“conventional” gear?). Besides being more precise
and easier to interpret at a glance, the glass panels are
lighter and much more reliable than mechanical
gyros. And the cost is competitive with what it would
set you back to repair or replace the mechanical
gauges over time. Chris said they opted not to pay
extra for the synthetic vision option, since the
Arrow’s role as a trainer did not place much emphasis
on that feature. Though the screens of the G500 are
not as large as those in the G1000 system found on
newer aircraft, the operating systems are similar
enough that Chris and Steve feel comfortable promoting the Arrow as a modern instrument trainer.
They anticipate that much of the additional usage on
the Arrow will come from customers wanting transi-
They’ve been averaging about
100 hours a year on the Arrow,
and the hope was that upgrading
the avionics and interior would
double that number.
tion training from steam gauges to modern glass
panels. To that end, they also installed an external
power receptacle so they can conduct ground training in the airplane—an economically attractive bridge
between classroom (or computer) instruction and
actual flying.
On the right side of the panel, they opted for a PS
Engineering PMA8000B audio panel, a new Garmin
digital transponder and SL30 nav/comm, and as a cen-
terpiece, one of Garmin’s new touch-screen GTN 650
GPS navigators. Chris said, in retrospect, he’s disap-
pointed they decided against the larger GTN 750, not
so much for its larger screen, but more for its capabil-
ity to combine the roles of both the audio panel and as
a controller for a remote transponder (eliminating the
need for the panel-mounted unit). The GTN 750 can
also serve as an autopilot controller for compatible
units. In effect, the GTN 750 serves as a sort of flight
management system, such as you’d find in a more
complex, integrated avionics suite. “The difference in
cost would have been only about five grand,” he said
[after eliminating the price and installation cost of the
audio panel and the panel-mounted transponder].
“And it would have made working with the panel a lot
cleaner. So I’m sort of kicking myself a little.”
As it was, the entire avionics upgrade, including
the labor to fabricate a new panel face, ran around
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