the same reservation—losing money on the airplane upgrade and reasoning they’ll never get it back through resale.

• READ MORE: Golden-Hued Memories of a Late Summer Fly-In

They’re not wrong. In most cases involving major upgrades, the money spent on parts and labor will exceed the additional amount you can command when reselling the airplane. The majority of the upgrade cost becomes sunk, and this was the hangup I kept hearing.

In the case of the full panel overhaul, the entire panel plus labor was forecast at around $60,000—nearly the value of the airplane itself. The resale value of the unmodified plane was around $80,000. Based on what I’ve seen in the classified listings, this would rise to perhaps $100,000 to $110,000 with the new panel installed. So about half of the panel cost would be money spent and never seen again.

It was the same story with the Cessna 170 owner looking for more power. Yes, he could upgrade the engine and propeller, but he’d never get that money back out of the airplane when the time came to sell it. This is why he was considering selling the 170 and upgrading to the 180. He loved his 170, but the spreadsheet said the 180 would be the wiser investment.

• READ MORE: Sizing Up Your New Aircraft

I asked both owners a few key questions, including how long each expected to own their airplane and what they enjoyed most about it. Their replies were predictable. They loved their airplanes and expected to continue flying them for another 20 years or so. Each had already spent significant time and effort to get them sorted and set up to their liking, and in each case, the upgrade they were considering would eliminate their least favorite aspect of the airplane.

It ultimately came down to the question of whether each upgrade must earn its place and someday recoup its entire cost. I advised the owners to pay attention to this factor but not live by it. In other words, try to avoid becoming upside down on each upgrade, but not at the expense of years of enjoying your perfect airplane.

In the case of the panel upgrade, I offered a scenario. Suppose the complete new panel ultimately “loses” half its value when the airplane sells. Over the course of 20 years, this amounts to little more than a cell phone bill every month. And chances are the appreciating value of the airplane itself will absorb that amount and then some. 

The flip side is to live with an airplane that’s almost perfect but annoys you in the same persistent manner throughout every flight. For panel guy, this would mean living with a panel that’s VFR-only or IFR-capable but imperfect. Personally, I’d almost rather have the option that’s far from perfect because I find almost perfect to be maddening. 

• READ MORE: Registering a Custom N-Number for Your New Airplane

For engine upgrade guy, this would mean one of two things. He could live with the relatively anemic thrust, takeoff, and climb ability of the stock 170. Alternatively, he could sell it and upgrade to the 180—but that would introduce higher fuel burn, higher insurance rates, and years of finding, buying, and sorting an airplane to get him back into the groove of stable, predictable ownership. For him, putting the finishing touches on an almost perfect airplane seemed to make the most sense.

Ultimately, I provided both owners with the same advice. Look at the cost of a major upgrade over the entire length of time you expect to own the airplane and take the appreciating value of the airplane itself into account. Twenty years from now, it’s unlikely any of us will look back and lament missing out on an additional $125 per month on an individual upgrade. But it’s entirely likely we’ll look back on a couple of decades of flying adventures made that much safer and more epic by taking place in the perfect airplane.

The post Airplane Math: When Do Upgrades Make Economic Sense? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

But when opportunity knocks, you take notice. And when that knocking comes in the form of an ambassador partnership with Garmin, you answer the door. This opportunity (separate from my work with FLYING) is what motivated me to take the plunge and spend tens of thousands of dollars on a full instrument panel upgrade on my 1953 Cessna 170B, and it is finally complete.

The project began back in May, and my friend Jessica Voruda at NewView Technologies in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, began teaching me the intricacies of instrument panels right away. I dove into the project bursting with enthusiasm but ready and willing to face complex, unforeseen, and expensive challenges. Fortunately, Jessica’s expertise and patience kept these to a minimum, and we were able to focus on some of the more fun and less easily anticipated aspects of the panel redesign.

After addressing a few of those items, we were able to dig into the part I was most looking forward to—the aesthetics and visual design. Although my plane has seen various updates over the years, some authentic 1950s-era visual elements remain. For example, it had an extraordinarily cool vintage blue diamond pattern surrounding the throttle quadrant, and I decided early on that I wanted to retain that element at all costs.

Similarly, I’ve always appreciated the retro look of the panel itself. Unlike modern panels that tend to be squared off on top with a horizontal glareshield, mine is curved on top. It looks cool and opens up some decent-sized peripheral vision chunks that might otherwise be blocked by a larger, squared-off design.

• READ MORE: Making an Old Panel New Again

So I knew I liked the original, vintage aesthetic. But looking at modern avionics, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of installing what amounts to big rectangular computer monitors smack dab in the middle of my panel. This is a 1953 Cessna, after all—not a Tesla Model S. I may be upgrading to modern avionics, but I still wanted it to look like a cool vintage airplane.  

Looking around at other modernized panels, I spotted another popular trend—emptying a panel of every extraneous gauge and installing just one or two modern digital screens in their place. While this is beneficial in terms of weight savings and simplicity, I just couldn’t get behind the look of a massive, blank wall in front of me punctuated by just two or three small screens. To me, it looks incomplete. It felt akin to hopping into a base-model rental car and spotting all the blank spots reserved for options that were left behind at the factory.

Salvation came in the form of two things—Garmin’s GI 275 flight instruments and Jessica’s Tetris-like skill at shoehorning a large volume of avionics into a tiny, irregularly shaped space.

• READ MORE: The Adventures of a Panel Redesign

The GI 275 instruments were new to me. I was familiar with and had, in other aircraft, used Garmin’s square-screened G5 instruments in the form of an attitude indicator and DG/HSI. But for a 1950s-inspired retromod panel, the television screen looked out of place. 

The beauty of the GI 275s is that they’re round and, thus, closely resemble vintage gauges. When in operation, they illuminate brightly and display everything from an attitude indicator to an engine indication system…but even when displaying moving maps and colorful bar graphs, they still blend in with old gauges. I decided they’d be the perfect solution for blending modern capability with a vintage aesthetic.

To avoid the aforementioned “empty panel” look, I opted to retain a few legacy analog gauges, namely the turn indicator, airspeed indicator, and altimeter. I did this for two reasons. First, because I appreciate having a physical ball and needles that sweep across part of my field of vision. But also to create a curved line of gauges that follows the curve of the glareshield like the panels of earlier 140s and 170s. With Voruda’s help, I arranged and rearranged the gauges into my desired positions.

From there, Voruda and the team at NewView got to work fitting everything into the panel and design. It turned out to be a tight balancing game, keeping the radios and GI 275s clear of the large T-shaped bar behind the panel that required ample internal space for elevator control. But she managed to do so, and the radios and GPS/transponder slotted nicely into the left side of the panel, leaving space elsewhere for an iPad and autopilot controls. While an autopilot isn’t in the cards just yet, I had Voruda prepare everything for easy and efficient installation in the future.

With the mechanical layout locked in, we focused on the visual design. Taking her advice, I opted for a cream-colored panel that matched my yokes and switchgear. This was true to the original interior colors, and it would be warmer, with more personality than black or gray. 

When I explained how much I liked the blue diamond pattern, Jessica pointed out that her panel fabrication partner, Superior Aircraft Components, could digitize the original design and extend it to the new overlays that cover most of the lower section of the panel. I loved the idea, so they got to work creating matching surrounds for the radios and circuit breakers. Because we were pressed for time, they also fabricated a separate, removable section of the sub-panel on the lower right, reserved for a future custom glove box. 

As of this writing, the panel is complete, but I have yet to see it in person. My airplane sits up at Oshkosh, awaiting my arrival for AirVenture several days from now. Once there, I’ll be able to take it all in, begin learning how to use it, and then taxi from NewView Technologies on the north side of the field down to the Garmin booth at Boeing Plaza, where it will be on display for all to see. 

On one hand, it has been a leap of faith to spend such a sum of money on something when I am only able to observe the progress through photos. Part of me has wanted to make the 90-minute drive every weekend to check up on things. But from the beginning, I decided to place my trust in Voruda and her team of actual professionals; throughout the process, when she would ask me to make a decision, I would usually ask what she would do if it was her panel and then go with that.

This dedication to trust was partially inspired by some of the more questionable paint schemes I see on privately owned aircraft from time to time. In each case, the owners spent upward of $20,000 for new paint jobs but clearly opted to avoid hiring or trusting a professional to help create a visually pleasing design. Instead, their freshly painted airplanes are visually misshapen and unbalanced, resembling crude renditions of travel trailers from the late 1990s. The paint application and workmanship are impeccable, but less-qualified, amateur decisions hamper the end result.

For my panel, I decided early on not to go it alone. I’m not a professional avionics technician, and while I have some general goals and ideas, I’ve never designed or built an instrument panel. I was hiring a team of professionals to do that, so it only made sense to know my limits and defer to its expertise while providing general overlying goals. 

The end result appears to be perfect. I’ll have an airplane far more IFR capable than me and my instrument skills that lapsed during the Bush administration. I’ll have a lighter, more reliable airplane with avionics that enable me to extend the life of my engine through precise control and temperature management. And multiple moving maps, ADS-B traffic data, weather data, and sophisticated flight instruments, including an angle of attack indicator, will make me safer.

On top of it all, the unique restomod aesthetic will create an entirely new flying experience that gives me yet another reason to look back over my shoulder as I walk away after a flight.

Author’s note:

If you plan to attend EAA AirVenture (Monday through July 30), please stop by the Garmin display to check out the new panel for yourself. Let me know what you think at the FLYING Magazine booth  located in exhibitor spaces 439 and 440, just east of the control tower. I’ll be there from 1-2 pm CDT on Tuesday and July 28 for meet and greets and would love to hear your impressions.

The post Keeping the Vintage Cool During a Panel Upgrade appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Ten years ago, the most common panel conversions were from round dial, also known as legacy or steam gauge panels, to initial glass cockpits. According to Aspen Avionics in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Advanced Flight Systems in Canby, Oregon, these days, aircraft owners are focusing on upgrading their panels with the latest in glass technology.

Usually it is a two-fold process, says Perri Coyne, director of marketing operations for Aspen Avionics. The customer picks out the panel they want, and Aspen sends them a recommendation for a shop to do the work.

“With 700-plus dealers around the world, you probably aren’t too far from a shop that can help upgrade your panel,” she says, adding that Aspen Avionics “literally holds the patent on a plug-insolution for an EFIS to replace round-dial, six-pack instruments without cockpit panel modifications.”

According to Coyne, over the years, the company mission has expanded to provide products to more and more aircraft types and OEMs.

“We have always been focused on providing avionics products that can grow with the needs of our customers regardless of aircraft and market,” says Coyne. “Our initial focus has been in the aftermarket GA segment and over time have expanded to provide products to more and more aircraft types and OEMs.

“It is our core philosophy to work with whatever our customers have installed or are wanting to install their panels,” she says.

Trade-Up Program

“The Trade In Trade Up Program is unique in that air-craft owners can trade in their ‘older’ Aspen displays to the latest generation of Aspen Max displays at a significantly reduced price and get a new two-year warranty,” Coyne continues. “The trade-in program is an integral part of our strategy to provide a path for our customers to capitalize on their initial investment and affordably stay up with the latest hardware and functional innovations without having to incur the large expense of having to start over with an entirely new platform. For instance, a new Evolution Pro Max PFD sells for $9,995.

“An owner can trade in their old display for a new Max display for $4,995, which now comes with standard synthetic vision,” Coyne says. “Aspen units that can be traded in for the Max units include the E5 (our basic PFD), the VFR-only display, the ‘Pilot’ or the older ‘Legacy’ EFD1000 primary flight display (not Max). Additionally, if there is any factory warranty left on the trade-in display, we will add the remaining coverage of the warranty for the new display. For example: An owner trades in his current display, which still has six months left of warranty coverage; that six months will be added to the new display for a warranty of 30 months, versus 24 months.”

Upgrade the Experimental

It isn’t just certified aircraft owners who go shopping for a new panel; the owners of experimental aircraft are just as likely, if not more likely, to upgrade their panel. For the owners of Vans’s RV designs, that often means a visit to Advanced Flight Systems located in Canby, Oregon, a mere 3.8 miles from Aurora State Airport (KUAO), the home of the Van’s Aircraft factory.

“There are so many RVs out there now we are now seeing people who are second or third owner of an RV,” says Rob Hickman, an electrical engineer and software expert who some 20 years ago created an engine monitor for the RV-4 he was building—and it evolved into Advanced Flight Systems.

Just as the design of the RVs has become more refined over the decades, so have the avionics. Round dial steam gauges are almost unheard of, he says, “For every 50 glass panels we do there might be one panel with round-dial analog gauges installed for backups. Everything is driven by software and electronic circuitry.”

“It works better for today’s RV builders. They are not like people who built them 20 years ago. Today building an RV is more like an assembly product, and they want avionics that they can install as a plug and play.”

Selecting an upgrade panel begins with questions about the type of aircraft and the type of flying the owner does. Panel real estate is a finite resource, and over the years, Advanced Avionics has developed several panel designs that work for most of their customers.

The big questions, often answered through a video conference, are IFR or VFR, or is there an option to upgrade to IFR in the future? Many panels are designed with space to allow this. Once these questions are answered, Advanced Avionics creates a build proposal that includes the layout and the materials to be used and presents it to the customer.

Sometimes the customer’s desires can be complicated, says Hickman. “We get that all the time. We sell them the components—the trays and harnesses and the advanced control and EFIS and the switches and let them do what they want to do either by themselves or someone assigned by the builder to complete the installation.”

Most customers, say both Hickman and Coyne, are looking for panels to enhance IFR capabilities, but because of the cost, they often buy the components in a modular fashion—installing one feature, then later when they have the money, adding to it. It is not uncommon for aircraft owners to time the avionics upgrade with the aircraft’s annual.

“Our products are designed to be able to be installed in stages as the owner’s finances and flying needs grow,” says Coyne. “For example, an owner can install three Aspen displays (an Evolution 2500 Max system = 1 PFD, 1 MFD500, and 1 MFD1000) or choose to upgrade in stages when their budget allows.”

Advice from One Who Knows

You probably know a pilot with an airplane project that has taken years to finish. That can complicate the avionics selection, says Hiroo Umeno from Seattle. Umeno has performed avionics upgrades in two aircraft panels. The first was a Velocity, the second a Cessna 182. He says he learned along in the process. For starters, when you are building an experimental aircraft, don’t buy the avionics package before you are ready to begin taxi tests.

“I bought a Chelton Systems in the 2000s to put in the Velocity, and by the time I was ready for flight, my Chelton system was obsolete by the time the airplane first flew,” he explains. “Also, the numbers on the data sheets are nominal, and cutting the panel to that size will guarantee things will not fit, and you will be spending quality time with dremel tools.”

If possible, he suggests modeling everything in CAD software before you start manipulating materials.

Online Learning

The avionics manufacturers have libraries of online tutorials for pilots and aircraft owners to use to learn their new panels. In addition, most airports have a pretty good grapevine, and the local pilots know who has what in their airplane, and who can offer help to learn the panel.

Panel Plays

Five Things to remember when upgrading your panel

1. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Ask what the avionics suppliers have in stock—you’re probably not the first person to ask for that configuration.
2. Keep in mind that IFR capability is a bonus. You may not have your instrument rating (yet), but the buddy you fly with does, and now your airplane has more versatility.
3. Do the online training. While you watch the tutorials, make notes so you can have cheat sheets in the airplane, just in case.
4. Keep a copy of the manual. Make sure it’s for the current avionics in the aircraft and keep it onboard for reference.
5. Practice with the IFR panel. While you fly in VFR conditions, go through instrument procedures so you don’t have any unwelcome surprises in IMC.

This article was originally published in the June 2023 Issue 938 of  FLYING.

The post Upgrade the New-To-You Airplane appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

That’s the thought process behind the Advanced Instrument Panel Kit 172XP “alpha” update, developed specifically for Cessna 172 owners planning to upgrade their aircraft engine with Air Plains’ 180 hp supplemental type certificate (STC). Alternatively, if the owner has one of the more than 2,500 172XP upgrades already in the field, the new avionics panel is also an option. Both the panel and the engine updates can be installed by Air Plains at its Wellington, Kansas, facility, or it can be shipped as a complete kit for local installation.

According to Air Plains’ president Katie Church, the company has been supplying the horsepower-upgrade STC since the early 1980s. They noted that often when the customer purchased the 180 hp upgrade, they almost always paired it with a new instrument panel, resulting in what she describes as an “upgrade experience for legacy Skyhawk airframes.” 

“That led us to develop a new, advanced panel kit, available to be shipped along with the engine upgrade, that’s easy for your mechanic to install at the same time, giving the customer essentially a new airplane at a fraction of the cost of a factory model,” she says.

The Flight School Market

The Cessna 172 is the workhorse for many flight schools. Air Plains notes that many schools have taken advantage of the 180 hp upgrade, resulting in better engine performance and a gross-weight increase for their training aircraft. The avionics upgrade is the next logical step, Church says, noting, “With the Alpha avionics upgrade, they can offer a wider range of training programs in one airframe, and they get a trainer that meets a student’s idea of 21st century flying.” An aircraft equipped with the 172XPα advanced instrument panel kit meets all the requirements under FAA FAR 61.129(j) for a technically advanced aircraft (TAA) needed for logging time towards a commercial pilot certificate. 

According to Church, on average, the time between order and delivery of the kit is about six months. Another benefit of adding the 172XPα advanced instrument panel kit to an Air Plains’ engine upgrade order is that both packages can be installed at the same time.  

“You didn’t get your airplane for it to be worked on,” Church says. “If you’re planning on a new Air Plains’ 180 hp upgrade, get the most out of your planned downtime during your engine upgrade and leave the maintenance facility with an essentially new 172.”

What You Get

The 172XPα Advanced Instrument Panel Kit features Avidyne and Dynon components including:

• Avidyne IFD540 GPS/nav/com*
• Avidyne AMX240 bluetooth audio panel w/ 4 place Intercom
• Dual Dynon HDX 10-inch PFD and 7-inch MFD
• Dynon EFIS-D10A backup flight instrument
• Dynon ADS-B In traffic and weather
• Dynon Mode S transponder with 2020-compliant ADS-B Out
• Dynon com radio
• Dynon autopilot
• Dynon engine monitoring
• Air Plains custom pilot and copilot instrument panels

* IFD540 may be substituted for IFD440 or IFD550.

According to Air Plains, the 172XPα Advanced Instrument Panel Kit arrives wired, interfaced, plumbed (pitot-static), and configured for the Air Plains’ 172XP 180 hp engine upgrade STC SA4428SW and STC SA2196CE, if applicable. 

The instrument panel will be test fit for instrumentation, powder-coated, and laser engraved, with pilot holes pre-drilled for final fitting and installation. 

“We designed it so you do not have to go to a full-blown avionics shop,” Church says.

The installer will need to finish the remaining installation items in the aircraft including antenna, magnetometer, coax cabling, mic/phone jacks, radio and transponder rack, leveling, and return to service. 

Mechanics will find Air Plains’ technical support quick and easy to access for any questions that come up during the process. 

Air Plains has been in business for over 45 years and has sold more than 2,500 180 hp engine upgrades to customers worldwide.

The post Air Plains Offers Custom Avionics Panel for Upgraded Cessna 172s appeared first on FLYING Magazine.