A successful avionics retrofit project starts by picking the right equipment, the right shop, and staying involved in the project along the way. In this episode of Aviation Consumer’s Panel Planner 101 Live, Editor in Chief Larry Anglisano sat down with Cessna T210 owner Scott Dyer for a candid discussion about what it really took to pull off a flagship Garmin glass upgrade in his airplane. Dyer had some good advice for anyone setting out on this difficult, lengthy and expensive modification process.

Editor’s Note: This video was produced by Aviation Consumer magazine.

The post Cessna T210 Avionics Upgrade: Plan It Right appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

With the accident reports littered with fuel exhaustion events, it’s logical to consider a big-screen engine monitor with digital fuel quantity display. But we often see disappointed buyers who shortchange the install by using the existing, aging fuel tank sensors and failing wiring. Worse, they might spend time and money having the old sensors removed, repaired, and reinstalled only to fail again.

In this episode of Panel Planner 101 Live, Aviation Consumer magazine Editor Larry Anglisano along with CiES Corp. founder Scott Philiben talk through the installation and benefits of replacing the old sensors with modern digital smart fuel sensors. Done correctly, they yield more accurate and reliable fuel quantity measurements.

Editor’s Note: This video was produced by Aviation Consumer magazine.

The post Fuel Display Upgrades: Go Digital appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

O2 Aero Acquisitions, the parent company of Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems, said it has acquired Fluid Power Inc., a longtime manufacturer of aviation oxygen systems and related components for military use.

Aerox said the addition broadens its line of aviation oxygen systems while expanding its global customer base.

• READ MORE: Aerox Offers Oxygen Solutions for Turboprops, Light Jets

“Our acquisition of Fluid Power will create a balanced military and civil aviation product portfolio and will provide greater manufacturing capacity and engineering expertise,” said Scott Ashton, O2 Aero managing director and Aerox president. “Fluid Power has a 75-year legacy of servicing the aviation industry, providing sophisticated oxygen equipment as far back as the Korean War, and today provides many oxygen components for military applications.”

• READ MORE: Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems Acquires Sky-Ox Aviation Oxygen

Aerox said the two companies’ product lines are complementary and will allow them to serve more segments of the aviation oxygen market. Under terms of the acquisition, Fluid Power will continue to operate as an independent company as part of the O2 Aero Acquisitions portfolio. The company will be rebranded as Aerox Fluid Power.

The acquisition of Fluid Power, which closed on August 31, marked the third such transaction for O2 Aero Acquisitions after the purchase of Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems in 2020 and Sky-Ox Aviation Oxygen in 2022.

The post Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems Acquires Fluid Power Inc. appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As we’re walking out to the 1996 Eurocopter AS350 B2 perched on the pad outside Garmin AT’s offices in Salem, Oregon, I naturally head for the right seat. Because to my fixed-wing pilot brain, that’s where the observer sits, the copilot. And as one with only a handful of hours in rotorcraft in total, that’s what I guess I had expected to do on this demo flight—my introduction to Garmin’s GFC 600H for the AStar.

So when Garmin flight test engineer—and experienced rotorcraft instructor—Jack Loflin gestures me into the right seat, I don’t hesitate. Then I do.

He’s putting me on. Is this wise?

But as it turns out, I’m not only ready for my first AS350 lesson, I am going to have the best assistant I could possibly have. The GFC 600H turned me—for a couple of amazing hours—into a helicopter pilot.

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I’m not saying this is its intended application—or even a good one—but it’s an indication of just how incredible the advances in autoflight have come to the rotorcraft world, that I can even fathom what I’mabout to see and do in the AStar.

Takeoff—And a Cross-Country

The AS350 is also equipped with the Garmin G500 TXi flight display system for rotorcraft, along with the GTN 750 Xi and GTN 650 Xi, allowing for a host of other features—including H-TWAS—to supplementour short cross-country flight. Loflin has planned for us to fly from the Salem Municipal Airport (KSLE) up to the Portland Downtown Heliport (61J)—a gem in that it is one of the few public heliports located in a major metro area in the U.S. We’ll utilize it—it sits on the top of a multistory public parking lot—to pop in for lunch at Loflin’s favorite Lebanese place downtown.

From there, we’ll take off and head back southwest towards the Willamette Valley, dropping in to practice hovering and other spot landings both on-airport and off, on a sandbar in the Willamette River.

From the briefing, I know what to expect of the GFC 600H—now it’s time for Loflin to give me dual on our departure after leading me through the engine start and initial rotation from the pad outside Garmin AT’s flight ops hangar.

Garmin sales manager Pat Coleman has joined us—on our way out to the helicopter, he showed us a few projects inside the Garmin skunkworks in the hangar. Originally certificated in the AS350 in 2019, additions to the GFC 600H’s supplemental type certificate approved model list (STC AML) loom ahead. You can already find the autoflight system in the Bell 505 under a Garmin-owned STC, which came out in mid-2021. 

As we lift off and Loflin hands the controls over to me, I feel a sense of low-level anxiety, reflecting on my minimal time in the category. But that quickly melts away as I test out the three axes of flight in small increments as I follow the magenta line that leads us up to Portland proper.

Along our initial flight path, I feel only the barest sense that the autoflight system’s silent hand carries me in the background. It monitors the envelope, speeds, and other parameters to stabilize my relatively level flight. I come down to 500 feet msl to track into the city; we’re indicating about 95 knots.

We are approaching from the south-southeast—the city lies along the Willamette, making for a pleasingly situated downtown, with the heliport we’re aiming for on the western bank. Loflin points out several key obstacles as we approach—at this altitude, nearly everything becomes an obstruction, but the TXi highlights only the most critical at the moment on the multifunction display. The screen shows normal terrain shading with a yellow “obstacle” annunciation as we come up on a series of bridges.

The same obstruction shows on the Garmin GI 275 electronic flight instrument located in the center stack. It has many of the same functions available as those brethren STCed for airplanes—a PFD with attitude, airspeed, altitude, and vertical speed, plus MFD, traffic, terrain, and engine information.

A web of red lines depicts the location of powerlines and other high wires that threaten a helicopter’s path. In order to get the most out of the aircraft’s capabilities, you need to take it into confined areas that would be fatal to fixed wings. It’s a whole different way of looking at the world—and the obstruction data on the MFD goes from towers popping up during an otherwise uneventful flight to an entire maze to navigate down low.

Loflin coaches me so that I take us within about a quarter mile and 100 feet of the landing pad, then takes over to position the AS350 into the relatively confined space. I say “relatively” because there’s plenty of room on the heliport to accommodate at least three helicopters, maybe four, depending on how well they are parked.

He slows us to 35 kias on short approach, bleeding down to hover over the space we’ll leave the AS350 parked in while we grab lunch. It feels surreal—yet just like another one of those “only with GA moments” as the four of us take the elevator down to the street and walk out onto the rather quiet city streets.

Hover Test

We remember the code to get back to the fifth floor of the parking garage—the heliport restricts access to pilots and their guests or customers for clear reasons. It’s time to fire up again and head out to play—and really test the GFC 600H’s mettle against the best amateur rotorcraft pilot moves I can throw at it.

We follow the river out of town, over connecting lakes, and into the valley which is world-renowned for its pinot noir and chardonnay. It’s the very best view of the vines as we pass over them at a neighborly altitude. Often helicopters a reused for frost protection and other agricultural ops over the vineyards—but that is not our mission today.

Our first stop has us joining the traffic pattern at the McMinnville Municipal Airport (KMMV). To me, the airport is famous because it’s home to the Evergreen Aviation Museum—and home to the famous Spruce Goose, the Hughes Hercules eight-engined mammoth that sits barely encased in glass so its enormity can be appreciated even if you never step foot in the museum. We don’t make a stop there today—but both the Gooseand the Boeing 747 in Evergreen livery out front create easy landmarks for me to follow in the pattern.

After the approach, Loflin instructs me through slowing the AS350 down into a hover over a far reach of the taxiway. We have plenty of ramp space here to give me the leeway I need to perform my first AS350 hovering—at first highly assisted by the GFC 600H, in both attitude and yaw hold modes. Then, Loflin turns the magic off. And all of a sudden, the work that the autopilot has been performing behind the scenes becomes dramatically apparent. He takes back the controls periodically to help me along.

We step taxi over to a field northwest of the runway, an open area where we can play a little more. I get to test with and without the GFC 600H and see again just how much it is assisting me as a newb. Now, the benefit to the seasoned pilot lies in the dramatically reduced workload—just like any autopilot—taking the physical work of flying the aircraft from the pilot’s hands so they can focus on something else. And if you think about it, that’s a big change for a helicopter pilot who nearly always has to have both hands engaged with the flight controls during a flight,with only momentary transitions to change radio frequencies or manage checklists.

ESP, Rotor Style

The envelope stability protection that we enjoy in the fixed-wing versions of Garmin’s autoflight systems takes on a new cast in the GFC 600H. H-ESP, as it’s called here, provides both low speed and overspeed protection, as well as limit cueing to help the pilot keep the helicopter upright.

When the pilot maintains f light with the rotor blade plane tilted less than 10 degrees from level, the ESP system sits in the background, monitoring the flight dynamics. When it first senses the rotor plane approaching the beginning of the limit arc either up or down, ESP engages and applies the nudge that’s familiar to those of us accustomed to flying with ESP in other aircraft. If the pilot powers through that nudge and continues to tilt the rotor plane towards the upper limit of the arc, the GFC 600H applies up to a maximum level of force, opposing the pilot’s action and striving to return the rotor plane to a level state.

In the case of a low speed limit approaching, the yellow “LOWSPD” annunciation appears on the pilot’s primary flight display. Similarly, if a maximum speed limit is anticipated, the yellow “MAXSPD” highlights. A LVL mode returns the helicopter to a zero fpm vertical and zero bank angle lateral attitude when actuated.

Flying the Approach

Coming back into Salem, we opt for another one of the system’s enormous safety benefits—the ability to fly a coupled approach. The AS350 we’re in is placarded “VFR Only,” and many helicopter pilots do not possess an instrument rating. It’s not that they wouldn’t ever need the skill, but it comes up less often than it does for airplane pilots.

That is, until it takes on critical importance. Recalling the accident that took Kobe Bryant’s life and those of his family and friends in January 2020, it’s sobering to contemplate what would have been different if the pilot had been able to maintain situational awareness.

The GFC 600H, when integrated with the NXi, allows even a non-rated pilot to engage an approach as a safety tool in lowering visibility. We had set up the RNAV (GPS) approach to Runway 31 at KSLE and I engaged the AP through a similar mode controller as other Garmin autoflight systems in the series. Though I cannot tell you how many times I’ve watched the approach proceedings unfold on an MFD over the course of my career, it’s wild to see it happen in a helicopter. Our speed on the approach isn’t too slow—though it’s slower than what most of us are accustomed to—but the outcome is the same. We’ve returned to a safe position from which to hover-taxi to our final landing point on the airport.

That’s when it really hits me—the GFC 600H makes the helicopter as easy to keep in level flight or a stabilized approach as an airplane. I mean, Coleman had said it in our initial conversations, but it turns out not to be just a marketing line. The autopilot shadowing me allowed me to manipulate the controls in a way more akin to my ingrained skill controlling an airplane. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my rotorcraft lessons before, but flying a helicopter without this felt like pirouetting on the head of a pin—a delicate balancing act full of nuance and retraining my muscle memory.

While this isn’t a panacea—what happens to the pilot who flies with it on all the time when it breaks, and they suddenly have to hand-fly? But that’s a question we ask in the fixed-wing world too—and we make sure to train both VFR and IFR flight without the automation as a result, to keep those skills sharp.

The other piece is that it made the rotorcraft rating feel approachable—and one less barrier to entry, perhaps. But most of all, the real capability of the GFC 600H changes the game for safety.

This article was originally published in the March 2023 Issue 935 of FLYING

Genesys Autoflight for Helicopters

Genesys helicopter’s speed range, with altitude-command and altitude-hold functions. Fly-through system engagement is available in all flight regimes, from startup to shutdown, and the system features rugged, redundant flight control computers. Total weight installed is less than 35 pounds, and it operates in a fail-operable manner. The GRC 3000 is currently certificated on the Airbus EC-145e and the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk.

Aerosystems (formerly S-TEC) entered the autoflight arena in 2014 with its HeliSAS two-axis VFR autopilot and stability augmentation system for light rotorcraft on the AS350 as well as the EC 130, followed by the Bell 206B/L and 407, and the Robinson R44 and R66. A three-axis option is available for the Bell 505. The company has delivered more than 1,000 units to date.

The HeliSAS incorporates the ability to track heading and nav functions (VOR, LOC, GPS), with course intercept capability, and manage forward speed, vertical speed, and altitude.

With units weighing less than 15 pounds, the HeliSAS also features an auto-recovery mode to return the helicopter to a neutral attitude when the pilot loses situational awareness. And according to the company, its system has also allowed pilots with no prior rotorcraft experience to maintain the helicopter in a hover “with very little practice.”

Genesys also makes an IFR autoflight system, the GRC 3000. The two- or three-axis autopilot includes auto-recovery to near-level flight attitude throughout the

This sidebar was originally published in the March 2023 Issue 935 of FLYING.

The post Auto Flight for Rotorcraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Availability of popular Garmin (NYSE: GRMN) autopilots in the general aviation aftermarket continues to expand to a growing range of older aircraft. The company said it has received an FAA supplemental type certificate, or STC, for the use of its GFC 600 digital autopilot in the Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain.

The GFC 600 is designed for piston singles and twins, and turbine models with a broad range of performance. Garmin said the high-performance unit is more reliable and offers more features than many other autopilots.

• READ MORE: Lessons Learned From Flying the Mail

In addition to familiar functions, such as altitude hold, vertical speed, and heading modes, the GFC 600 also includes altitude pre-select, indicated airspeed hold mode, underspeed and overspeed protection, vertical navigation, a dedicated LVL button to automatically engage the autopilot to restore straight and level flight, and more. The GFC 600, when accompanied by certain additional avionics, can give older aircraft many features associated with new models.

The company also said its Smart Rudder Bias (SRB) system is now certified for PA-31-350s equipped with the GFC 600 autopilot. SRB is meant to aid pilots of twin-engine aircraft when one of the engines fails.

• READ MORE: When Piper Built a Warbird

The system monitors the engines and adjusts rudder force to help the pilot control a sideslip when it detects a predetermined power differential. A yellow annunciator for the inoperative engine is displayed to assist the pilot in identifying the failure.

The GFC 600 digital autopilot for the PA-31-350 is available now through select Garmin authorized dealers. The company continues to add aircraft models to its STC list, which also includes certifications expected to take effect in the next 12 months.

The post Garmin Gains STC for GFC 600 Autopilot in Piper Navajo Chieftain appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Worldwide sales of avionics for general aviation aircraft rose nearly 22 percent to more than $2.8 billion in 2022 compared with 2021 sales, according to the Aircraft Electronics Association. The industry group said the percentage increase in sales is the largest year-over-year bump it has seen in the 11-year history of its Avionics Market Report.

During the fourth quarter, sales increased 31 percent compared to the same period a year earlier, which is the highest quarterly increase in the report’s history, the AEA said. Fourth-quarter sales rose 7.2 percent compared with the third quarter, marking the tenth consecutive quarter of increasing sales, AEA officials added.

• READ MORE: Report: Avionics Sales Increased 6.5 Percent in 2021

“We have seen yearly sales rebound the last two years despite supply chain constraints and a tight labor market,” said AEA president and CEO Mike Adamson. “While it’s encouraging to see a record-breaking percentage increase in year-over-year avionics sales, the industry is still rebounding from the economic impact of the pandemic. The $2.8 billion in sales for 2022 falls short of the 2019 year-end sales when industry notched a record $3 billion just prior to the international health crisis, but we are trending in the right direction with positive gains over the past 10 quarters,” Adamson said.

The retrofit market for avionics installed after an aircraft’s original production accounted for 48.2 percent of total sales in 2022, while avionics installed by aircraft manufacturers during original production totaled 51 percent of sales, the AEA said.

Companies that separated their sales figures between the U.S. and Canada and other international markets said 74.9 percent of their sales during 2022 took place in the U.S and Canada and 25.1 percent took place in other markets.

The AEA said it began releasing its Avionics Market Report on March 26, 2013, during the 56th annual AEA International Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Before that, the industry group said, there was no “effort to capture the true dollar size of the business and general aviation avionics market.”

The post Global Avionics Sales Posted Strong Growth in 2022, Aircraft Electronics Association Says appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The FAA has approved Aspen Avionics‘ new software that allows integration of the Garmin GFC600 autopilot with Aspen’s EDF1000 Pro MAX primary flight display, the company announced.

The software also provides selected altitude support for Trio and Bendix/King AeroCruze autopilots, and extended runway centerlines for Aspen’s MFD500 and MFD1000 MAX multi-function displays. Aspen said the software is available through its authorized dealers for $1,995.

• READ MORE: Garmin 600 Gets Certification for Use in King Air 200s

The approval is good news for owners and pilots of Aspen-equipped GA aircraft who want to upgrade to the latest Garmin autopilot. Mixed panels are a fact of life for older aircraft that have been through numerous rounds of avionics upgrades. Many have been fitted previously with combinations of electronics from Aspen, Garmin, and other manufacturers. Any increase in compatibility across different brands of equipment offers the possibility of cutting the expense of panel improvements.

“Aspen’s Pro MAX PFD coupled with the Garmin GFC600 autopilot enhances and expands the basic autopilot function and streamlines the controls, reducing workload and removes the need for some external adapters. When combined with all the features and benefits of Aspen’s glass panel technology, flying becomes easier and safer, especially for single pilot IFR missions,” said Mark Ferrari, vice president of sales and customer support.

• READ MORE: Aspen Avionics Announces Autopilot Compatibility With Evolution Series

“We have been working diligently to ensure the owners who currently have a digital autopilot or are considering replacing their analog autopilot have a cost-effective, highly robust, and easy-to-use glass display at an affordable price point,” he said.

Aspen said it has been working with a number of digital autopilot makers including Garmin, Genesys, Avidyne, Trio, and Bendix/King AeroCruze, and is “always seeking opportunities to advance collaboration” with all manufacturers to give aircraft owners more autopilot integration options.

The post FAA Approves Integration of Aspen EDF1000 Pro MAX with Garmin GFC600 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Garmin, based in Olathe, Kansas, announced on January 31 that its GFC 600 autopilot is now certified for King Air 200 aircraft. The FAA Supplemental Type Certification (STC) allows King Air 200 owners to upgrade their autopilot and enables an all-Garmin scalable avionics retrofit. 

The GFC 600 autopilot, similar to the GFC 700, is used in high-performance single and multiengine aircraft, and in jet aircraft. Its basic features include altitude hold, vertical speed, and heading modes, and “the GFC 600 also includes altitude preselect, VNAV1, Level Mode, underspeed and overspeed protection and more,” according to the company.

“Pilots can also select, couple and fly various instrument approaches, including GPS, ILS, VOR, LOC and back course approaches when paired with a compatible GPS navigator,” Garmin said.

• READ MORE: Garmin’s GFC 600 Autopilot Approved in Select King Air C90 and E90 Aircraft

The GPS’s features can help pilots with missed approaches, a straight and level autopilot function available at the touch of a button, and underspeed and overspeed protections to help prevent stalls and exceeding maximum structural speeds. Premium functions include airspeed hold mode and attitude pre-select options.

“As a standard feature, pilots receive Garmin Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP) with the GFC 600 digital autopilot, which works to assist the pilot in maintaining the aircraft in a stable flight condition,” Garmin said in a statement. “ESP functions independently of the autopilot and works in the background to help pilots avoid inadvertent flight attitudes or bank angles and can help provide airspeed protection while the pilot is hand-flying the aircraft.”

The GFC 600 includes six variants, and Garmin says it will continue working to get FAA approval for more aircraft models for the autopilot over the next year.

• READ MORE: Garmin Achieves STC for GFC 600 for Cessna 310R, Pilatus PC-12/47

The post Garmin 600 Gets Certification for Use in King Air 200s appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Garmin has received Supplemental Type Certification (STC) from the FAA for its GI 275 electronic flight instrument designed for Airbus AS350 helicopters, the avionics manufacturer announced.

According to Garmin, the GI 275 is a direct replacement for a variety of legacy primary flight instruments in the cockpit, including the primary attitude indicator, course deviation indicator (CDI), horizontal situation indicator (HSI), or the multi-function display (MFD).

The GI 275 is designed to fit the popular 3.125-inch flight instrument size, which will reduce installation time while simultaneously preserving panel real estate.

The GI 275 features a bright, high-resolution touchscreen display and wide viewing angle. A dual concentric knob allows pilots to access a variety of key functions including primary attitude indicator, Course Deviation Indicator and multifunction display.

The GI 275 secured one of FLYING’s Editors Choice Awards for 2022.

GI 275 as AI

When installed as a primary attitude indicator, the GI 275 offers improved reliability over vacuum-driven instruments along with potential weight saving and reduced maintenance.

Garmin notes “Optional Helicopter Synthetic Vision Technology (HSVT) overlays a rich, 3D topographic view of terrain, traffic, obstacles, power lines, airport signposts and more, all within the GI 275 attitude display.”

• READ MORE: FAA OKs Electronic Flight Instrument for Two Robinsons

The attitude indicator also displays outside air temperature, groundspeed, as well as true airspeed and wind information, and wireless functionality like sharing of GPS position and backup attitude information to the Garmin Pilot mobile application.

GI 275 as CDI/HSI

When installed as a Course Deviation Indicator or Horizontal Situation Indicator (CDI or HSI), the GI 275 is designed to accept a variety of GPS and navigation inputs that allows up to two GPS sources and two VHF navigation sources.

The GI 275 features an Omni Bearing Resolver that allows the flight instrument to interface to a variety of legacy navigators on the market to avoid the need for an expensive adapter. The GI 275 has an optional magnetometer, which enables it to provide magnetic-based HSI guidance. The HSI can also provide enhanced features such as map inset and traffic, terrain or weather overlay.

Selecting the source is accomplished through the touchscreen interface, while course and heading selection is completed using either the touchscreen or dual concentric knob.

Multi-function display (MFD)

The GI 275 adds MFD-like capabilities. Aircraft owners can take advantage of a moving map, weather, traffic, WireAware for powerline avoidance, SafeTaxi airport diagrams and five-color terrain shading. A built-in VFR GPS provides convenient direct-to navigational guidance on a moving map.

• READ MORE: Garmin Adds Functionality to GI 275, Additional STCs for GFC 600

In addition, Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (HTWAS) is available on the GI 2753 and offers forward-looking terrain and obstacle avoidance (FLTA) capability, giving the pilot information in advance to avoid potential hazards.

Garmin notes the GI 275 can also be paired with Garmin’s GRA 55 or GRA 5500 radar altimeters, or other select third-party products, to display altitude above ground level while also providing visual and aural annunciations to the pilot.

The Details

The GI 275 comes with a two-year warranty and is available as a retrofit for the AS350 BA, B2, B3 and B3E variants.

The post Garmin Receives GI 275 STC for Airbus Helicopters appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

After announcing last week that it would become a publicly traded company through a $600 million special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger, flyExclusive also shared that it was planning to purchase as many as 14 Cessna Citations from Textron Aviation. 

The news comes as the Part 135 operator also expanded its partnership with SmartSky Network, the fast-growing air-to-ground (ATG) inflight connectivity provider. During the  2022 National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) held in Orlando last week, the companies teamed up to display SmartSky’s latest technology onboard a flyExclusive jet, following the installation of the ATG hardware on a series of Cessna Citation Xs at flyExclusive’s facilities in Kinston, North Carolina.

In a joint interview with FLYING, the CEOs of both companies discussed their partnership, the expectation of inflight connectivity, and, broadly, flyExclusive’s planned IPO.

New Trends in Inflight Connectivity

Jim Segrave, founder and CEO at flyExclusive said one reason it was important to work with SmartSky was that the company has “delivered dependable and secure connectivity that not only enhances the passenger experience, which offers the ability to live stream and conduct high-quality video calling but also provides real-time data transfer to and from the aircraft.”

SmartSky’s CEO Dave Helfgott said that is in part because the company has engaged in connectivity research, funding, and building a network for nearly a decade. Then the pandemic came along, private aircraft sales boomed, and SmartSky was a direct benefactor of customer demand for Wi-Fi on board.

Helfgott explained that as the work-from-anywhere trend advanced and more people got access to private aviation, the idea of Wi-Fi not being on board was less of a question. Segrave agreed—”The expectation of whether or not you have it is 100 percent. If you don’t have it—they don’t want to charter your plane.”

Then, on top of that, is reliability.

“It’s amazing how upset customers get if the [Wi-Fi onboard] doesn’t work,” Segrave explained. “They’re bent out of shape. So, reliability is a big factor for us.”

Is Gogo losing its Spot?

To be fair, FlyExclusive already had another Wi-Fi provider on board some of the other aircraft in its fleet through Gogo, the market leader in ATG solutions. Yet, when it started to add SmartSky’s solutions to its jets in March, it meant replacing some of Gogo’s antennae from some of the FlyExclusive aircraft.

Assuredly, it also marked another chapter in a contentious relationship between SmartSky and Gogo. In February, SmartSky sued Gogo, alleging that Gogo’s 5G product infringed on four SmartSky patents. Though that issue is sorted out, Segrave said the change was just to diversify the business. 

“Instead of having all your eggs in one basket, let’s diversify,” Segrave said. “What SmartSky is doing is exciting to me, directionally, and I think the industry needs what they’re providing, which is some other service.”

How Does Starlink Compare?

So how does SmartSky make its service reliable, and what does it think about new market entrants like Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite offering disrupting the market?

“There’s no one pure-play solution,” Helfgott said. “Satellites are good at broadcasting data. So, if you want to get a lot of bandwidth to an aircraft, and it’s a big aircraft—because it needs larger antennas—in that case, satellites are a good idea.” However, Helfgott points out that the typical customer, for the most part, doesn’t require all that data. “For most aircraft, like those in the super-midsize category, air to ground is the best option.”

That explains why the partnership with flyExclusive also makes sense because, as Segrave points out, the Citation fleet is one of the most prolific. Earlier this year, in February, Textron Aviation said it delivered its 8,000th Citation.

• READ MORE: Textron Aviation Delivers 8000th Cessna Citation

Added to that, Helfgott explains that delivering reliable Wi-Fi to a fast-moving business jet is more complex than it seems. Using the Citation as an example, which Helfgott calls a “fast airplane,” the CEO explains just how difficult it is to do what his company does. 

“You can’t just take traditional 4G or 5G technologies, or even satellite technologies, and hope they’re just going to work on an airplane going that fast,” Helfgott said. “You need to adjust for the extended coverage. Handovers are happening nearly every 10 seconds because you’re going so fast. So, just thinking you can throw up a network and it’s going to work in aviation is a terrible idea.”  

Road to IPO

As for going public via a SPAC, Segrave says he’s not worried about the trend where SPAC companies have been struggling. Instead, he views it as a growth opportunity because, unlike others who’ve used that financing mechanism, flyExclusive’s operation isn’t “speculative.”

In other words, Segrave says he’s strived to build a responsible business since launching in North Carolina less than ten years ago in 2015. Aside from investing in customer experiences, he said the company has tried to become vertically integrated, for instance, by doing its required maintenance in-house. They’ve also done that with pilot training. 

• READ MORE: The Aviation Business Trend of 2021? SPAC Mania

It will be more challenging than it looks, though, because there is plenty of competition. The week before, Flexjet also announced its own SPAC-IPO, joining Wheels Up (NYSE: UP) already in that space. Then, there are the privately owned but well-funded Berkshire Hathaway’s NetJets, Inc. and Vista Global’s VistaJet and XO.

Even with his best efforts, Segrave admits, “there’s a lot of pressure.” He says that’s because FlyExclusive employs more than 800 workers, which the CEO says means the decisions the company makes have the potential to affect thousands of people—but he’s optimistic. 

“From our standpoint, the way we’ve grown this business is by investing in the customer experience. If we can pull it off in this market, it might put us in a really good place,” Segrave said.

The post FlyExclusive, SmartSky Expands Wi-Fi Partnership Ahead of IPO appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Garmin’s (NYSE: GRMN) G5000 flight deck for the Cessna Citation Excel and Citation XLS aircraft is expected to earn European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval soon. 

The technology company announced this week that it has been working with European regulators to finalize the permission needed by EASA-certificated operators to install the G5000 integrated avionic suite on the midsize jets. 

Garmin’s Cessna Citation Excel and Citation XLS G5000 modernization program launched three years ago, and more than 100 Excel and XLS aircraft have added the avionics package to those jets.

• READ MORE: Ten Percent of Citation Excel/XLS Jets Retrofit with Garmin G5000

Now, the company is excited to gain footing in Europe. “We are thrilled to bring this complete flight deck solution to the European market and further expand the G5000 upgrade program for the Citation Excel and Citation XLS fleet,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing, in a statement.

The G5000 features for the Citation Excel/XLS include:

• Three landscape-oriented flight displays with split-screen capability
• Simultaneously viewing of maps, charts, checklists, TAWS, TCAS, flight plans, and weather
• Electronic charts and geo-referenced Garmin SafeTaxi airport diagrams across all displays
• Touchscreen controllers that as the pilot interface to the flight deck
• Fully digital automatic flight control system (AFCS)
• Autopilot-enabled Emergency Descent Mode (EDM) in the event of aircraft depressurization
• Optional autopilot-assisted underspeed protection (USP) to assist with airspeed management while enabling fully coupled go-arounds.

The upgrade also comes with fully integrated ADS-B Out solutions that are FAA and EASA compliant. Also, operators can access more airports and lower approach minimums through the PBN/RNP 0.3 with LPV/APV approach capabilities.

• READ MORE: Garmin’s G5000 Flight Deck Adds New Capabilities for Some Citations

Operators may also add additional optional features, but those in Europe will benefit from added capabilities once the integration is approved.

The post Garmin G5000 to receive EASA approval for Cessna Citation Excel and XLS aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The number of aircraft receiving FAA approval for a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the Garmin GFC 500 autopilot continues to grow. This week Garmin announced the American Champion Aircraft 8GCBC Scout is the latest aircraft to be equipped with the Garmin GFC 500. The Scout is one of the more popular taildraggers on the market.

According to Garmin, the GFC 500 autopilot performs by integrating Garmin’s GI 275 or G5 electronic flight instruments, which can be a combination of either a standby GI 275 or G5 electronic flight instrument interfaced to a G500 TXi flight display. It can also be used with a Garmin G3X Touch flight display.

The autopilot mode controller uses large dedicated keys and knobs, along with a control wheel that allows for easy adjustment to aircraft pitch, airspeed, and vertical speed. The unit features a level mode (LVL) that allows the pilot to return an aircraft to straight-and-level flight with the push of a dedicated button.

The GFC 500 has traditional autopilot capabilities, such as altitude hold, vertical speed, and heading modes. In addition, the GFC 500 includes altitude preselect, vertical navigation (VNAV), underspeed and overspeed protection, and more. Pilots can also select, couple, and fly various instrument approaches, including GPS, ILS, VOR, LOC, and back-course approaches when paired with a compatible Garmin GPS navigator.

The GFC 500 includes Garmin Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP), which works to assist the pilot in maintaining the aircraft in a stable flight condition. ESP functions independently of the autopilot, working in the background while the pilot hand-flies the aircraft. ESP helps avoid inadvertent unusual attitudes and bank angles by nudging the pilot to return the aircraft back to a safe flight attitude.

In addition, the GFC 500 can be equipped to take advantage of Garmin’s Smart Glide, a safety tool that helps reduce pilot workload by automating certain tasks. In the event of an uncommanded loss of engine power, Smart Glide flies the airplane while the pilot troubleshoots the problem.

• READ MORE: Garmin Gets STC for GFC 500 Autopilot for Older Aircraft

Smart Rudder for Beechcraft Barons

Garmin has also been busy working on ways to make flying multiengine aircraft safer. This week, the company received certification for Smart Rudder Bias and VNAV functionality for the Beechcraft Baron B55 and B55A aircraft that are equipped with the GFC 600 autopilot.

Smart Rudder Bias can now provide pilots of Beechcraft B55 Baron aircraft assistance against the hazardous effects of one-engine inoperative (OEI) flight when the aircraft is appropriately equipped.

The system is designed to continuously monitor engine parameters using engine indication system (EIS) data displayed on a G500 TXi or G600 TXi flight display. When the system detects a predetermined power differential between each engine, Smart Rudder Bias activates, dynamically adjusting to assist the pilot by providing enough force to the rudder to help control a sideslip.

In addition, there is a yellow annunciator for the inoperative engine along with autopilot annunciations on the G500 TXi or G600 TXi flight display, helping the pilot identify which engine is having the issue more quickly.

Smart Rudder Bias requires a G500 TXi or G600 TXi configured as a primary flight display (PFD) with EIS data, which can be shown as a strip on the G500 TXi or G600 TXi, or on a separate dedicated TXi EIS display. Additionally, Smart Rudder Bias requires the yaw axis option be installed on the GFC 600.

• READ MORE: Garmin Achieves STC for GFC 600 for Cessna 310R, Pilatus PC-12/47

Vertical Navigation (VNAV)

Pilots of Beechcraft B55 Baron aircraft with an autopilot paired with a GTN or GTN Xi touchscreen navigator and the G5, GI 275, G500 TXi/G600 TXi or G500/G600 will now have the option to fly a fully-coupled VNAV profile.

Using the navigator, the pilot can easily enter altitude constraints on the flight plan page to set-up a vertical descent profile.

Using VNAV, pilots also experience a near-seamless transition to an arrival and instrument approach as step-down altitudes are automatically populated. When the GFC 600 or GFC 500 autopilot is fully-coupled on a VNAV descent, pilots can experience a smooth and controlled descent, giving them more time to focus on briefing the approach and preparing for landing.

Garmin To Add More STCs

To view the most up-to-date aircraft STC list and certifications that are expected to begin in the next 12-months, or to express interest in a specific aircraft make/model, visit: www.garmin.com/GFC500 or www.garmin.com/GFC600.

For additional information about Smart Rudder Bias visit: www.Garmin.com/SmartRudderBias.

The post FAA Approves Garmin Autopilot STC for American Champion Scout appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) said in its second quarter report this week that in the first six months of the year, the total worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales was more than $1.3 billion, according to data from participating companies. As the aircraft purchasing market has remained hot, the AEA said avionics sales increased 11.7 percent from the first to the second quarter this year. More broadly, as reflective of the pandemic-related demand for private aircraft, the AEA said the second quarter profit represented eight consecutive quarters of increasing sales. Comparing April to June 2021 with the same time period in 2022, avionics sales increased by 19.9 percent.

Forward-fit sales during the second quarter led the way over retrofits, with $3.73 billion and $3.35 billion, respectively. The report said forward-fit sales during this year’s first six months were 35.6 percent more than during the same time in 2021. This makes sense as aircraft manufacturers, such as Bombardier, reported last week that they expected to sell more than 120 executive jets this year (as they did in 2021) and had a $14.7 billion order backlog.

Moreover, AEA said the more than $373 million in forward-fit sales marks the second-largest sales total in that category in the report’s history, just shy of the more than $376 million reported in the second quarter of 2019.

By region, the association said the U.S. and Canada generated 73.6 percent of the six-month sales activity this year.

In a statement, AEA president and CEO Mike Adamson said, “It is encouraging to see sales continue to climb.” Still, Adamson said members reported that price inflation may have bumped the numbers up. “Companies participating in the market report indicated they had increased their prices nearly 6 percent, which is substantial,” Adamson pointed out. However, that was still below the 8.5 percent rise in the U.S. annual consumer price index reported in July, which could mean some sales were actually at a loss as businesses prepared for a potential recession.

In the end, Adamson commended suppliers for withstanding increasing costs and supply chain disruptions.

“The effort to manage and maintain the flow of products by our avionics OEMs dealing with supply constraints and the ever-increasing cost to produce and recertify their products is extraordinary.”

The post Q2 Avionics Sales Increase Nearly 12 Percent appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On Tuesday at EAA AirVenture, Aspen Avionics announced the integration of its Evolution flight display series with the Garmin GFC 600 autopilot. The avionics manufacturer also outlined the recent approval to use its Evolution series as a complete replacement for traditional instruments in the panel.

With the latest software release (v2.12), those aircraft owners who have the GFC 600 installed in their airplanes can couple the digital autopilot to their primary flight display (PFD) and enjoy a more streamlined operation. The update is intended to lower pilot workload and enhance the safety of single-pilot IFR.

The software update gives the pilot the following:

• the ability to select altitude, vertical speed and airspeed on either the PFD or the GFC 600 panel;
• flight director capability for coupled autopilot operation;
• a fully digital interface that eliminates the need for adapter boxes;
• extended runway centerlines on the multifunction display’s moving map;
• selected altitude/airspeed output for Trio autopilots;
• improved auto brightness levels based upon customer feedback.

The GFC 600 software update pricing is $1,995.

No Backup Required

Aspen also promoted the fact that owners upgrading with the Evolution series may also gain the ability to remove traditional instrument systems previously required as a backup to the glass-panel displays. For most Evolution Pro Max PFD or E5 systems, the FAA now allows for the removal of the attitude indicator—and potentially its associated vacuum system—while retaining the turn and bank, altimeter, and airspeed indicators as the needed backups to the PFD.

For owners installing the Evolution 2000 Max or 2500 Max systems, the vacuum-driven instrument(s) can be removed, as well as the turn and bank, altimeter, and airspeed indicator, completely streamlining the panel.

John Uczekaj, Aspen Avionics president and COO, related his assessment of the move, going back to the early days of installing glass panel displays in general aviation airplanes, when the FAA “was not as comfortable” with the idea of relying upon the then-new electronic instruments. “That created a lot of questions by our customers, why that’s necessary,” when the pilot was relying before on a single mechanical instrument—the vacuum driven attitude indicator—that was itself notoriously unreliable. 

• READ MORE: FLYING‘s Complete Coverage of EAA AirVenture 2022

“Over time, the reliability of these displays and the FAA’s march towards safety-enhancing equipment” eased the situation to bring the industry to this point where an electronic EFIS is recognized as the more reliable—and data-rich—choice, he said.

“For our consumer base, it eliminates one of the most unreliable things in their airplanes,” Uczekaj said.

AirVenture Base

At Oshkosh, Aspen Avionics sponsors a base in the North 40 campground, offering an air-conditioned lounge and refreshments for the wide range of its 14,000-plus customers who fly into the show each year. “We’re the most consumer-based company in certified avionics,” said Uczekaj, and the effort at AirVenture keeps the company close to that base.

The post Aspen Avionics Announces Autopilot Compatibility With Evolution Series appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Garmin International Inc. has received supplemental type certification (STC) from the FAA for the GI 275 electronic flight instrument for Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters. 

The two-place R22 and four-place R44 are the backbone of the helicopter training fleet. It is hard to find a rotor-wing pilot who hasn’t logged some flight time in one or both of these aircraft.

About the GI 275

The GI 275 was originally launched for fixed-wing aircraft in January 2020, and after hearing interest from helicopter operators, the first Part 27 certification was completed for the Bell 206 in March 2022.

As panel real estate is at a premium in helicopters, the GI 275 was designed for minimal space disruption. It takes advantage of the common 3.125-inch flight instrument size, reducing installation time and preserving the existing instrument panel. The unit features a bright, high-resolution touchscreen display, and a dual concentric knob allows pilots to access a variety of key functions. 

According to Garmin, the GI 275 is a direct replacement for a variety of legacy primary flight instruments, including the attitude indicator, course deviation indicator (CDI), horizontal situation indicator (HSI), or the multifunction display (MFD).

The GI 275 as a Primary Attitude Indicator

Garmin notes that when installed as a primary attitude indicator, the GI 275 offers improved reliability, potential weight savings, and reduced maintenance compared to old-style vacuum-driven attitude indicators.

The GI 275 offers optional Helicopter Synthetic Vision Technology (HSVT) that overlays a rich, 3D topographic view of terrain, traffic, obstacles, power lines, and airport signposts all within the GI 275 attitude display. 

The unit also provides other information vital to flight such as:

• Outside air temperature
• Groundspeed
• True airspeed and wind information on the attitude indicator
• Wireless functionality, like sharing of GPS position and backup attitude information to the Garmin Pilot mobile application.

CDI and HSI Options

When installed as a CDI or HSI, the GI 275 is designed to accept a variety of GPS and navigation inputs, allowing up to two GPS sources and two VHF navigation sources. 

The GI 275 features an Omni Bearing Resolver allowing the instrument to interface with a variety of legacy navigators on the market without the need for an expensive adapter. 

Garmin notes the unit, “with an optional magnetometer, is also capable of providing magnetic-based HSI guidance. The HSI can also provide enhanced features such as map inset and traffic, terrain or weather overlay. 

“Selecting the CDI source is simple and can be accomplished through the touchscreen interface, while course and heading selection is completed using either the touchscreen or dual concentric knob.”

Multifunction Display (MFD)

The multifunction display (MFD) of the GI 275 doubles as a modern digital indicator and adds MFD-like capabilities such as:

• A moving map
• Weather
• Traffic
• Obstacles
• WireAware power lines
• SafeTaxi^, airport diagrams
• Five-color terrain shading 

For backup navigation information, the unit has a built-in VFR GPS, enabling convenient direct-to navigation guidance while displaying aircraft position information. 

Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (HTAWS)  is available on the GI 275⁴ offering forward-looking terrain and obstacle avoidance (FLTA) capability to alert in advance where potential hazards may exist. 

When paired with Garmin’s GRA 55 or GRA 5500 radar altimeters, or other select third-party products, the unit can display altitude AGL while also providing visual and aural annunciations to the pilot.

According to Garmin, “The GI 275 will offer several benefits, but helicopter operators should be especially happy to have a digital option to directly replace their analog instruments. In addition to improved reliability, features such as HSVT and weather overlays should help provide better situational awareness to helicopter pilots. Plus, the ability to fit in the same instrument hole as the instrument it is replacing should result in significant cost and downtime savings.”

The GI 275 comes with a two-year warranty and is supported by Garmin’s aviation support team, which provides 24/7 worldwide technical and warranty support.

The post FAA OKs Electronic Flight Instrument for Two Robinsons appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

There is a common school of thought that if your aircraft is going to be down for maintenance, such as an engine upgrade, you might as well get the other labor-intensive projects—such as an instrument panel upgrade—done at the same time. 

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.