Month: November 2017

Every aircraft owner of a Legacy Aircraft is usually on a budget, especially those who fly VFR for Fun.  Frankly, these pilots have a strict budget for flying and often compromise on other things in their lives to make “room” for an aircraft.  For example, they will drive an older car to make room in the household budget for an airplane.  In 1974, in anticipation of getting married, I sold my 1947 Stinson 108-2 Voyager to get married.  My flying friends advised me to keep the Stinson and get rid of the girl.  I made the wrong decision.  I should have kept the plane!  I digress.

Avionics, next to the engine and prop, represent the biggest investment in the airplane although when aircraft owners were asked, if they had the funds, what part of their aircraft would they improve, 57% said they would upgrade the avionics (engine came in a distant 25%).  Often, replacing or upgrading avionics in a legacy airplane means buying good, used equipment.  Everyone wants a “deal” but … what is a good deal?  If you think that a good deal is the lowest price, your heading in the wrong direction!

A good deal on used avionics is:

• A FAIR price on the right solution from a Reliable Source

• A clean, recently tested and certified unit

• A Warranty

Avionics are expensive and repairing them is too so looking for the lowest price is a dangerous approach to buying used avionics.  There is almost always a compromise.  Make sure that what you are buying is the right solution to your problem.  A good price on the wrong unit gets you nowhere!  Buying your avionics from a reliable source is key!  Spending $8000 on a used piece of avionics from a private party with no warranty is risky.  The avionics you are considering should have been tested and re-certified in the last 90 days.  Equipment that sat on the shelf for extended periods of time can be troublesome.  If it’s a new installation on a used piece of equipment, you’ll need the mounting rack and connectors, or even better, a new installation kit.  Make sure these are included at the price.  The standard industry warranty on SV (Serviceable) avionics is 90 days.  Serviceable avionics is bench tested and confirmed to be operating at a certain standard.  OH (overhauled) equipment is rebuilt per specific overhaul standards and while it costs a bit more, frequently comes with a 6 month warranty and likely to last longer in the field.  Buying with No warranty on an $8000 piece of avionics is crazy!

I have contacts and access to the inventories of many reliable avionics vendors who will sell you the right unit (actually, I’ll determine that in advance).  They will offer you a fair price and stand behind the unit with a minimum 90 day warranty.

In short,   I can help you locate a good, reliable piece of avionics from a good source with a warranty.  This can be done in a few emails in  generally one hour or $75.  In most cases, my advice will save you money and in all cases, keep you from making a mistake!

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Bob Hart                                                                                    www.AvionixHelp.com

Hey Bob,
I just had an opportunity to read your report. Paying you is the very best money I have ever spent in aviation. JUST WHAT I WAS LOOKING TO OBTAIN!!

Mike Brown, 2003 Cessna T182T, Michael Edwin Madison Aircraft, Chattanooga, TN 7/19

How to Replace, Repair, and Upgrade your avionics… without breaking the bank

When I purchased my first airplane in 1972, a Piper Colt for $2800, and proceeded to take my first flying lesson in it, I was fulfilling a dream that started when I was eight years old—I was just twenty-one and already an aircraft owner! I love to tell people that I would have done it sooner, but I discovered girls when I was fifteen and they slowed me down. My father had the airplane “bug” too, but never had the budget to get his license. Instead, he fulfilled his need to fly by designing, building, and flying radio-controlled aircraft. As many of us do, I too, fill time on the ground with model airplanes.

If you missed it, I bought the Colt first and then took my first flying lesson. Why? I simply reasoned that the biggest chunk of cash required to get my license was the cost of renting someone else’s airplane, so why not put that money into my own aircraft instead. All said and done, you could safely say I got my private ticket on a budget. I always thought I would take the next step and get my instrument ticket, but I never did. I decided that “flying for fun” was for me.

Today, a decent mid-time Piper Colt will cost you ten times what I paid; and with the cost of fuel, etc., those of us who fly for fun are finding it harder and harder to keep that dream alive. Avionics alone can easily represent 15-20 percent of the total value of your aircraft; and, other than your annual inspection, especially with older avionics, they can also represent a good chunk of your yearly maintenance budget. With frugality in mind, here are some tips on buying, selling, and repairing your avionics that can help you keep your avionics costs to a minimum.

Installation Options

Whether you buy new or used, the cost to install avionics is about the same, so the key to buying on a budget is to find an affordable way to get them installed—legally. This can be done via a local avionics shop, a “freelance” avionics guy, or your local aircraft mechanic.

The Local Avionics Shop – Though they may present the biggest budget challenge, begin here as you’ll need a relationship with an avionics shop for your biannual inspections anyway. Obviously, if your local shop spends the majority of their time working on corporate jets, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. Instead, look for a small avionics shop that can relate: be frank, let them know your situation and budget challenges, and ask them what things you can do to minimize the bill. For example, if you’re removing a radio and replacing it with another, ask if you can handle the removal portion of the install. This may include removal and installation of the interior, which can easily add eight hours to an avionics installation, so ask if you can do that as well. Ask if you can you provide your own equipment for the job. Small avionics shops typically don’t have much of an inventory of used avionics, but ask them before you go out and search. They may have a good solution to your problem; and, provided it’s worth buying, you can often do well on price too. Remember, you’re a local customer: the shop will want to stand-behind it. We’ll talk more later about the concept of what’s “worth buying.”

Be forewarned: if you go the avionics shop route and expect to pay the minimum, be patient. You’ve probably heard the old saying: “You can’t have it good, cheap, and fast.” Well, you get to pick two out of the three. When working with a budget, you want “good” and “cheap,” so prepare to concede the notion of “fast.” Your job is likely to be a “fill-in” job for the shop and will be done when one of their big jobs is halted due to parts delivery or whatever. Such an arrangement is good for you and good for them so accept it.

The Freelance Avionics Guy – If your attempts to find an affordable avionics shop fail, try to locate an avionics guy in your area that will work on your plane at your location. This can be ideal if you find the right person, but make sure they have the correct qualifications and licenses: ask around; talk to other pilots; check the airport bulletin boards; and talk to your mechanic. Often, these guys have experience in the shop environment, but are independent by nature and prefer to work for themselves, by themselves. The cost of setting-up and operating an avionics shop is a big “nut” and they’ve figured out how to do business without the costly overhead. You should also be able to negotiate an hourly rate that is significantly less. Again, do as much as you can yourself (with the tech’s approval) and be patient—the “freelancer” is less structured by nature.

Your Local Aircraft Mechanic – The final option is your aircraft mechanic. An A&P or IA can sign off most avionics work. From my experience, they love it if you can provide them with avionics that are pre-wired. This is a plus since most pre-wired units have been tested after the harness is installed, so you now have a radio and harness that have both been tested prior to installation. If something isn’t working, you’ve already eliminated the radio and the harness and can now assume that there is an issue with the install itself. It’s unlikely that your mechanic will tackle a whole panel upgrade, but changing out a few items is possible.

With either the “freelancer” or the aircraft mechanic option, providing your own equipment is pretty much a given. However, that means you will need to know how to shop for avionics and how to get the best advice and value.

Shopping for Avionics

Shopping is not the same as buying; and the first thing to remember is who the expert is. You need to develop a relationship with a good avionics consultant. Notice I said consultant not salesperson. The salesperson seems more focused on making the sale, while the consultant is more focused on helping you solve your problem, simple as that. With a little time on the phone or through emails, you’ll start to see the difference. Don’t shop for a box, shop for a solution! We are getting ahead of ourselves a bit. Start by doing a little research yourself. The avionics forums are good for this, but spend some time reading before you jump in. There is both good and bad advice everywhere and the forums are no exception. You’ll start to see where the best answers/solutions are coming from and you’ll start to filter out the good from the not-so good. You can learn a lot by looking for posts from pilots with similar problems. When a product is mentioned as a possible solution, check it out by asking around and looking online. Speaking of the Internet, as an avionics consultant, I preferred to start an email dialog with a customer, especially if they were considering a major investment in avionics. Though a simple transponder replacement doesn’t necessarily require that level of communication, I would usually send them an email confirming the discussion along with a brochure or sometimes an owner’s manual. Ease of use between two products was often a part of such discussion. With a little bit of knowledge, you’re ready to start the shopping process.

Don’t shop for a box, shop for a solution.

I’d often get calls from pilots simply asking, “How much for a KX-155?” Such brief discussions that were focused only on price completely bypassed my years of knowledge and experience. Without knowing their “problem,” I couldn’t suggest an alternative solution that may have been less costly or give the customer more for his money. The possibility of buying the wrong thing and/or wasting money on a more expensive solution is real, so let’s look more closely at this scenario.

Let’s say the customer above has two old KX-170B Nav-Coms in his aircraft and they’re both “tired.” He’s flying for fun or uses the aircraft for light IFR every so often. His research points him to the King KX-155. The KX-155 is a good radio, but they’re getting old. KX-155s are not a bargain these days and they’re not without some issues. Fact is, used KX-155s have gone up in price, especially in the coveted fourteen-volt variety. Look at the estimated cost to replace both KX-170Bs with used King     KX-155s:

One KX-155 G/S with KI-209 CDI (SV with 8130-3)      $3700

One KX-155 (no G/S) with KI-208 CDI (same)              $2800

16 Hours Labor @ $ 90/hr (includes removal)               $1440

Est. Installed Cost                  $7940

TKM in Arizona has been making avionics test equipment for more than 40 years and started making Michel slide-in replacement radios twenty years ago. Simply stated, they saw the need to replace older avionics from King, Narco, and ARC (original Cessna factory radios) from the 60s and 70s with a modern, affordable radio that would slide-in and use the original rack, harness, and nav indicator. The radios have good transmit power, digital flip-flop displays, 760 channels, and memory storage. I’ve sold many of these radios, both new and used, and can recommend them with confidence. Here’s the same installation using TKM Michel radios as a solution:

Two TKM Avionics MX-170B/C Navcoms (SV)             $3600

No Labor Required (you do a Logbook Entry

TKM Solution     $3600

Here, the radios are also Serviceable.  (We’re assuming that your existing nav indicators are serviceable.) You can find TKMs on the used market for about $1800. Note, if you have the original ARC radios (either 14- or 28-volt) in your old Cessna, the same solution applies. It’s a good chance that the guy shopping the KX-155 above didn’t know about this option. Don’t do this! Take the time to explain your problem and listen for a solution.

Okay, so you’re on the phone exploring a solution to your avionics problem. If you’re not ready to buy today, tell the person up front. The consultant will hang in there; and, in the process, will attempt to earn your business. At the same time, you’ll learn a lot about them and the company they represent. Take good notes. If he or she is a good consultant, they’ll do the same, so that if you call back two weeks later, you can pick up the discussion where it was left off. What you’re after is “a friend in the avionics business.” Once you find one, stick with him or her—loyalty is often rewarded. Know that shopping for the lowest price is seldom the answer and recognize that sound advice has real value. Look for a fair price and make sure that the seller knows that quality, appearance, and warranty are important to you. Good avionics companies know this.

Buying Used?

5 Fundamental Features of a Smart Buy when shopping the Secondary Market

When shopping for a piece of used avionics, your purchase must ultimately meet the following criteria:

It has a fresh certification, preferably an FAA 8130-3 that is no more that 90 days old. A shop “yellow tag” is also okay. If it’s a first time purchase from this company, feel free to ask for an email copy of the tag before you buy.

It’s a “reasonably” good-looking unit. Ask if the seller does cosmetic work on their radios as part of the re-cert process. Ask for a picture or assurances (in writing) that you can return it if it doesn’t meet your standards. But, be realistic—a good, forty-year-old radio isn’t always going to look like new.

It has the correct rack and connectors. If the radio is used, you’ll likely get used connectors. They should be serviceable. Crimp style connectors can’t be reused. Expect solder connectors and make sure your installer can work with them. The seller will often include new connectors with the sale for a few dollars more. If something different is going into your panel, a mounting rack and connectors are a must. Make sure they’re included.

You get a 90-Day Warranty. This is standard in the avionics industry and starts from the date of shipment. Hopefully, all will be okay, but you really learn a lot about a company when something goes wrong. Make sure you’re covered.

Selling Avionics

Unfortunately, the adage, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” isn’t always true when it comes to avionics. Once support and reliability are gone, the industry will identify a unit as “over the hill.” Nevertheless, ask the seller if they’re interested in trading for the avionics you have coming out. You’ll likely get wholesale trade-in value, but that may meet your needs. You’ll also get a sense for knowing whether selling your old radios is worthwhile or not. If it is, look for cost-free ways to advertise your stuff. There are websites and forums where you can do this. Spend a few dollars to get the avionics checked and freshly tagged before you try to sell as this will add a lot of credibility to your offer. Think like a buyer when you’re selling. There’s a lot of avionics activity on EBAY. I’m not a fan of buying there, but it’s a good place to sell, for a fee. Barnstormers.com looks like a great option for selling avionics. Customers don’t expect a warranty from you on a personal sale like this, but they do expect it to be working fine when it arrives. This speaks to my final advice on selling avionics—don’t skimp on the shipping! True story: a few years back, I sold a customer a KX-155 Nav-Com. As I mentioned, there are 29 versions of the KX-155; and he was not specific enough about his needs. KX-155s are most often seen in pairs and with an audio panel. The audio panel does the job of switching between them and provides the amplification to drive the aircraft’s speaker and headphones. Based on what I knew, I sold him the most common version and shipped the unit to CA. The customer later called and said he needed an audio amplifier in the KX-155 because it was stand-alone. In response, I offered to put an audio board in it at no charge if he sent it back. He handed the radio to his wife who proceeded to ship it to me in a shoebox. The unit was stuffed into the box with no protection and shipped postal. As you can imagine, when it arrived the faceplate and all the knobs were pushed in and broken, the backend the same. My shop estimated the repair costs at over $1000. I offered to repair it at my cost.

If the customer had been specific about his needs, the return shipment would have been unnecessary. Had he packed it right, the shop bill would’ve been avoided. He asked me to file a claim with the Post Office, but they just laughed—insurance does not protect you from an inadequate packing job. The unit should’ve been bubble wrapped with four-fingers of clearance around the unit filled with of those Styrofoam “thingies.” When done, the box will look too big, but it’s actually just right. If you don’t have a way to do this correctly, use a pack & ship store and use UPS or Fedex. Don’t ship postal. Enough said.

Repairing Avionics

“Time is Money!” This is never truer than when you have a piece of avionics on the bench. If you have a local avionics shop relationship—and you should—that’s usually the place to start when it comes to repairs. On the other hand, if the bench-tech is not familiar with your unit or lacks up-to-date manuals and used parts (old units often require used parts), you may be wasting your time and money. Make a few calls and find a shop that has experience with your radio. Unfortunately, with the older stuff, this is getting harder to do. This is where that aforementioned “friend in the avionics business” may help.

If all the guys who know how to work on your radio have retired, you may be thinking that it’s time to retire the radio too? Unfortunately, your budget may not allow this, so find someone who can repair your radio, efficiently. In addition to knowledge and parts, they also need good feedback from you. Shops receive a fair amount of repairs that are vaguely reported as “broken,” “dead,” or “not working.” The fact is you’re likely to have at least some idea as to what’s going on; and with a little observation you can probably be fairly specific with the bench-tech. Your repair is priced by the hour. Avoid the extra time on the repair bill by communicating the problem with the repair facility, in writing. Put a note on the unit when you drop it off or send it in. Why pay the extra hour or so while the bench-tech guesses what’s wrong? Here are some examples: ATC reports garbled modulation or weak signal; Nav side won’t pick up the signal or ILS until I’m too close; Radio receives and transmits, but the display is blank, etc. In short, if you can point the shop in the right direction, you’ll likely save on your repair bills.

I’ll say it again, if you’re shipping in your repair, package it correctly. There’s no room in a tight avionics budget for shipping damage!

Today, when I think about how excited I was as a young boy at the prospect of being a pilot and aircraft owner, I’m actually saddened. The dream of flying and owning an aircraft is now beyond the reach of many and those who can still find room in the budget to own and fly their own aircraft are the lucky ones. It’s not only a rare skill and privilege, but it’s a very rewarding experience. With good advice and a little homework, you can keep your avionics costs to a minimum and maybe, just maybe, spend a few more hours a month in the sky.

Suggestion: Keep an eye out for a little boy or girl poking their nose through the fence at your local airport; and, on one of those “extra” flights you earned by shopping, selling, and repairing your avionics, introduce them to the joy of flying and give them the dream! That would be a great way to spend those few extra hours in the sky, don’t you think?

Happy and Safe Flying!

Bob Hart                                                                                    www.AvionixHelp.com

More often than not, an aircraft owner of a Legacy aircraft will be able to upgrade their avionics, to the point where they can fly the aircraft the way they want to, without upgrading everything.  Occasionally, I get a client that needs it all or in this case, almost all!

Ivan Leibbrandt of Florida approached me recently about his 1963 Cessna 205.  He has owned the aircraft for about a year with plans to keep it for “5-8 years”.  A good photo of the panel and an explanation of his “situation” is where we start.  Ivan is instrument rated and comfortable in IFR conditions but a quick look at his existing panel (photo above) told me he wasn’t going to get it done with what he had.  The only upgrade to the panel was a TKM MX-170C Navcom which was an upgrade to one of the aircraft’s original KX-170B radios from the 60’s and at some point a King KN-64 DME had been added.  We would need to design a new avionics panel, Integrated Navigator as the primary navcom/GPS, the MX-170C is a suitable #2 (in my opinion) an ADS-B solution, Autopilot and a modern, metal panel.  He already had his heart set on a high-end engine management system which was “overkill” in my opinion and I let him know it.  Don’t get me wrong, updated engine information is a plus for any aircraft that will fly in IFR conditions but he wanted a 70″ TV when a 40″ would do the job. so to speak.  Ivan also saw EFIS as a part of his upgrade and we found a way to work the New Garmin G5’s, both Attitude Indicator and DG/HSI into his budget.  As I mentioned, an Integrated Navigator (SV) was included in my recommendation and a New CDI ($2400) would have been required and I pointed out that Garmin G5 would upgrade both his old DG and at the same time eliminate the need for the new CDI (with the G5’s HSI function) at only about $600 more.  It became obvious that the G5 DG would look terrible without the G5 AI on top so it was included and a definite improvement in performance and safety over the old, existing mechanical attitude indicator which was likely due for a $1000 overhaul.  His old DG would likely be ready for the shop also. I created two budget options for the 205, one including a new integrated navigator and a second utilizing a good, Garmin factory rebuilt unit.  An autopilot was a must as the 205 had nothing and any aircraft in single-pilot IFR should have one and we included the new options from TruTrak and Trio in the package.  I was assured by Trio that and STC for the 205 was coming.

Ivan is just about to “tackle” his avionics upgrade but he knows what he needs and how much it will cost.  I’ll be there to monitor his installation quotations and help him “get it right” along the way.

If you are considering an avionics upgrade, either minor or major as in Ivan’s case, wouldn’t you want to step into as an educated buyer also?

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Bob Hart                                                                                    www.AvionixHelp.com

Every pilot and aircraft owner  would would love to have a state-of-the-art avionics panel!   Even if you fly only VFR, its nice to look at a sexy, EFIS screen with all the features and benefits of today’s avionics but then … there’s the budget!  So, when the local avionics shops says”throw that all out and put in a Garmin Stack” … They know that is not an option! Sadly, when the aircraft owner admits to a lack of budget and asks how to best achieve their panel goals on significantly less money, they frequently don’t get the answers or the help they need.  Simply stated, that’s what I do!

I recently was approached by a client with a 1983 Cessna 182 with a 1990’s Bendix King stack that would have been great in that vintage.  The owner flies a lot and light IFR was common but with displays failing and navcoms unreliable on both the com and nav side, he no longer “trusted” his avionics.  He came to me for advice.  His primary goals were reliability and ease of use and unlike most of my clients flying legacy aircraft, budget was less of a concern.  I would have never suggested a whole new radio stack but I reasoned that new would be most reliable so I priced him up a new avionics package.  He already had a good, modern autopilot so without that but including the least expensive new IFR GPS and an ADS-B solution and taking a “conservative” approach, he was looking at about $35,000.  Were not talking dual GTN-650’s here.  I did this as an exercise to show him the reality of what a new option would cost and then showed him ways we could compromise and I got the package down to about $26,000 using a combination of new and reliable, used avionics.  Here’s rub as Mr. Shakespear would have pointed out.  When you tell your local avionics shop that you can’t “justify” a $35K upgrade to your $65K airplane, they lose interest and you’re not going to get a lot help from that point on.  FYI, my client above was ready to spend the $35K on his 182 based on encouragement from his wife (that’s a surprise also!) but instead he bought a nicely equipped Cessna 210.  I guess money was not an object here. If your considering an avionics upgrade, I bet money is an issue in your house and that the wife is not on your side!

Frank Gulla from Florida approached me some time back about an upgrade to his 1981 Piper Turbo Arrow.  He had owned the aircraft for over 10 years and had decided that it fit his needs and in anticipation of getting his instrument ticket, approached me for advice on an upgrade to the panel.  Frank’s new panel photo is the feature at the top of the article.          Here’s Frank’s panel before the upgrade (shown above!      

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What is ADS-B?

ADS-B stands for “Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast” and is one of the improvements in the NEXGEN upgrade to the world’s Air Traffic Control System.  I say the world because NEXGEN is a a U.S. concept but ADS-B will be installed all around the world.  In the U.S. pilots who fly in areas where a Mode A/C transponder is required today must have an ADS-B “OUT” compliant aircraft by Jan. 1, 2020.  The goal of ADS-B is to convert the ATC system from radar based to satellite based and to therfore provide a more reliable and safer way to separate aircraft. ADS-B will in fact, allow more aircraft into a given airspace because the location of each aircraft’s position will be more accurate.  This is of significant advantage to the airlines and will hopefully make flying a GA aircraft in this country in VFR or IFR conditions safer.

Where is ADS-B Required?

Today, all aircraft that fly within certain “controlled airspace” must have a Mode A/C transponder on board and functioning.  After Jan 1, 2020, all of these aircraft must have an ADS-B “Out” device on board and functioning to fly in this airspace.  Commercial aircraft are frequently required to install new equipment that the FAA deems necessary to operate safely but this is the first time that I am aware of that the average GA aircraft owner flying a private, small aircraft has been asked to “invest” in safety equipment.

What Equipment is Required to meet the ADS-B Mandate?

The 2020 Mandate is for ADS-B Out however the real feature and benefit of ADS-B to pilots in ADS-B IN which provides WX and Traffic information courtesy of the FAA.  ADS-B Out requires either an Mode S ES (Extended Squitter) transponder operating on 1090 MHz or a UAT (Universal Access Transmitter or Transceiver) operating on 978 MHz. Aircraft that fly above 18,000 feet must use 1090 MHz or the transponder option while smaller aircraft may use either the 1090 Transponder option or a UAT on 978 Mhz.  Of interest, the U.S. is the only place in the world (at this time) that is using 978 MHz.  The rest of the world settled on 1090 MHz as the standard.  This means that there are two frequencies being used in the U.S. in an attempt to maximize bandwidth but it creates an other issue.  How does an aircraft on 978 “see” aircraft on 1090?  The answer is through a “rebroadcast” from the ADS-B system which happens seconds later.   

How do you decide which Equipment  is right for me?

You do your homework or … you let someone do that for you!  ADS-B Out equipment must be TSO’d and there are nine manufacturers making ADS-B out “certified” equipment and many more than that making ADS-B certified and non certified “IN” equipment.  Note there is no requirement that ADS-B “IN” equipment be certified unless the device will interface to a certified display of some kind.  Portable ADS-B receivers displayed on a smart tablet is very popular in combination with a certified ADS-B “OUT” device. Choosing the right ADS-B equipment starts by identifying how you fly, what you have now (that may interface) and how much you want to spend.  I am very knowledgeable about ADS-B and the products available and once I know your “situation” and budget, I can point you towards the right ADS-B “solution” for you and your aircraft!  We can accomplish this in a single, one-hour phone conversation.

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Bob Hart                                                                                    www.AvionixHelp.com