ADS-B While You Wait: We Roll out the Toolbox for a Skybeacon Installation Field Report

May 2019 Volume LI Number 5 The consumer resource for pilots and aircraft owners

ADS-B While You Wait: We roll out the toolbox for a skyBeacon installation field report ... page 4

MyGoFlight HUD Page 17

Dynon’s latest pocket-sized EFIS … page 8 Do retreaded tires make sense? … page 19 That’s not an Archer or a Warrior ... page 22 8 DYNON D3 POCKET PANEL 15 GARMIN’S NEW GPS 22 PIPER PILOT 100 SERIES An inexpensive backup for The standalone navigator Two new Piper trainers sport round gauges and glass lives on with the GNX375 new glass and new engines

11 TRAINING FOR THE ATP 19 TIRE RETREADS 24 USED CESSNA 182 Real-world advice for earning Done right, retreading tires It’s no speed demon, but a the coveted transport rating can save some money Skylane is a versatile buy FIRST WORD DO MANUFACTURERS HAVE GOOD-FAITH OBLIGATIONS? In the product warranty article in the April 2019 Aviation Consumer we described EDITOR reader Joel Rosenlicht’s unfortunate experience with the Rolls-Royce 250-B17F Larry Anglisano turboprop engine in his Silver Eagle-converted Cessna P210. To recap, Rosen- licht flew the converted airplane for nearly 11 years and 1000 hours before the SENIOR EDITOR original Roll-Royce engine began making metal. When the engine was removed Rick Durden for evaluation, Griggs Aviation opened the gearbox (one of the engine’s chip detectors flagged metal in that location) and found a half-inch polishing stone CONTRIBUTING EDITOR with gouges in its side. Assumably the stone was used during the manufacturing Jim Cavanagh process for the gears—and accidentally left inside of the gearbox when the engine Paul Robichaux was assembled. Call it luck (I’m not sure if it’s the good or bad kind), but that EDITOR AT LARGE stone must have parked itself in a benign Paul Bertorelli location within the gearbox for the years Rosenlicht flew the aircraft. SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT Although Rolls Royce provided some P.O. Box 8535 components for the gearbox (in the article Big Sandy, TX 75755-8535 we incorrectly said the company provided 800-829-9081 an entire gearbox), Rosenlicht was left with www.aviationconsumer.com/cs a bill north of $70,000 for the remainder of FOR CANADA the engine work, plus freight charges and Subscription Services months of downtime. He made an insur- Box 7820 STN Main ance claim because his policy (through London, ON 5W1 Alliance) covered damage from foreign object damage. While it looked like the Canada insurance company would pay the claim, it was ultimately denied, presumably because the polishing stone wasn’t sucked into the engine while the aircraft was in service. If the aircraft crashed because of engine failure, it would have been a REPRINTS: Aviation Consumer can different story. Additionally, Rosenlicht told me his policy won’t be renewed (he provide you or your organization with reprints. Minimum order is 1000 was a clean customer for over 30 years) because the company isn’t insuring Silver copies. Contact Jennifer Jimolka, Eagle-modded Centurions moving forward. 203-857-3144 Shortly after we ran the article I got a letter from Bob Mittelstaedt who did a Silver Eagle conversion on his P210 in 2007. Eleven years and 900 hours later the AVIATION CONSUMER engine gear case began leaking oil from a boss on the left side of the case used (ISSN #0147-9911) is to mount the engine to the airframe. According to Mittelstaedt, it was deter- published monthly by mined that the depth of the bolt hole in the boss was .15 inches short of spec, Belvoir Aviation Group which caused a crack at the bottom of the bolt hole that penetrated the case. The LLC, an affiliate of Bel- bolt was never touched after the original installation and the engine was never voir Media Group, 535 removed from the aircraft. Connecticut Avenue, “It was way out of warranty, but Rolls was not willing to do anything—not Norwalk, CT 06854-1713. Robert Eng- even a discount on the $43,000 (not counting removal, installation and testing) lander, Chairman and CEO; Timothy H. it charges for a new gear case,” Mittelstaedt said. He spent $69,062 to trouble- Cole, Executive Vice President, Editorial shoot, remove the engine, send it out to change the gear case (with manda- Director; Philip L. Penny, Chief Operating tory upgrades) and reinstall the engine. In both of these cases, the Rolls-Royce Officer; Greg King, Executive Vice Presi- engines were clearly out of the original warranty and Rolls had no legal obliga- dent, Marketing Director; Ron Goldberg, tion to cover the repairs. But is it reasonable to expect a manufacturer to step Chief Financial Officer; Tom Canfield, Vice up and fully make good on repairs that are the result of manufacturing defects? President, Circulation. Some argue that it should. Rosenlicht pointed out that in the auto industry, as one example, manufacturers often cover defects through recalls (although Nissan Periodicals postage paid at Norwalk, CT, left me high and dry when the transmission in my Xterra roached after its fluid and at additional mailing offices. Rev- mixed with engine coolant, the result of a faulty OEM radiator). I think part of enue Canada GST Account #128044658. the problem in aviation is that companies simply don’t have the money to be Subscriptions: $84 annually. Bulk rate sub- handing out replacement engines outside of the warranty period, although it scriptions for organizations are available. might be argued that Rolls-Royce has resources to do so, or perhaps not. Copyright © 2019 Belvoir Aviation Group To find out, we reached out to Rolls-Royce for comment on these Silver Eagle engine issues and to date it has ignored us—not something I would expect from LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in a company of its caliber, which damages its customer service even further. I have whole or in part is prohibited. Printed in to assume that Silver Eagle Cessna conversions are small potatoes in Rolls-Royce’s the USA. world, but for the buyers like Rosenlicht and Mittelstaedt who shelled out real money to retrofit Rolls Royce turbine engines (ones with perceived better reliabil- Postmaster: Send address corrections to ity than the piston engines they replaced) it’s a stinging ownership experience. AVIATION CONSUMER, P.O. Box 8535, Big As Mittelstaedt put it: “It’s still a fantastic airplane, but Rolls Royce has lost Sandy, TX 75755-8535. In Canada, P.O. Box their luster with me by failing to accept any responsibility at all, even though 39 Norwich, ON NOJ1PO, Canada. Publish- they did not have legal responsibility. That’s not the way great companies treat ing Agreement Number #40016479 customers who spend a lot of money with them.” —Larry Anglisano

2 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019 READER CORRESPONDENCE ENGINE STORAGE 101 HOW MUCH FOR A All of this work was coordinated As a longtime subscriber to Aviation BARON INSPECTION? and accomplished in an exceptional Consumer, I usually find something I provided owner feedback for the manner. We have gone back to Mas- real-world-valuable in every issue. Beech Baron 55 report in the March ter Aviation for two additional an- Rarely do I read an article that is as 2019 Aviation Consumer and stated nuals since and each time the cost divorced from reality as the long- that the annual inspection complet- was much lower and reduced from term engine storage tips article in ed by Master Aviation in Connecticut the prior year. We expect the annual the April 2019 was $47,000. to be in the $8000 to $10,000 range issue. That’s an ac- this year. The plane continues to fly I would curate figure, defect free and my partner and I are guess that I’m but deserves happy campers. not the only further expla- reader who is nation be- Ross Detwiler not in the avia- cause it was via email tion business. more than My plane is an an annual in- GARMIN AND YOUR PRIVACY avocation, one spection, and I read the Garmin D2 Delta PX that I love, but further detail wrist-based pulse oximeter article that often must might help in the April 2019 issue and wonder take a back seat to work, family, potential Baron owners realize that if you can comment about a user’s travel and other commitments. the bar for a prepurchase inspection medical data privacy as it relates Here in Southwest Florida, it often will likely be significantly different to the data captured by the watch. seems that great flying weather oc- than for an in-service annual mainte- Garmin’s Connect website implied curs on non-flying days, and days nance event. that if the watch owner opted in to that I’ve scheduled to get up in the In reality, we asked the shop for a typical Garmin Connect features, air have clouds and thunderstorms mechanical restoration that would information such as heartbeat, pulse building by 10 a.m. The end result bring our 1978 Baron to its origi- ox and similar data may be submit- is that, while I try to fly at least nal operating condition. We fixed ted to Garmin where it is stored and weekly, there are multiple occasions things that were otherwise passable, presumably available for analytics each year where the aircraft sits idle or deferrable, because we would be within the company. for at least 30 days. flying our families in this airplane. If I had the time to pull the The props had about 200 hours since Jim Meade plugs, oil the cylinders, change the their last overhaul, but that had been via email oil and desiccant the exhaust, and 17 years prior. As it turned out that then do it all again in reverse, don’t was a good suggestion as one of the Garmin reiterated that the watch isn’t you think I’d be flying instead? hubs was no longer salvageable. That Find usa on medical Facebook Badge device, and users can chooseCMYK / .ai Unless I know that I’m going to be was $17,000 of the bill. Master sub- to upload the data, or not. It also said gone for multiple months, there sequently removed and sent out one it processes aggregated user data for is no practical way I could follow of the props for free the following research and development purposes. your advice. I’m pretty sure I’m not year for wicking oil along a bristle alone. For me the only real-world that had somehow been under a seal. takeaway from this article is a The defect list grew to a whopping 60 healthy dosing of extra guilt. items, including all of the typical annual inspection items to address. Don Scattergood There was the overhaul of a slip- CONTACT US Placida, Florida ping starter adapter, we addressed the aging engine mounts, replaced Editorial Office While we realize that it simply isn’t two cylinders, accomplished the 860-614-1987 (EDITORIAL ONLY) always practical to follow the engine wing spar AD, replaced the exhaust Email: [email protected] manufacturers’ service letters that system for each engine, refurbished detail the proper storage techniques for the prop electric de-icing system, Subscription Department engines that slumber beyond 30 days, replaced parts for and re-rigged the P.O. Box 8535 our hope was to save at least some landing gear, repaired the original Big Sandy, TX 75755-8535 owners some grief and money should fuel quantity indicator system, plus 800-829-9081 they neglect an engine for longer peri- a multitude of smaller defects which Online Customer Service: ods of time. These are engines that sit soon came to the surface and added www.aviationconsumer.com/cs for a longer duration than yours. to the invoice. Used Aircraft Guides: On The Cover: Paul Pelletier, an A&P mechanic at Learn2Fly CT in Connecti- 203-857-3100 Email: [email protected] cut, prepares a uAvionix skyBeacon ADS-B Out/wingtip lighting system for installation on a Piper Cherokee. We followed along with the installation for a For weekly aviation news field report to see how long this budget-based retrofit really takes. updates, see www.avweb.com

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 3 ADS-B FIELD REPORT The ADS-B Out-equipped sky- Beacon, main image, has the same footprint as many externally mounted OEM position light hous- ings.

Still, we hear from potential skyBeacon buyers with aircraft that are not on the AML who report their shop won’t tackle the installation for lack of an STC. Accord- ing to uAvionix, this isn’t a deal breaker and the approval should be straightforward when following the FAA’s ADS-B Out installation policy memo. It’s worth a read by linking to it at tinyurl.com/yxfqxhk3. Ryan Braun at uAvionix told us both the industry and the FAA have been trying to get the word out on this alternate means of approving installations of qualifying ADS-B Out equipment. Specifically, the SkyBeacon Retrofits: guidance allows for the installation of TSO’d and previously STC’d systems on other aircraft models (ones Two Upgrades in One that aren’t on an AML-STC) without further data approval—or at least uAvionix says its skyBeacon ADS-B/lighting device the data an installer would have to reference with a traditional FAA is a no-install solution. Don’t take that literally, but field approval. This is important, especially in the case of a skyBea- it’s still the simplest solution on the market. con install on an airplane that’s not covered by the current uAvionix by Larry Anglisano AML. According to Braun, the FAA et’s be realistic—when it comes upgrade—a basic Piper PA28-151 has issued a blanket approval and to avionics installations there equipped with vintage avionics and only wants the installer to submit Lisn’t much that can be done in serving hard duty on the flight line a completed and signed FAA Form an hour, except getting the aircraft at Learn2Fly CT at Windham Air- 337, and uAvionix has samples on in the hangar and the toolbox rolled port in Eastern Connecticut. its website. out. But since its introduction a The first step in any skyBeacon Why wouldn’t an aircraft be couple of years ago, it’s been said installation is ensuring the device included on the skyBeacon’s STC that the now STC-approved and will fit on the existing left wing- model list? Consider a Piper PA32, TSO-certified uAvionix skyBeacon tip. To review, the skyBeacon is wingtip ADS-B Out/LED lighting equipped with both LED position CHECKLIST device is the one-hour ticket to lamps (red) and also LED anti-col- complying with the 2020 mandate. lision lights, which don’t have to be The company even advertises the hooked up. The device is designed Many skyBeacon installs product as a “no install” solution. to bolt on in the location previously can be accomplished in To see just how long a mandate- occupied by the OEM lamp assem- under two hours. compliant skyBeacon install really bly. This is external mounting, and takes, we spent some time on the wingtips with lights enclosed inside The integrated LED lighting shop floor—with labor timer run- the fairing won’t work in the current makes the upgrade a good ning—and followed along with a configuration. Not sure? Start with value. skyBeacon project. Spoiler alert: It the STC and its approved model wasn’t a one-hour deal. list, or AML. If the aircraft doesn’t have At press time the TSO’d skyBea- anti-collision lighting, IS IT APPROVED? con has an AML-STC that encom- installing wiring and the For this field report, we found the passes 272 aircraft models and our switch increases the price. poster child for a budget ADS-B PA28-151 test bed is one of them.

4 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019 In our Piper installation, it was out with the original position lamp and Whelan Xenon anti- collision lamps, top, and on with the all-in-one skyBeacon, bottom, which bolted in place without having to drill the wingtip. The existing position light and anti- collision light switches, bottom, were used. as one example. The Saratoga isn’t included on the AML because most newer models have wingtip lighting with forward position and strobe lights, and a rear position light. The company didn’t add these aircraft to the STC because the skyBeacon doesn’t integrate a rear position light. On the other hand, some tapered-wing PA32 models do have forward position and strobe lights, so the skyBeacon would be a good fit, just as it was on our PA28-151. Let’s look at the installation on it. WHAT’S PACKED INSIDE? By nature of its design, the sky- Beacon has to be mounted as far outboard as possible, parallel to the vertical and horizontal centerlines of the aircraft and at least 3 feet from the transponder antenna. The fin on the bottom of the electronics housing must point downward when mounted on the wingtip. A peek inside the device reveals why the installation is critical. In addition to the 978 MHz ADS-B Out transmitter and LED lighting, there’s a WAAS GPS/SBAS allowed to have receiver and a barometric pressure a latency of up sensor with an altitude encoder. The to two seconds. altitude encoder isn’t a replacement Since most second- for the primary Mode C altitude ary surveillance reporter, but instead it ensures that radar systems do the skyBeacon always has access not interrogate to timely pressure altitude data to at that high of a transmit over ADS-B, regardless of frequency, it is rare the radar coverage environment. that you will have The skyBeacon monitors the tran- fresh enough data sponder’s Mode C replies to deter- from the transponder. The obvious plumb into the aircraft’s static mine the aircraft pressure altitude solution is to add an altitude source system as a traditional encoder (from the transponder’s altitude to the ADS-B system, but unfortu- does. Instead, it functions using a encoder). You will find areas that do nately, there is a requirement in AC software algorithm. In essence, the not have radar coverage, however, 20-165B that specifies that the same internal encoder acts as a slave, au- meaning there is no guarantee that altitude source must be used for tomatically calibrating, or technical- your transponder will be transmit- both the transponder Mode C reply ly achieving “correspondence” with, ting that data. Further, pressure and the ADS-B broadcast. the primary aircraft encoder at all altitude is an important piece of Interestingly, the skyBeacon’s times. uAvionix calls this Constant data carried by ADS-B, and is only integrated altitude encoder doesn’t Calibration, and in the end it lowers

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 5 WHAT’S IN AN INSTALL?

Clockwise from upper left: The wingtip on our Piper was an aftermarket Knots2U piece that was previously drilled to accommodate the OEM lighting fixtures for both position light and anti-collision light. The skyBea- con bolted on without any need for modification, but there was a gap on the front corner of the skyBeacon that needed to be filled. The heat shrink you see over the wiring protects the quick-disconnects, which allow the wingtip to be removed without having to cut the skyBeacon’s wiring during inspections and maintenance. Once the wires were connected, mounting the skyBeacon using the provided high-quality hardware took no more than five minutes. It took longer to program the device using the app-based uAvionix installation configuration utility. It works on iOS and Android devices and uses a Wi-Fi connection for communicating. both the cost of installation and Since our installation included that you do indeed have 12 volts of long-term maintenance efforts. connecting the skyBeacon’s anti- power input after the wiring change The device also has uAvionix’s collision lighting, part of the task before connecting the strobes. Con- patented Power Transcoder, which was modifying the wiring of the necting 450-plus volts to the device ensures the correct synchronization existing Whelan Xenon high-voltage will certainly induce a smoke show. of data elements between the second- anti-collision lighting system. This When connecting the skyBeacon’s ary surveillance radar (SSR) replies original Whelan system utilizes a anti-collision lighting, the electri- and ADS-B transmissions. Those remote-mounted power pack that cal installation consists of three elements include Mode A squawk converts 12 volts of DC power input wires. The red wire connects with and transponder IDENT status. The to over 450 volts of power output to the power wire coming from the air- Power Transcoder also works to cali- drive the strobes. craft’s existing position light circuit brate the altitude encoder. The Piper had an OEM rocker breaker, the yellow wire connects switch that turns the anti-collision with the aircraft’s anti-collision INSTALLING IT lights on and off and we sim- power wire (after bypassing any Once you’ve determined that a sky- ply used the existing switch, the high-voltage power supply) and the Beacon will fit the wingtip, the first existing circuit protection and the black wire connects with aircraft step in the physical installation is existing strobe wiring (after bypass- gaining access to the existing posi- ing the Whelan power supply). This tion and anti-collision (if equipped) yielded 12 volts of DC power input See a video of the skyBeacon lamp assembly by removing the left to the skyBeacon’s strobe circuit. install at http://tinyurl.com/j95ht2a. wingtip. Obviously you’ll want to verify

6 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019 ground. The skyBeacon may be grounded to the aircraft structure via the mounting screws, but we suggest finding a solid ground, and it will be required when mounting the device on composite structures. Worth mentioning is if the aircraft doesn’t have an existing anti-collision lighting system, the installer will need to install a com- mand switch, circuit breaker and route a power wire out to the left wingtip. This will obviously add to the cost and effort of the project. The installation kit includes mostly everything that’s required, including three 6-32-inch button- head machine screws for securing the device to the existing nut plates in the end of the wing. Two O-rings per screw must be used between the mounting screw and skyBeacon In combination assembly. with a Whelan LED For a variety of Cessna applica- rotating beacon, tions where the skyBeacon might the LED skyBeacon not be a direct bolt-on, uAvionix of- brought impressive fers a wingtip adapter. It’s priced at $100 and is covered by the STC. It exterior lighting to ATC services when programmed works on the Cessna 150/152, older the Piper. for anonymity. Other configuration 172C models, 182, 185 and some items include the aircraft’s length 206 models. and width (in meters), the GPS an- Once the wires are connected We found the configuration tenna offset and a transponder moni- and secured and the skyBeacon is process to be reasonably straightfor- tor threshold. The configuration also mounted, simply reinstall the wing- ward and launching the skyBeacon has a setting that turns the position tip. The physical installation on our installer guides you through the pro- and anti-collision lighting on or off. Piper example was accomplished in gramming process. Still, you’ll need around 1.5 hours, plus roughly one to have some aircraft-specific data UP AND RUNNING hour to make the changes to the on hand for verification, including All told, this installation was accom- Whelan strobe power pack wiring. the ICAO number. This is a 24-bit plished in around four hours. Half If there wasn’t strobe interconnect, number issued to the aircraft by the of that was the physical installation, the physical install could easily be registration authority of the aircraft. including the programming, and the accomplished in an hour or less. But These addresses are generally written rest was completing the FAA Form that’s not the end of the job. as a 6-digit hexadecimal number. 337 (which has to be signed by an There’s also the emitter type (light, IA), the flight manual supplement, CONFIGURATION, SETUP small or large aircraft, etc.), which instructions for continued airworthi- As with any ADS-B Out system the assists ATC with tracking. ness, a brief flight test and modify- skyBeacon needs to be programmed You’ll also enter the call sign, plus ing the aircraft checklist to ensure and configured. For this process, the the aircraft’s Vso number in knots. the pilot turns the navigation light device has built-in Wi-Fi for a secure This V-speed allows the skyBeacon switch on after every startup. If not, connection with an iOS or Android to automatically switch between air- the skyBeacon won’t turn on. smartphone or tablet. The Wi-Fi is borne and ground modes and is set At a typical shop labor rate of intended for ground configuration to the aircraft’s stall speed. If the air- $100 per hour, and the cost of the only and it automatically disables craft has ADS-B In equipment, you skyBeacon at $1850, we easily declare after five minutes (from power-up) enter which frequency (978 MHz, for the strobe-equipped install a solid or when the aircraft is airborne. example) it uses. value. Deduct the FAA’s $500 equi- When you connect the installer There’s also the option of configur- page rebate from the invoice and we utility app, the automatic shutdown ing Anonymous Mode. When you think a skyBeacon ADS-B Out/light- is overridden so you can take your set it, this enables the skyBeacon to ing upgrade is a no-brainer for basic time entering the critical installa- transmit a self-assigned or random airplanes. tion data. The uAvionix skyBeacon ICAO and non-identifying call sign Our thanks to Paul Pelletier, an Installer app is downloaded from when the squawk code matches the A&P at Learn2Fly CT at the Windham the Apple App Store and from defined VFR squawk code. The man- Airport (IJD) in Connecticut, for accom- Google Play. ual says you aren’t eligible to receive modating this field report.

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 7 PORTABLE AVIONICS CHECKLIST

An inexpensive safety backup for legacy vacuum instruments. Stone simple to use, and its portability means you can use it in multiple aircraft. Since it lacks a TSO and it isn’t covered under NORSEE guidance, it’s for backup use only.

Moreover, the current D3 portable further improves on previous Dynon Pocket Panel models by providing a brighter display (twice as bright as the D2), an integrated G meter and the terrain-only synthetic vision feature at a slightly lower price point Dynon D3 Pocket Panel: than its predecessors. At press time, the D3 is street priced around $879. Touchscreen, Compact RIGHT SIZE, BETTER DISPLAY At 3.5 by 3.25 by 1.0 inches, the D3 is a relatively small chassis, which It’s not a primary instrument, but it’s reliable and makes it work well for hanging from a RAM suction mount. But the affordable enough for a belt-and-suspender backup D3 isn’t waterproof, so use caution in seaplane applications. to glass and round-dial instruments. Getting rid of function keys means there is more room for the by Paul Robichaux color touchscreen, and the unit has just a single small button for power. f you gathered 100 pilots in a instrument. Of course with no re- Touch the menu icon on the upper room and asked for a show of quired connection to the aircraft, and left corner of the screen to access Ihands who likes their aircraft’s with a couple of mounting options, most controls and settings, which vacuum system, you probably the D3 can easily be moved between Dynon kept shallow to provide a wouldn’t see any. Yet the lowly and aircraft (provided you’ve charged it) straightforward feature set. Swipe disrespected vacuum pump soldiers and serve as backup for electrical left and right on the main display to on for plenty of instrument panels and vacuum system failures. Since choose between various displays. not converted to all electric. the D3 is a portable device with no There is a jack for connecting an For portable backup, Dynon’s certification, it can’t legally be used included external GPS antenna, and Pocket Panel portable EFIS series as a standalone primary instrument also a charging port on the left side has historically been a decent seller, in certified aircraft. of the case. The device uses newer but the much improved current-gen The D3 essentially uses the same USB-C input for charging the Li-ion model D3 EFIS has plenty of compe- AHRS as Dynon’s panel-mount battery, and the D3 includes a USB- tition from app-based backups and avionics, but it’s mated to a different C charging cable that plugs into the AHRS-equipped portable ADS-B. display and supplemented by GPS included 12-volt lighter adapter or I’ve been flying with the latest Pocket data instead of being connected to the included wall charger. There Panel in my Piper Cherokee Six and the aircraft pitot/static system. are also two mounting options: prepared this field report. On the D3, Dynon says it dispensed of the bezel controls STANDALONE BACKUP in favor of touchscreen because The Dynon D3 Pocket Panel The idea behind Dynon’s latest D3 it recognizes that pilots live in a in the lead image is doing just is the same as the earlier D1 and D2 touchscreen-driven world. It also what Dynon intends: backing up models: packaging backup attitude added synthetic vision—something data into a completely portable, most every buyer might expect in the round-gauge instruments in battery-powered, GPS-equipped any EFIS display. our Cherokee Six test bed.

8 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019 a RAM suction cup, and a “pinch mount” intended for mounting in an empty 3 1/8-inch panel cutout. There’s a printed quick-start card, but you must download the clearly written and easily understood user manual from Dynon’s website. Dynon recommends that you check for software updates when you first get the unit. That’s important because our demo had the original version 1.0 firmware, not the Febru- ary 2019 revision, but it was easy to download it to a USB stick and plug it in to the unit using the included USB-C adapter. Recharging takes about six hours and depending on the setting for screen brightness, that yields about six hours of endurance. The D3 displays what you’d expect to see on a modern EFIS: aircraft attitude provided by the AHRS (pitch, roll, turn rate and slip/skid), plus GPS-derived groundspeed, The latest D3 Pocket altitude, vertical speed and ground Panel loses its bezel keys track. Attitude integrity depends on in favor of a touch- having a GPS fix, so there’s also a screen. Simply swipe the GPS signal strength indicator, and you’ll see the familiar red X sym- screen to move between bology if the GPS signal degrades menu options, top. enough. That’s the power key in the lower right corner FLYING WITH IT of the bezel. At 1 inch The standard I use when looking at a new gadgets is whether I can deep, the chassis is sized figure out the basics without having for portability. to read the manual. That normally doesn’t apply to the latest aviation gadgets, but in this case the The Piper PA-32 sits nose D3 passes this with flying colors. high on the ground, so I It begins with the power button had to align the unit to zero on the front of the bezel. When the pitch indication. Align- you press it, the D3 powers up and ment settings are preserved displays a short summary page, when the unit’s powered off. which you dismiss by touching the In flight, the unit simply works. screen. After a few seconds the EFIS You can swipe between the EFIS the screen against scratches. display appears and you’re ready to and G meter pages, and you can I evaluated the D3 on both local fly (although you should align the use the hamburger menu to adjust and cross-country flight in various unit before takeoff). The display has display brightness, although I found conditions, including day and night a small icon in the upper left corner that the display “auto” mode works VFR and IFR. In all cases, it worked (three parallel lines, nicknamed the well. Speaking of the display, the flawlessly. The GPS-derived speed “hamburger menu”). Touch that color LCD touchscreen is clear, and altitude agreed within a few and you’ll have access to a small bright and easy to read, although I percent with my panel-mounted settings interface that lets you align didn’t find the fonts and graphics to Avidyne IFD540 GPS navigator, the unit, adjust screen brightness be as crisp as the Garmin G5, the even without an external antenna, and change between unit systems Aspen Evolution or even current- plus the pitch and roll attitude (knots/MPH/KMH). generation panel-mount navigators. indications were solid and stable. The alignment procedure is The screen is a bit shinier than I This is in sharp contrast to my tests straightforward: The normal EFIS would like, but Dynon includes a a few months ago with a Stratux- display appears with a set of arrows matte-finish screen protector in the based ADS-B unit feeding data to that let you adjust roll and pitch box that you should plan on apply- an EFB app on my iPad, which was indications to match the true pitch. ing to both reduce glare and protect so jittery as to be unusable. If you’ve

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 9 That’s the D3 in the pinch panel mount in the main image to the left. It’s secure and easy to remove and reinstall. The bottom image is the D3 secured to a RAM window suction mount. The big display in the photo is Dynon’s SkyView Touch PFD.

seating position, you’ll see that the attitude, turn rate and skid ball data all degrade and will read incorrectly. On my first flight, I was surprised by this since I hadn’t carefully read the operation manual and didn’t know to expect that degradation. My Cherokee Six didn’t have any open slots in the panel, so I used the RAM suction cup mount to secure it to the left side of the windscreen, near where the glareshield and windscreen meet. In that position, I got a strong GPS signal from the D3’s internal antenna, and my eyeballs had a good line of sight to the unit. Plan on spending a couple of hours moving the unit around until you find the ideal position that works for you—and the device’s performance. to including all of them in your THE SAFETY TRADEOFF modified scan. Dynon liberally use phrases such as “supplement your unreliable legacy MOUNTING instrumentation” and “portable” MATTERS to reinforce the point that the D3 The mounting isn’t for primary use. Most buyers location of the will turn on and align the D3 when Pocket Panel mat- starting the airplane and use it as ters more than a secondary instrument unless the you might suspect primary instruments fail. My trial at first. The unit proved that the D3 can be used to has an alignment maintain controlled flight to an un- procedure to adjust eventful landing. pitch and roll, For less than $900, you can pur- flown with other EFIS instruments, meaning that you chase what amounts to an insurance you can adapt to the D3’s display don’t have to have perfect alignment policy to protect you against the pretty much instantly. If you’re used in those axes. Dynon’s documenta- risk of a vacuum failure. The Dynon to traditional round gauges, you tion says the unit can be adjusted +/- Pocket Panel doesn’t do everything should plan on practicing with the 6 degrees for roll and +/- 30 degrees a permanently mounted and certi- D3 to get used to the differences it for pitch. fied EFIS does, but it’s priced at about will impose on your scan. It will Yaw alignment, however is more one-third of the typical budget EFIS. probably feel unnatural to focus important: The unit must be aligned For pilots who already have glass on the single instrument at first, so that the display is parallel with cockpits, or who are completely pro- and that’s not a good match for the wingtip-to-wingtip line. Using ficient at partial-panel flying in hard using the D3 in a backup situation. the pinch mount to put the unit flat IFR, this might not be a necessary Dynon takes pains to say that the on the panel is ideal for this, assum- investment. However, the low cost GPS-derived track, airspeed and ing you have an empty hole in the and improved safety benefits make vertical speed are advisory only and panel. If not, wherever you mount the D3 well worth considering for not meant to replace your magnetic the unit must be a location that the rest of us. compass and pitot/static instru- keeps the display in that position. Contact www.dynonavionics. ments, so it’s a good idea to get used If you angle the unit to face your com, 425-402-0433.

10 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019 TRAINING for that environment before flying passengers. The manner in which that desire was implemented was to The ATP Rating: require that someone working on the ATP rating must first complete an FAA-approved ATP Certification Training Program (CTP) involving a Expensive Training specified number of hours in a full- motion flight simulator and class- Getting the multi-engine airplane ATP is a room training before even being allowed to take the written exam. complex, dollar-intensive process. Go into it with Once those two hurdles have been cleared, and the applicant meets the open eyes and serious determination. age and experience requirements, he or she may take the checkride. by Rick Durden As we researched this article we learned that the current realities in t’s aviation’s Everest: the highest a single under circumstances where the world of professional aviation rating, the toughest to obtain insurance requires an ATP. are that regional and cargo airlines Iand necessary to have to fly in are paying the freight to put new the Part 121 airline world, and even MULTI-ENGINE ATP hires through much of their ATP in some portions of the Part 135 air The multi-engine ATP requirements training. Because the FARs require taxi world. In reality, if you want to are complex—they are summarized that a first officer not only have an fly for a living, the chances are al- in the sidebar on the following ATP, but also a type rating for the most unity that you’ll need to hold page. They reflect a desire by Con- aircraft being operated, most new an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) gress and the FAA that all pilots fly- hires at regionals and smaller cargo rating to do so. Even in the corpo- ing in a multi-crew environment in operators take a combined ATP and rate world, operating under Part 91, larger jets have training specifically type rating checkride. insurers want the pilots who haul mega-buck executives around to hold aviation’s Ph.D. Because of space and complexity, this article is limited to the ATP for airplanes. We’ll start out by noting that there is a big difference between the single- and the multi- engine ATP. The single-engine version is plenty tough to obtain, with a minimum age requirement of 23, minimum experience of 1500 hours of flying time, a tough written exam and a practical test that requires demonstrating a serious ability to fly precisely. As there are no single-engine Part 135 or 121 operations that require an ATP, what was once a rating obtained by pilots who had taken the ATP written, weren’t in a financial position to take the multi-engine ATP checkride within 24 months and didn’t want to have to take the written again, is now a rating almost no one pursues unless flying

Prior to taking the written exam, an ATP applicant must complete an ATP Certifica- tion Training Program that includes six hours in at least a Level C full-motion simulator.

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 11 GETTING THE ATP: FIGURING OUT THE REQUIREMENTS Attempting to sort through the complexities of the multi- • Aeronautical Experience, Unrestricted ATP: This is engine ATP eligibility requirements in FAR Part 61 can be where things get interesting. The basic requirements are frustrating enough to cause a pilot to want to stick his 1500 total hours of pilot time; 500 hours of cross-country head in the oven and turn on the gas. At first blush it ap- time; 100 hours of night time; 50 hours in the class (multi- pears that an applicant has to be 23 years old, have 1500 engine) of airplane for the rating sought (25 hours in a full hours of flight time and be of good moral character—un- flight simulator can be credited toward the 50); 75 hours less it’s the second full moon of the month and then she of instrument time (there are specific credits for simula- only needs 1000 hours of flying time and can be 21 years tor time); and 250 hours of PIC (with credit for SIC time) old, if she has a degree in understanding aviation legal- including: 100 hours of cross-country time and 25 hours ese issued by a four-year college. of night time. The experience requirement is further OK. It’s not quite that bad, but it can take some broken down with credits and/or limits for simulator time, parsing of the language to understand. Because of the night takeoffs and landings, specified SIC time and time credit given by the FAA for graduation from aviation as a flight engineer. programs offered by institu- • Aeronautical Experience, Re- tions of higher learning, we stricted ATP: Here is where going think that any young person to the right school or flying for who has not yet attended the military can bootstrap a pilot college and wants to fly for a into the ATP with significantly less living—even if he or she hasn’t flying time than 1500 hours. even obtained a private ticket— Military: A U.S. military pilot or should understand the ATP former military pilot who gradu- eligibility requirements before ated from U.S. Armed Forces un- making the decision whether, dergraduate pilot training school and where, to attend college. and received a rating qualification The credit the FAA gives for as a military pilot may obtain a pilots who graduate from quali- restricted ATP with 750 hours of fying programs can potentially get them into an airline total flying time. pilot slot in a big hurry. Higher Education 1: A bachelor of aviation degree So, we’ll break down the requirements to see where graduate (usually a four-year degree) of a college or uni- the FAA gives credit for certain military experience or versity approved by the FAA and whose training program college education and turning what were once hard- meets FAA requirements may obtain a restricted ATP and-fast requirements into flexible ones. with 1000 hours total flight time. There are two requirements that are fixed—the Higher Education 2: An associate of aviation degree applicant has to read, speak, write and understand Eng- graduate (usually a two-year degree) of a college or uni- lish (after years of giving this a nod and wink, it’s being versity approved by the FAA and whose training program taken seriously) and has to be of good moral character. meets FAA requirements may obtain a restricted ATP The FAA doesn’t say how to prove one’s moral charac- with 1250 hours of flight time. ter, although, in practice, the FAA assumes the appli- Short on cross-country time? A pilot with 1500 hours cant meets the requirement. However, if the applicant total time and at least 200 hours of cross-country time, has a history of conviction of a crime, usually a felony but less than the 500 hours required for an unrestricted involving moral turpitude, she or he may find that the ATP, may obtain a restricted ATP. FAA says she or he cannot ever hold an ATP. We’ve seen • Turning a restricted ATP into an unrestricted ATP: two cases in which an FAA inspector figured out that Once you have a restricted ATP, all you have to do to have applicants had forged entries in their logbooks and the restriction removed is meet the unrestricted age re- disqualified them from ever obtaining an ATP. quirement and aeronautical experience requirements of • Age: To hold an unrestricted ATP you have to be 23 an unrestricted ATP and provide “satisfactory evidence” years of age. There is a restricted ATP that allows a pilot to the FAA of having done so. to fly as first officer, not captain. The minimum age is 21 Yes, figuring out the eligibility requirements for the and the required aeronautical experience is set out in ATP takes a little effort. However, if you’re in high school Part 61.160. and want to fly professionally, taking the time to under- • Training Requirements: Prior to taking the knowl- stand the requirements for a restricted ATP may mean edge exam (written) an applicant must complete an that the college degree you decide to obtain may allow ATP-Certification Training Program offered by an FAA- you to pick up your ATP with 1000 hours of flight time approved training facility. The applicant must show the rather than 1500. In our opinion, that’s worth taking the graduation certificate to take the written. time to understand how the system works.

12 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019 If you want to make a living flying jets, top right, plan on getting an ATP and on spending time in simu- lators (lower right) at any time of the day or night.

Company-paid ATP training is not the case with the larger, legacy airlines—they still have the luxury of hiring pilots holding ATPs. Nevertheless, the airlines that are doing ATP training look first at applicants who have an ATP, then at those who have passed the written (which means they’ve completed the expensive ATP-CTP) and then 10 hours of simula- at those who have completed at tor time, with at least least some of the work toward six hours of that in a the rating—they have done their Level C or higher full homework and are ready to take the flight simulator for a written exam once they complete multi-engine jet with the ATP-CTP course. a max takeoff weight We also found that military pilots of at least 40,000 seeking to go to the airlines were pounds. shooting for the legacy carriers and The classroom thus were getting the ATP on their instruction must own. include high-altitude If you’re doing the ATP on your aerodynamics, meteo- own, here’s what’s involved. rology, air carrier operations, crew courses, we observed that all resource management and safety courses also included one of the ATP-CTP culture. Students must then get at realities of flying professionally— The ATP Certification Training least a score of 70 percent on a writ- your simulator time may be at any Program must be administered by ten examination. hour of the day or night. Sims run an entity that has received FAA ap- 24 hours a day, so your time in the proval for the program. SIMULATOR TRAINING box may start at 2 a.m. We’ll emphasize this right here— The simulator training requirement Sporty’s (www.sportys.com) pay attention—while you have to does not pertain to a particular type charges $4595 and teams with ABX complete the ATP-CTP prior to of jet, but introduces the student Air, a Part 142 training academy in being able to take the ATP written, to large jet operations and requires Wilmington, Ohio. The course lasts the ATP-CTP does not prepare you training in low-energy states/stalls, five days—Monday through Friday. for the written exam. We thank upset recovery, adverse weather, There are usually two classes per Sporty’s Eric Radtke for brin- flight management systems and month with a maximum class size ing this into focus for us. He said automation. There is no check- of six people. Payment in advance that Sporty’s has found that there ride—if the student has passed the is required and there is no refund is a fair amount of misinforma- written exam and completes the 10 for canceling within 30 days of your tion about the ATP-CTP floating hours of simulator training, she or class date. That is a reality in the around—more than a few of his he is entitled to an ATP-CTP course simulator training world. company’s customers had to be told completion certificate. As with all of the companies we that the ATP-CTP is not ATP written Perhaps because most pilots seek- surveyed, some sort of financing prep. In checking websites of vari- ing an ATP are doing so as airline is available. By paying with PayPal ous training organizations, we were new hires, we found a limited num- you can spread your payments over pleased to see that this fact is set ber of training providers offering six months with no interest. out—none were hiding the ball. the ATP-CTP outside of structured ATP (Airline Transport Profes- The good news is that once you college degree courses or contracts sionals) (www.atpflightschool.com) successfully complete the ATP-CTP with airlines. We note that CAE offers its ATP-CTP for $4895. It’s a you never have to take it again, even Simuflite and FlightSafety Interna- seven-day class held at its Dallas- if you delay taking the ATP check- tional also offer ATP-CTP courses; area training facility. The program ride for years. however, they are only offered for includes 30 hours of classroom The FAA requires that an ATP- crews of two, so you’ll need a friend time, four hours in a fixed-base CTP include a minimum of 30 to sign up with you. flight training device and six hours hours of classroom instruction and During our review of ATP-CTP in a full-motion simulator. Written

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 13 Even if you prefer self-study, you’re going to need 30 hours of classroom time as part of the ATP-CTP (top). For written test prep we recommend using one of the big dogs in the test prep field, King Schools (middle), Sheppard Air (bottom left) or Gleim (bottom right).

random tests. It is a full ATP course, not just test prep. Running time for all of the videos is approximately 11.5 hours. The interactive test prep allows the student to identify and concentrate on weak areas. Gleim’s (www.gleimaviation. com) online ATM course is priced at $109.95. The average course length is probably an is 35 hours. For those who complete old hand at tak- the course, Gleim guarantees passing FAA exams. ing the ATM the first time or the Nevertheless, there course price is refunded. is enough beyond For $74.95 ASA (www.asa2fly) the instrument offers its test prep bundle—its test and commercial prep book and software download writtens in the (with 24 months of access). It is a ATM, notably test prep course, not an ATP train- high-altitude ing course; however, the test prep aerodynamics and materials include explanations for weather and flight correct and incorrect test answers planning for jets, and references for further study. that we recommend Sporty’s is a reseller for ASA’s shelling out for one ATM test prep materials. It also of the commercially offers training for the practical test available written in a Piper Aztec for $2452 plus a test prep courses. $25 package of materials needed for Sheppard Air flight training in the Aztec. We were (www.sheppardair. told that for pilots who are multi- com) offers its test engine and instrument current the prep software for course is popular for those who $85, with a money- want to take Sporty’s ATP-CTP fol- back guarantee. It’s lowed immediately by the ATM and a pure written test then the flight test. prep—you study ATM questions CONCLUSION test preparation is available for an and answers. That’s it; there’s no The multi-engine ATP requires the additional $200. coursework, just the questions and serious application of cash and hard answers. Sheppard offers 24-hour- work. In the aviation world where THE WRITTEN a-day customer service by phone, everything always seems hideously The multi-engine ATP written so you can get help anytime as expensive, we were pleased to find (ATM) is unique among FAA knowl- you study. In our research for this that ground school and written test edge tests in that a passing score is article a number of the people we prep courses were so reasonably good for 60 months. That means spoke with recommended having priced. that those who take the ATP-CTP completed the Sheppard’s test prep We also recommend that anyone and ATM as part of a college pro- before attending an ATP-CTP and thinking of college and a profes- gram have plenty of time to build then taking the written in the next sional flying career look hard at up the required hours for taking the day or so. attending an FAA-approved two- or ATP checkride. For $279, King Schools (www. four-year college and getting an By the time someone has got- kingschools.com) offers an online aviation degree that allows obtain- ten to the position of prepping for or DVD video ATM course with ing an ATP with fewer than 1500 the ATM we think that he or she interactive test prep and unlimited hours total time.

14 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019 NEW AVIONICS ably the shop network that sells their products, discovered a certain resistance among buyers who have Garmin’s Full Circle: modest or older airplanes that have good comms, but who might nibble on a new, color touchscreen navigator at the right price. And at $4995 Two New Panel GPSs retail, that’s what the GPS 175 is. Dare we say it, but it’s a modern- We thought we were done with standalone panel- ized throwback to Garmin’s original approach-capable navigator of 25 mount GPS, but in the GPS 175 and GNX 375, years ago, the GPS 155/165. In a market where a $10K box ain’t Garmin sees a market opening. no big deal, the GPS 175’s price will likely get people through the door. by Paul Bertorelli And here’s something interesting: It has the same price tag as the GPS n the 30 years of its existence, never mind that anyone would want. 155 did, but if inflation is consid- Garmin has proven good at a The GNX 375 combines the stand- ered, that older box would sell for Ilot of things, but its mastery of alone GPS navigator with ADS-B In about $8200 in 2019 dollars. expanding niches into full-blown, and Out in the form of a Mode-S Is Garmin going all consumer must-have products is one reason it’s transponder. It’s essentially Gar- electronics on price and volume? a $3 billion company. This spring, min’s hot-selling GTX 345 1090ES Perhaps, but we suspect they’ve set Garmin resurrected something we transponder mashed together with the price to find a broad market to thought we’d never see again: the the navigator. Neither of these units sustain sales when the ADS-B sugar standalone panel-mount GPS. And have comm capability, however, so bubble pops by about mid-2020 not just one, but two, one of which they’re not a straight-up replacement or beyond. The GTN 650 and 750 represents a new product category. for the GTN-series mapcomms nor a were brisk sellers, but nothing like At the Aircraft Electronics As- new-age GNS 430/530. the GNS 430 and 530, thousands of sociation show in Palm Springs, which are still in the field. Moreover, Garmin unwrapped the GPS 175, an SCOURING THE MARKET shops say some owners balked at the old-school standalone IFR navigator You may have noticed that avionics expense of rearranging the panel to with LPV approach capability and a sales have been on a tear recently, shoehorn in the larger GTN 750. companion product that’s something with growth into the double digits It’s obvious from the photos that we weren’t sure was even possible, and eight straight quarters of in- the GPS 175 and GNX 375 share the-black performance, the GTN design architecture and the according to AEA. Much easy way to describe them is as GTN of this growth has been navigators with the comm sections driven by ADS-B because removed. If there’s canniness to this, as owners haul their airplanes into the shop, they’re doing while-I’m- The GNX 375, below, and GPS here upgrades, to include 175 have identical interfaces. electronic gyros, mapcomms, transponders and Both will display ADS-B traffic, so forth. left, but the 375 is distinguished But Garmin, and prob- by transponder controls.

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 15 With an onboard transponder, upper left, the 175 is shallow—only the GNX 375, left, bottom box, is 6.58 inches from the panel face to deeper than the GPS 175. the rear of the connector backshell. That means it ought to fit into anything without doing major mechani- or the size of older navcomms like cal and electrical violence behind the BendixKing KX155, which is the panel. With that in mind, still flying in many aircraft. Garmin also made sure the 175 will The GPS 175 isn’t pin-for-pin on work with just about every indicator the older navigators it’s designed and autopilot still out there, from to replace; it’s a little too complex old Cessna 300-series autopilots it’s that Garmin sees the size of for that. But it will fit in place of a right through the GFC 500. And these new boxes as a critical market GPS 155, the old UPSAT GX50/55 yes to the BendixKing KI 204/209 driver. Both are the standard 6.25- and the BendixKing KLN 89/90/94 and even—gasp—old Narco VOA inch rack width and 2 inches high, navigators. As shown in the photo at needles. More modern EFIS gear is

HOW GARMIN TOOK OVER THE WORLD With the introduction of the GPS be. Trimble, ARNAV, Northstar and so, too, so it bought UPSAT, re- 175 and the upscale GNX 375, Gar- Magellan never developed serious named the CNX80 as the GNS 480 min has done two things: invented follow-on products, either for lack and soon killed it. a new product category and come of will or a belief that the market In 2004, the battle over inte- full circle as an avionics company wasn’t worth the investment. In gration was joined and won by, over the course of a quarter century. 1994, BendixKing still owned the surprise, Garmin. BendixKing and Oh, and it has left the competition avionics market with the vaunted Avidyne both attempted integra- for dead. How did this happen? It Silver Crown products. Garmin tion with modular systems that hardly seems possible that we once had no navcomms and a limited could or had to use others’ naviga- wrote a headline—in 1998—com- GPS panel-mount line. But it was a tors. But that same year, Garmin’s plaining of too many choices in company on the move. In 1998, Gar- G1000 appeared as the new King the GPS panel- min unveiled the Dog of integrated avionics and mount market seminal GNS 430, soon became the de facto standard with too little the world’s first OEM panel. value. color mapcomm— Avidyne actually had a simpler, Two years ear- a word we had to easier-to-use EFIS in the Entegra— lier, we reported invent to describe or so we thought in a head-to- on seven GPS it. It wasn’t cheap, head review—but Garmin simply panel products from five manu- either. At $9995, it was the equiva- overwhelmed it with marketing and facturers. Two decades later, those lent of $15,500 in 2019 dollars. support horsepower. manufacturers are gone and one is The new GPS 175 costs a third of The panel GPS market languished a shadow of what it once was. that. Despite the GNS’s high price, until Garmin introduced the GTN Garmin did it with an unending the market lost its mind and the line in 2011. Sales wise, these parade of new products—some just 430, and the follow-on 530, fell weren’t as spectacular as the GNS competent, some spectacular—but into a bottomless pit of demand. boxes had been, but they were mainly because the competition BendixKing responded respectably the only new mapcomms around was somnambulant. with the KLN89B and the KLN94, until Avidyne introduced the IFD Consider the market state in mid- but compared to Garmin’s sales, line, which still gives Garmin some 1994. Garmin introduced the GPS these were lesser players. And while competition. 155/165 IFR-capable GPS navigators it did develop some large-screen Because their high price and large and were the first to gain approach displays—the KMD 555 and 850— size crowded the GTNs—at least the approval. But BendixKing, IIMor- these were never mainstreamers. 750—out of many panels, Garmin row, Trimble, ARNAV, Northstar and Serious competition came found an opening: owners with Magellan had credible navigators, from UPSAT, the former IIMorrow good radios who needed approach- even if Garmin bested them on bought by the package company capable GPS and/or mandate-com- capability. to develop tracking technology for pliant ADS-B. While sales success We assumed the point-counter- its trucks. In 2003, it introduced the isn’t a given, it sure looks like just point of competition would distill CNX80, an FMS-style integrated as it did with the GNS series and the the best products and consumers navigator that we thought bested G1000, Garmin hit the market with would be the winners. It wasn’t to Garmin’s GNS 530. Garmin thought the right product at the right time.

16 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019 also supported, including the Aspen ON THE HORIZON EFDs and Sandel EHSIs. The interface is straight out of the GTN playbook. It’s a color touch- MGF HUD: screen display measuring 4.8 inches on the diagonal and has pinch scrolling and scaling. That’s a little Credible Contender tight on a screen that small, but it’s doable. The 175 has keys and com- mands identical to the GTN series This HUD is easy to use and works well, but do and has the look and feel of Gar- min’s Pilot tablet app. light airplane drivers really want the capability? Speaking of that, both boxes have Garmin’s Connext network that uses MGF aims to find out. Bluetooth to talk to peripherals, including Garmin’s 796/795/660 aera by Paul Bertorelli portables and the FltPlan Go app through a tablet. That means you he head-up display or HUD is lot can look through the display and can dump a flight plan from the tab- all but standard equipment in see critical data such as attitude and let to the navigator easily. That ap- Tairliners and business jets, but airspeed while avoiding the distrac- plies to updating the database with it has proven a resilient non-starter tion of looking down at the panel. the tablet, too, using Garmin’s Flight in light aircraft general aviation. We The display has to be engineered in Stream 510 in the 175’s memory slot. would guess this is because pilots such a way that the data appears don’t see a burning need for HUDs TRAFFIC AND WEATHER and, thus far, none have worked very As ADS-B reaches its crescendo, well. The MGF HUD, bottom photo, Garmin addressed that in two MGF—MyGoFlight Products— mounts to the cabin ceiling just ways. First, the 175 will talk to the hopes to reset that clock with its aft of the windshield line. The GTX 345 1090ES transponders or SkyDisplay HUD aimed dead center data crunching is done by a two- the GDL 88 UAT box, displaying at the light aircraft and small turbine both traffic and weather from those market. It’s intended as an afford- pound computer, top, that lives devices. That includes Garmin’s Tar- able option, but at $25,000 installed, behind the panel. All of the hard- getTrend, which plots vector lines for some might argue the point. ware is commercial off-the-shelf nearby traffic to help with avoiding We recently flew the SkyDisplay product adapted for aviation use. when seeing isn’t working. in a Cirrus SR22 with MGF owner For owners who don’t yet have Charlie Schneider and conclude if ADS-B—quite a few, still—the GNX any light plane drivers really want a 375 is simply the 175 with the tran- HUD and if MGF gets past the certi- sponder tacked on the back. That fication hurdles, the SkyDisplay is a makes it deeper—10.85 inches to the functional if not perfect device. connectors—but everything else is Anyone who has attended the big identical to the 175. The transponder aviation shows will know MGF as is essentially Garmin’s GTX 345, a purveyor of flight bags, GPS and which has proven a killer app in the camera mounts and other such gad- avionics market thanks to the com- gets. Because the company designs bination of a good price and reliable and builds at least some of its own installations and interface. products, it has developed a cottage At $7995, the GNX 375 is likely industry industrial base that Schnei- to attract owners who want updated der told us he applied to creating the GPS navigation and who’ve been SkyDisplay. dragging their feet on ADS-B, or so HUDs are simple Garmin believes. Garmin said both in concept, but not of these products were expected so simple to engi- to be available in April and as an neer and install. additional pot sweetener, it’s allow- They’re basically ing dealers to sell the GPS 175 over an optical projec- the counter so owners can buy it tor that displays directly and have a local A&P install an informationally it. Shops might not like that, but a compressed flight sale is a sale, and it shows Garmin is data display on a ready to compete with Dynon, who’s glass screen called doing the same thing with a full-up a combiner. The EFIS system. idea is that the pi-

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 17 BANK ANGLE

ALTITUDE TAPE PITCH LADDER FLIGHT DIRECTOR CUE (MAGENTA)

AIRSPEED TAPE

ZERO PITCH LINE FLIGHT PATH MARKER (GREEN)

ENGINE PARAMETERS

Photographing a HUD in action is harder than finding flight path marker and the flight director cue. The flight black holes and Leprechauns. The above image is a path marker depicts where the aircraft flight vector is computer-generated frame from our trial flight in the headed, while the flight director cue indicates what SR22. It depicts industry-standard symbology that al- the autopilot is commanding, whether it’s flying the lows the use of only two colors, green and magenta. In airplane or not. flight, the above imagery is superimposed on what the The pitch ladder is a direct indication of pitch up pilot sees through the windshield. or down and the zero pitch line indicates level flight. The basic functionality is similar to the pilot’s primary Heading is shown in three formats: the HSI at the bot- flight display, but with information compressed into tom of the page and in digital repeaters above the HSI a smaller image. Central to the HUD’s appeal are the and under the bank angle indication. almost at infinity, so as to be an aid, is crunched by a computer that’s clag, you can flip the combiner up not a distraction. mounted behind the panel. The and complete the landing visually. MGF’s iteration of this technology SkyDisplay uses ARINC 429 data Or use it as a reference all the way to uses commercial off-the-shelf hard- from the navigators and serial data the runway. Call us old school, but ware from the automotive industry between the PFD and the autopilot we would do the former. Using it for for the projector and a purpose-built, so it can tell what the flight director landing and takeoff, while possibly cabin ceiling-mounted bracket to tie is commanding. The refresh rate, of some benefit, tends to encourage the projector and combiner to- says Schneider, is 16 MHz, so there’s obsessing over data at the expense of gether. MGF sources the components no noticeable latency in the display. having a feel for the airplane, which offshore, makes some of its own Schneider says he doesn’t know we think is something desirable in parts and assembles the HUD at its if all avionics manufacturers will a light piston aircraft. Heavier and Denver headquarters. allow access to their high-speed bus faster aircraft are different and more Schneider told us each aircraft data, but he believes SkyDisplay will likely to benefit from disciplined use will require a dedicated bracket function adequately with slower data of a HUD. and the company plans to provide MGF can access from newer naviga- That said, MGF might find some these for popular models, although tors, such as Garmin’s GTN series traction among owners who fly the full model list isn’t fleshed out and the just-announced GPS 175. serious IFR, especially at night, and yet. He says the first approvals are In flying it, we adapted quickly, al- from pilots who just like gadgets. expected this summer. The HUD though it takes discipline to actually The device performs as claimed, but is attached through posts bonded use the data effectively. On a couple we doubt if it will rise to the must- to the cabin ceiling via a mounting of approaches, keeping the flight di- have equipment category. bracket. rector cue inside—or at least near— In the legacy SR22 we flew, the the flight path marker kept the air- See a video of the HUD in ac- airplane’s Avidyne Entegra and Gar- plane on rails to DA or MDA. Once tion at http://tinyurl.com/j95ht2a. min 430s provided the data, which the runway looms up through the

18 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST

There is a definite cost savings—nearly half— comparing retreads with factory-new tires. It can be argued that retreads might be more durable than new tires. Retreading is environmen- tally friendly, conserving far more oil than building a new tire.

ness, the speed of the touchdown, temperature and the load on the tire. If you haven’t shopped for new aircraft tires, you’ll find that com- Tire Retreads: pared to auto, truck and SUV tires, they may seem a bit pricey for their small size. There are sizable differences. While it’s tempting to com- Strong, Cheaper pare aircraft tires with car or truck tires, the comparison is flawed. The airline industry long ago recognized that The applications are very different and so aircraft tire design is rather retreaded tires are a substantial cost savings over different from vehicle tire design. An important consideration in tire new tires. The same can be said for GA ops. design is heat dissipation. Most of the heat is generated in by Jim Cavanagh a tire by the flexing of the tread as it contacts the ground and again ncluded on the FAA-approved airplane is a little cockeyed on land- when it rolls off contact with the Owner Maintenance List is tire ing, the tires sustain tremendous ground. Car tires are designed to Ireplacement. With basic tools side loads, far greater than ever ex- run for hours without overheating and a couple of specialty items that pected of an auto tire. The tires have and one way that’s done is by limit- many of us have already, changing to be balanced to eliminate wobble, ing the deflection to only about 17 your tires can be a relatively quick which can be quite pronounced at percent. and easy thing to do. In addition to landing speeds and can transfer Aircraft tires don’t need to run saving the labor costs, you can save vibration to the airframe, creating for hours. In fact, they only have to even more by replacing tires with shaky rollouts. There’s plenty of handle a taxi to takeoff followed by retreads. engineering involved. The tires are the takeoff roll, or a landing roll fol- Retreads aren’t just for the designed by computer for differ- lowed by a taxi back to parking. In 18-wheel trailer trucks. These days ent loads and speeds, and the tread both cases, they have sufficient time they can be a high-quality option design is optimized for landing on to cool before they’re called upon to for light aircraft that results in a the different surfaces we see in our perform again. Aircraft tires aren’t sizable value if you understand the operations. designed to handle a maximum- technology and buy from the right And they must be as small and braking-effort abort. If you abort a sources. Here’s an overview. as light as possible because they in- takeoff and use maximum brak- duce drag on a fixed-gear airplane LIVING A TOUGH LIFE and occupy space and add weight to A tech at Desser Tire and Rub- Aircraft tires are highly engineered retracts. Tires are a combination of and are remarkably strong for their rubber, steel and cloth, all built into ber Company works on fresh size. They often go from 0 MPH to a design that creates a stable and retreads in the main image. 80 or more MPH in an instant with- strong unit. The company’s Monster series out distorting enough to come off How a tire wears depends on a of the rim, plus they have to hold multitude of factors, including the aircraft tire is the thickest in pressure at these high speeds. If the basic rubber formulation and hard- the industry, for around $100.

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 19 That’s a retread in the Shearogra- phy Measuring System machine in the top photo, and a check of new rubber depth gauge in the middle. The tire at the bottom is ultimately rejected during the weathering check portion of inspection.

IT’S ABOUT THE SAVINGS Tire retreading is such a big industry there’s an entire organization (TRIB, for Tire Retread and Repair Information Bureau) dedicated to the cause. The website, www. retread.org, is a good source of reference. According to TRIB, a retreaded tire generally sells for between 30 and 50 percent less than comparable new tires. Additionally, retread folks claim that not only are retreads no worse than new tires, they may actually have a few advantages. Every retread candidate is carefully inspected and only the best carcass- es are chosen. And, some studies have found that the stretching of inflation increases the tensile strength of the nylon plies, so a used carcass is actually stronger than a new one. It’s easy to argue that retreads may be better than bottom-feeding the new tire market. For instance, a value tire like a lower-end McCreary or the house brand at Aircraft Spruce (to name just one supplier) is easier on the checkbook in the short term, and if you do the exchange yourself it may Tubeless tires seem like a smoking good deal, but are also almost in the long term this tire might not universal for last nearly as many cycles (think cars but not landings) as a more expensive widely used tire—say a Michelin or Goodyear in airplanes. Flight Special or Flight Custom, for That’s because example. a tubeless tire And don’t just go by the brand. requires an Based on my experience swapping airtight wheel. my own rubber, within their lines Most light most companies have both a premi- aircraft wheels um and an economy tire. We’ll look consist of two at new tires in a separate article. For halves that now, we’ll concentrate on retreads. bolt together There is a wide range of pricing and few are for new tires—anywhere from $85 designed to to $300 per tire—so changing all ing effort, most tire manufacturers be airtight. Tubeless tires show up three could get a bit pricey. Add recommend a tire inspection and, on a wider variety of aircraft than tubes and labor to the project and for heavier aircraft, a mandatory radials—King Airs, Conquests and you will see this firsthand, plus tire change. Aerostars, for example. how quickly the invoice will grow.

20 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019 Retread tires, on the other hand, are a warehouse was opened priced at roughly half the cost of a in Memphis, Tennessee, in new tire. 1989 to serve the eastern I know that owners with high- and southern parts of the end aircraft or perhaps a show- country. Murillo told us that plane may scoff at retreads. Still, in Desser sells over 100,000 all fairness this process—retreading tires a year to pilots in 85 or recapping as some call it—has countries. The company has been around nearly as long as we been highly visible in Trade- have had tires and it has proven to A-Plane for years and has be an effective economy. earned a good reputation Moreover, major airlines and among shops. commercial operations often Desser gets its cores from depend on retreads to reduce this airports, mechanics, own- consistent maintenance cost. In ers and wherever else it can find That’s the fresh Desser Monster general for airline ops, a good core them. But it can’t take just any tire. model retread sidewall and tread can be retreaded up to 10 times at a The core has to be good, with no pattern shown here. fraction of the cost of a whole new tread or belt punctures, no sidewall tire. punctures, no torn or ragged belts, In fact, a couple of airlines have no damaged beads, and it must be mold with a new rubber compound maintenance contracts with tire evenly worn. Desser prefers to buy where lettering and tread grooves companies to provide and replace its cores in numbers on pallets, but are formed, the tire is cooked. tires at regular intervals and they the company also has a group of This bonds the new rubber to the work with dispatchers to organize owners who send their tires in for prepared core. The length of this the downtime without involv- the retread process. process depends on the size of the ing regular crew. The old tires are tire. removed, processed, retreaded and THE RETREAD PROCESS For the new tread, a high-perfor- reinstalled in cycles. I was told that When a core comes in it gets mance rubber compound is used, as many as 95 percent of all tires cleaned and visually inspected. and Murillo told us that the retread used by the airlines are retreads. The tire gets spread open so that a tire should actually get consider- During my research I spoke close inspection can be taken of the ably longer life than OEM tires. The with Jose Murillo of Desser Tire inside. If it’s good so far, the tire is number of grooves in the tire de- and Rubber. Desser has been in then put through a Shearography pends on its type and part number. the tire business since 1920. The machine, which determines if any Out of the mold, a tire is company has a long history selling belts have moved or slipped. trimmed, visually inspected, bal- new and used tires and a number Causes for rejection include any anced and put through the Shearog- of other rubber products. Around worn core layers, weather checking raphy machine again to check for 20 years ago, Desser began to focus and sidewall damage. Once ap- thorough bonding, ensuring there on aircraft tires—both new and proved, the core, or carcass, is put are no gaps or bubbles. Then it is retreads—in hopes of becoming a on a machine that shaves it to a checked for leaks and painted. The diverse market leader. consistent roundness. name of the retreader is generally Since reliable distribution is criti- Starting with a good, perfectly imprinted on the side of the tire. cal in the tire replacement business, round core, and the tire put in a

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 21 HOW MUCH SAVINGS? INDUSTRY NEWS If a tire has enough tread remaining but is damaged, a repair might be made. Desser said it’s able to repair some tires through its sister company Aero Wheel and Brake Service. This is an FAA repair station and is able to issue an FAA Form 8130-3 for every repaired tired it sends out, going as far as snapping a photo of the tire and the paperwork before shipping it out. I present this overview of the retread process to make the point that aircraft retreads are not cheap repairs; rather they are fully certified, well-built products with decades of experience in both commercial and GA operations. Think about it— when was the last time you ever saw a “road gator” thrown casing laying alongside a runway? It just doesn’t happen. As for bottom-line savings, I checked the prices on Desser-sup- plied factory-new tires. Using the ubiquitous 6.00 by 6, 6-ply tire as a Piper’s New Trainer: sample I found that a Michelin Air was $185, a Superhawk (Specialty Tires of America) was $232 and a New Glass and Engine Goodyear Flight Custom III was $228.43. Starting at $259,000 the three-seat Piper Comparable retreads from Desser range from $90 to $103, and the 100-series sports a Continental IO-370 and company offers their “Monster” tire, which has a thick 11/32-inch Garmin G3X Touch avionics. tread thickness—the thickest in the industry—priced from $92 to $104. by Larry Anglisano This shows that retreads are about half the price of new tires. n an otherwise under- trainers are misplaced in the train- Desser also sells tailwheel tires, a whelming first day at the ing environment. newly approved retread process for OSun ‘n Fun fly-in this past But the familiar and reliable-dis- a new smooth Tundra tire for Piper April, Piper surprised the press by patch PA-28 airframe is a different Cub drivers who want to land on unveiling its new 100-series train- story. It retains Archer styling (less sandbars or unimproved surfaces in er—the Pilot 100 and Pilot 100i. the third window—it’s gone on the rough terrain. Tires of all sizes and At first blush these airplanes Pilot) and the student-friendly air- for nearly all aircraft uses can be resemble Piper’s venerable PA-28 frame design that mechanics know found on its website, www.desser. Archer, which isn’t necessarily a how to wrench. com. bad thing in the training environ- Murillo told us that growing ment for which they’re aimed. But ENTER CONTINENTAL numbers of buyers are having a a closer look reveals sizable dif- While the Textron Cessna Skyhawk couple of sets of tires retreaded so ferences compared to the current has slumped, Piper has achieved that they can remove a set and send $369,000 Archer TX. sizable success selling both the it in for retreading while they run Price aside (the VFR-only Pilot Warrior and Archer in the training on the second set. Four cycles with 100 is $259,000 and the IFR-equi- market, and the new Pilot series is two sets offers a lot of extended life ped 100i is $289,000), the models aimed at small flight schools that for the investment. For comparison have new avionics, a new Continen- shopping, Desser will quote a price tal engine and a three-place cabin for retreading your tires when you configured with an observer station. The Piper Pilot 100i, lead call. Forget about LSAs, at least for photo, is based on the famil- Our special thanks to Jose Murillo at the training environment, suggests Dresser Tire for providing the photos for Piper president Simon Caldecott, iar Archer airframe but that’s this article. who thinks light sport-derived where the similarities end.

22 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019 The Pilot 100i model comes with Garmin’s G3X Touch integrated avionics and a center stack suited for instrument flying. It includes the GFC500 autopilot, G5 EFIS backup and Garmin’s newly introduced GNX375 WAAS IFR navigator with ADS-B In and Out. want a new glass cockpit airplane model 100 is that’s engined to stand the test of equipped with time between overhauls. VFR-limited The Continental Prime certified avionics, includ- engine series was introduced in ing a Garmin 2017, and the Prime nomenclature GTR225 comm simply represents a new name for radio and GTX335R transponder Perspective-equipped SR20 are at a Continental’s line of components. with ADS-B In and Out. record high in the training market. The IO-370-D3A Prime to be But the $259,000 Pilot 100 still We flew the re-engined SR20 for a used on the Pilot 100 makes 180 gets the G3X Touch with a 10.6- report in the June 2017 Aviation Con- HP at 2700 RPM. The TBO is 2200 inch PFD/MFD with electronic sumer and found it smooth-running hours. Piper’s Caldecott pointed charting, synthetic vision and no and efficient, burning 8.5 GPH. out that the company thought long autopilot. For an additional $9500, But schools will pay a hefty pre- and hard for over three years about schools can equip the Pilot with mium for a Cirrus. The 2019 Cirrus which engine and avionics it would a third observation seat and a SR20 is priced starting at $454,900 use in the trainer, which had to be GMA245R remote audio panel with with 10-inch displays. The Premium priced well south of $300,000—a Bluetooth. package is priced at $554,900 with price that might be the sweet spot The premium for the IFR-capable 12-inch displays and a 4-in-1 standby for healthy flight schools. “There gear in the Pilot 100i boosts the EFIS system. is nobody else there at that price price to $289,000. It includes the point,” Caldecott said. Garmin GFC500 autopilot with EXPECT LOW VOLUME He also reiterated that fuel ESP envelope protection, a GTR225 Don’t expect Piper to crank out hun- injection is standard on the new secondary comm radio and a dreds of Pilot trainers any time soon, 100-series aircraft, but optional on GMA245R remote audio control even though Piper has made modern the Archer. In our view, every buyer panel with Bluetooth. For backup, improvements to its production line. might fully expect fuel injection the suite includes the Garmin G5 This includes upgraded machinery, as standard. The IO-370 engine is EFIS. while converting to the 3D plastic mated to a Sensenich two-blade printing process. Trimming the pro- fixed prop. VERSUS CIRRUS, FOR duction costs simply lowered the cost HALF THE PRICE of the airplane, Piper said. GARMIN G3X TOUCH Selecting the Continental for the Caldecott reiterated that produc- While Garmin was showing off the Pilot 100 is somewhat opposite of tion will be initially limited to 25 once-experimental but now STC’d what Cirrus did in 2017 when it re- Pilots per year, while it continues G3X Touch integrated avionics engined its SR20 with a Lycoming building Archers for larger flight retrofit in a Grumman Tiger at the IO-390, ditching the Continental schools. Deliveries of the Pilot, certi- show, Piper had the suite lit up in IO-360ES. At Sun ‘n Fun, Cirrus fied under Part 23, are expected in the Pilot 100i on display. The basic told us sales of the G1000 NXi the first half of 2020.

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 23 USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE

Cessna 182 Skylane: CHECKLIST

From early straight-tails to G1000 models, the market is littered Just about any Skylane with fixed-gear Skylanes at a variety of price points. can haul an impressive load.

t’s easy to see why the vener- reach the beginning of the 182 You would be hard- able Cessna 182 Skylane is an evolutionary history. The fact that pressed to find a shop that Ieasy choice for a wide variety of it looks like a giant Skyhawk which can’t work on a Cessna missions. From the oldest Skylane itself looks like an inflated 150 182. to the current all-glass model shows that Cessna just did what it that flirts with $500,000, a 182 does best: It built on its experience Expect speed? You won’t has good hauling capability, good with previous designs and scaled find it in a 182. Later turbo dispatch reliability and a relatively them up. The 182 evolved from the models will only cruise in comfortable cabin, plus mainte- 180 taildragger, so Cessna added the mid-150-knot range. nance shops know how to work on the tri-gear, redesigned and relo- it. That covers a lot of bases. cated the exhaust and reworked the Except for its intolerance for mis- fuel vent system. Wet wings were management on and around the used to hold fuel. 1956, the average price was just runway—giving it a not so respec- With the new gear, the 182 de- under $17,000. That’s equivalent ful ranking in the NTSB reports— veloped a nose-heavy tendency and to about $158,000 in 2019 dollars. we suspect buyers are comfortable Cessna never did sort this out. Obviously, given the price of the with long-term Skylane ownership. Even new ones require deft trim- new 182T, aircraft prices have far For many, it’s as far up outstripped inflation. the pecking order as In the first 182s, power they’ll go in their flying was provided by a 230-HP careers. Skylanes are prized for short and rough Continental O-470-L, an These days, you can engine that proved to be buy a 182 with a full airfield operation and deservedly so. such a worthy choice that G1000 glass panel and a some variant of it was re- luxe interior for a price tained until the airplane in the high $300Ks. A went out of production big investment, to be sure, but far ming or the lazy pilot risks smash- in 1986. The engine remains eas- less money (and far less speed) ing the nosegear into the runway ily overhaulable, for prices under than a new Cirrus SR22, as one and crow hopping down the strip. $30,000. example. It’s not unusual to see an older 182 With its straight tail and win- with repaired gear and firewall due dowless back, the original 182 MODEL HISTORY to a nose prang. looks like an antique, but Cessna Wind the clock back to 1956 to When the airplane appeared in soon sleeked it up with a rakish

24 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com JanuaryMay 2019 USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE CESSNA 182

9 ft. 1.5 in.

35 ft. 10 in.

Drawings courtesy schemedesigners.com

25 ft. 4.5 in.

CESSNA 182 SELECT MODEL HISTORY MODEL YEAR ENGINE TBO OVERHAUL FUEL USEFUL LOAD CRUISE TYPICAL RETAIL 1956-1959 182 A,B CONT 230-HP O-470-L 1500 $25,000 55 1010 117-120 KTS ±$31,000 1960-1965 182 C-H CONT 230-HP O-470-L 1500 $25,000 65-84 1090-1190 123 KTS ±$34,000 1966-1969 182 J-M CONT 230-HP O-470-R 1500 $25,000 65-84 1175 123 KTS ±$41,000 1970-1971 182 N CONT 230-HP O-470-R 1500 $25,000 65-84 1310 121 KTS ±$44,000 1972-1974 182 P CONT 230-HP O-470-R 1500 $25,000 61-80 1169 123 KTS ±$46,000 1975-1976 182 PII CONT 230-HP O-470-S 1500 $25,000 61-80 1169 125 KTS ±$57,000 1977-1980 182 QII CONT 230-HP O-470-U 2000 $25,000 61-80 1169-1390 121 KTS ±$70,000 1981-1986 182 RII CONT 230-HP O-470-U 2000 $25,000 92 1373 124 KTS ±$84,000 1981-1985 T-182 RII LYC 235-HP O-540-L3C5D 2000 $30,000 92 1319 157 KTS ±$85,000 1997-2000 182 S LYC 230-HP IO-540-AB1A5 2000 $35,000 88 1210 140 KTS ±$140,000 2001-2005 182 T LYC 230-HP IO-540-AB1A5 2000 $35,000 92 1025 140 KTS ±$160,000 2001-2005 T182 T LYC 235-HP TIO-540-AK1A 2000 $40,000 92 1025 159 KTS ±$190,000 2006-2009 182 T LYC 230-HP IO-540-AB1A5 2000 $35,000 92 1130 145 KTS ±$280,000 2006-2009 T182 T LYC 235-HP TIO-540-AK1A 2000 $40,000 92 1025 159 KTS ±$375,000 2009-2013 182 T LYC 230-HP IO-540-AB1A5 2000 $35,000 92 1025 159 KTS ±$360,000

RESALE VALUES SELECT RECENT ADs (S-MODEL) 200K– 1978 182Q 1997 182 S – AD 08-26-10 ALTERNATE AIR SELECTOR VALVE 80K – – AD 07-05-10 SEAT BACK LOCK ASSEMBLIES 60K – – 40K – AD 04-15-10 BENDIX/KING KAP140 AUTOPILOT – 20K – SPAR CAP ANGLE 2000 2005 2010 2015 2019 AD 98-16-04 STIFFENER INSPECTION SELECT MODEL COMPARISONS

PAYLOAD/FULL FUEL CRUISE SPEEDS PRICE COMPARISONS CESSNA 182 CESSNA 182 1986 CESSNA 182R ($105,000) CESSNA 177 CESSNA 177 1977 CESSNA 177B ($39,000) PIPER ARCHER PIPER ARCHER 1986 PIPER ARCHER ($60,000) PIPER DAKOTA PIPER DAKOTA 1986 PIPER DAKOTA ($110,000) CIRRUS SR22 CIRRUS SR22 2001 CIRRUS SR22 ($110,000) 600 700 800 900 130 140 150 160 60K 80K 100K 120K

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That’s an early 182S retrofit- ted with an Aspen PFD and Avidyne GPS, top, and a mid- 2000s model with Garmin G1000 glass, bottom.

it used thinner aluminum for the skins and converted from sheet aluminum to roll aluminum, which was cheaper. That also yielded an airplane with more surface imperfections, which ended the days of polished metal airplanes. Full paint jobs became standard, to hide the dim- ples. The new airplanes were only 10 pounds heavier than the old ones but performance actually suf- fered, with reduced climb, takeoff performance and service ceiling. The 1963 182F sported a thicker, came out in 1959. one-piece windshield and back A swept tail was window, a standard T-panel and added in 1960 to an increase in horizontal stabilizer make the 182C; span of 10 inches. Flap pre-select it was basically also became standard. From the F a styling move, model forward, until the S arrived since the swept tail in 1997, changes were less dramat- degraded spin re- ic. The G model had an available covery and reduced kiddie seat for the baggage bay, rudder power. The while the 182H got an alternator to gear continued replace the generator. to be a problem, so in 1961, it was TURBOCHARGING, NEW ERA lowered again, by The next significant upgrade was another 4 inches, with the 1970 182N model. Gross tailfin and the classic rear win- on the 182D. weight was increased to 2950 dow everyone loves. Gross weight As it did with other models, pounds and the spring-steel gear was was 2550 pounds, compared to Cessna put a rear window (Omni- swapped for tapered tubular steel the modern Skylane max takeoff Vision) on the airplane in 1962, legs that allowed more fore-and-aft weight of 3110 pounds. (More on with the 182E. This airplane was a movement. that later.) significant upgrade over the earlier Track was widened again, to 13.5 Cessna embarked upon a con- 182s and these are often thought feet, improving ground handling tinuing improvement program, of as “modern” Skylanes. The fuse- somewhat. In 1972, a leading- introducing new model designa- lage was widened 4 inches and the edge cuff was added to the wing tions every couple of years. The cabin floor lowered by nearly one to improve low-speed handling, 182A saw redesigned gear with a inch to make more interior room. resulting in the 182P, a variant that wider track and a lower stance, Electric flaps became standard, stayed in production through 1976. with the mains 4 inches shorter the panel layout was updated and The dorsal fin was extended and and the nosegear 2 inches shorter. the adjustable stabilizer of the the cowling was shock mounted. The 182A got an external baggage original gave way to a trim tab. The In 1981, the 182R got another door and a 100-pound higher gross gear was beefed up (again) and the gross weight boost to 3100 pounds weight. gross weight was boosted to 2800 and an increase in standard fuel In 1958, the Skylane name was pounds. A different engine variant, capacity, to 88 gallons, stored in applied—prior to this, the airplane the O-470-R, was fitted. The 182E wet wings. The bladders, which was simply called the 182—and a also had a redesigned fuel system, had been a problem, were dropped deluxe version with wheel pants, with bladders and the availabil- in 1978. Cessna also switched over standard radios and full paint in- ity of auxiliary fuel, which raised to a 28-volt electrical system. A stead of the trim over bare alumi- capacity to 84 gallons. turbocharged version was added to num bettered the basic 182. Cessna also made changes that the line in 1981, the T-182RII, pow- The 182B, with cowl flaps, weren’t as obvious. To save weight, ered by a Lycoming O-540 produc-

26 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com January 2019 USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE

Later-model Skylanes (top and bottom photos) come standard with three-blade propellers and stylish interiors, but at a slight weight penalty. The cabin shot at the bottom is in a 2015 model year 182T.

ing 235 HP. Production ended in 1986 with the 182R. In 1997, when Cessna reentered the market, it introduced a newly retooled Skylane for the next century. The changes were substantial, some cosmetic, some not. The big- gest change was dropping the reliable O-470 for a 230-HP Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5; no surprise there, since Cessna and Lycoming share the same parent company, Textron. But the change improved one mid-160s (knots) thing. The O-470s were quite in the teens. susceptible to carb icing and the Maintenance injected Lycoming solved that. But wise, the 182S has like the O-470, the Lycoming is a proved the target bit of a fuel hog. of a number of Further, the Lycs are known for Cessna service lunching cams at the mid-time bulletins, with point, which the TCM engines most of the work don’t typically do. Also, the Con- being covered tinental is a smoother-running under warranty. engine, in our view. Thus far, we’ve Cosmetically, Cessna did away heard no signifi- with the old Royalite instru- cant beefs related ment panels, replacing them with to unusual main- painted metal. The interior—seats tenance problems. and cabin panels—is much im- The BendixKing proved, as is the instrumentation. avionics in the Interior surfaces are now treated new Skylane (172 with epoxy-based anti-corrosion and 206, too) turned out to be MARKET SURVEY materials. hugely problematic. So much so The market may have been more The latest 182 also has sealed that Cessna eventually switched to well delineated when the 182 ap- wet wings, not bladders, making Garmin’s G1000 and never looked peared but it’s a jumble now. There us wonder if owners will encoun- back. are so many used and new airplanes ter leaks as the sealants age, as Cessna teased the market with available, it’s hard to know what to happens to Mooney owners. To the $530,000 182 JT-A diesel- compare the 182 to. The Skylane get water out of the system, the engine model, but ultimately put still offers lots of interior space airplane has no fewer than 12 the program on hold indefinitely. and an unusually flexible payload/ separate drains, five on each wing Test aircraft have flown with the range combination that explains its tank and two at the bottom of the 227-horsepower SMA SR305 turbo- enduring appeal. cowling. Although gross weight of charged engine, but a turbocharger Late-model Skylanes have de- the airplane is 3100 pounds, its failure (resulting in an off-field preciated to the point that a 1997 S typical empty weight is substan- landing) seemed to be the begin- model can be had for $135,000 or tially higher than earlier models ning of Cessna’s FAA certification less. That’s a good value when you so it carries less than, say, an early troubles. Worth noting is this en- consider that one 10 years older—a 1980s RII. Speedwise, the normally gine has operated pretty well under lesser airplane, in our view—sells aspirated model is respectable, European approval. for roughly half that. cruising at just under 140 knots Textron currently offers the For equivalent capability, buyers on 16 to 17 GPH. One reader told G1000-equipped 182T at a base may or may not favor Cessnas over us the turbo 182 is capable of the price north of $500,000. Pipers. An average-equipped 1979

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 27 USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE

air miles in the 88-gallon versions. That’s more endurance than most owners can muster. Skylanes are prized for short and rough field ops and deservedly so. Longtime reader David T. Chuljian flogs his L-Model ‘Lane into the Idaho outback with good results. The prop is well clear of the ground and the gear is high enough to keep antennas out of the muck. If need be, the wheelpants can be removed. But still, it ain’t no traildrag- ger. The nosegear will take some hits on rough strips. A late-model 182 will get over a 50-foot obstacle in only 1115 feet; add a third more for safety margin and you’re still comfortably under 2000 feet. Initial rate of climb is good, thanks to the high horsepower, but it was better in the early models than the later ones, thanks to significantly higher gross weights. But later models—the 182P and forward—have greater fuel capacity and higher gross weights and thus offer more loading/range flexibility. This, more than any other factor, makes the Skylane a first choice as a family airplane. It’s not much good to blaze along at 160 knots if you can only carry three people. Although the CG range in the 182 series is adequate, the air- No pavement? No problem. A ing the ability to shoot a modern planes tend toward forward CG; Skylane can handle backcountry GPS approach, plus the ADS-B po- ballast or bags in the baggage turf just as well as big-airport sition source dilemma, since WAAS compartment help. Speaking of is required. which, the baggage compart- pavement. If you’re going older, most buy- ment is large and easily accessible ers seeking a practical, use-it-often through an exterior door. (The airplane won’t want a museum seals, when old, may leak and Skylane will fetch about $71,000 piece, so that argues for a 182E or should be replaced.) while an early 1980s Piper Dakota later. If your budget allows up to Handling? We’re not talking has held its value, bringing as $90,000, the 1981 T-182 strikes us BMW-like. The 182 is a big, stable much at $110,000, despite the fact as a better combination of speed, airplane and it takes some effort the Cessna cost less when new. value and hauling ability than any to break it loose from anything Which Skylane model? That other airplane we can think of. You other than straight and level. And depends on your budget. As noted, might have to invest in modern even if you do, its draggy profile the latest models have started their avionics, or ones to your liking. means that speed builds slowly depreciation slide and are looking This could run an additional enough that only a somnambu- to be better values than ever. These $50,000—or more—for a ground- lant pilot could lose it in a dive. are well-equipped airplanes and up upgrade. The Skylane is heavy in pitch, so are quieter and more comfortable timely trimming is a must, espe- than the earlier Skylanes. PERFORMANCE, HANDLING cially prior to or during the land- For a real steal, look for 2005 If fast is your mantra, the Skylane ing flare. Get lazy in the flare and models with G1000 suites for won’t be your airplane. Flogged to the Skylane can slam the nosegear prices in the mid-$170Ks or less. the limit, these are 135-knot air- onto the pavement, buckling the But caveat emptor. Some aircraft planes, but more like 130 knots firewall and leading to a huge re- haven’t been upgraded to WAAS burning about 12 GPH. Range varies pair bill. Roll forces in the 182 are (the upgrade cost is staggering), with year and tankage, of course, but nothing unusual; think of a Sky- creating several problems, includ- typically, you can easily fly 900 still- hawk with stiff cables. In a turn,

28 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com January 2019 USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE

That’s the split rear seat and the baggage area in a 1960s vintage Skylane pictured here.

the Skylane will want to overbank if left alone but so slowly that you should never get behind it. As far as roll trim goes, fuel load and balance are important in the 182, particularly in airplanes with long-range tanks. The fuel system will self-siphon between tanks if the airplane is not parked on a level surface, so it’s possible to have an imbalance that won’t improve in flight. Even Cessna’s ex- cellent L-R-Both fuel selector won’t prevent the tanks from draining at different rates unless a single tank is selected. Transitioning from a Piper or smaller Cessna to a Skylane is a Ralph Kramden experience: You’ll and simplicity, definitely feel like a bus driver, the O-470 series albeit a regal one. The seats are is relatively high and upright and relatively inexpensive comfortable. Although visibility is to overhaul. good forward and out the win- One persistent dows, the panel and glareshield are weakness of the tall, requiring short pilots to use design, however, a booster seat. Heating is good for is the tendency the front-seat passengers, less so for of the carbure- the rear. Wing root vents provide tor to ice up. In plenty of ventilation but also leak carb ice condi- air during the winter, leading some tions, you have pilots to tape the inlets. Cessna to be on your fixed this in the newest Skylanes, toes in using which are tight, quiet and warm. carb heat—the accident history ENGINE, MAINTENANCE shows this. In all of general aviation, there are In its singles, Cessna wisely lation of additional drains and perhaps a handful of engine-air- adhered to the KISS theory for the the inspection of the bladders for frame combinations that are nearly fuel system. But early models still wrinkles. This is better known perfect. The 182/O-470 pairing is had their problems. The bladder as the “rock-and-roll” AD, for it one of them. Four variants of the fuel systems found on 1962 to also directed pilots of airplanes engine were used: the L, R, S and 1977 Skylanes didn’t fit well in the not so modified to go out to the U. The S (1975-1976) has been the wing bays, resulting in the possible wingtip and shake it up and down most troublesome because of its formation of a diagonal wrinkle to get the water to slosh over the revised piston ring configuration, across the bottom of the bladder. wrinkles. This Marx Brothers-like intended to cope with the introduc- Combine that with water leaks procedure is certain to cause seri- tion of low-lead fuel. The U variant due to deteriorated O-rings in the ous doubt in the minds of nervous (1977-on) is desirable because of flush fuel caps and you can see the passengers. a 2000-hour TBO, though earlier problem; the wrinkle acts as a dam Otherwise, the Skylane is engines are upgradeable from their to trap water that the pilot couldn’t relatively free of serious ADs. A 1500-hour TBO. It’s a rare Conti- remove during preflight sumping. few have cropped up recently, but nental that makes it to TBO without On rotation, the water would spill they’re one-time directives. AD 98- some form of top overhaul but as over the wrinkle, reach the fuel 1-14 calls for replacement of muf- big displacement engines go, the pick-up and choke the engine on flers; 98-1-1 mandates inspection O-470 is more likely than most to climbout. and possible replacement of the get by without a top. The FAA’s response (AD 84-10- alternate static air valve. Also of Because of its high population 01) was to mandate the instal- note are 97-21-2, inspection of cer-

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 29 USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE

tain cylinder installations; 97-15-1, SMASHED SKYLANES: HARD LANDINGS replacement of specified cylinders; Because of some careful engineer- issue landing number of 38. We and 96-12-22, recurrent inspection ing, the 182 series airplanes have think that’s high for a nosewheel of the oil filter adapter. a long center of gravity range, airplane. More recently, Continental had issues with valve lifters coming allowing the pilot much flexibility Nine 182 pilots went off the end apart and these impacted some in loading without going out of the of a runway, usually after coming O-470s. We’ve researched a sum- aft limit, as can be a problem with down final at the speed of heat and mary of ADs against the S-model some competitors. The upshot is floating down much of the runway Skylane. Although the number is that when flying alone, or with just before touching down. Three pilots seemingly large, none are espe- one passenger in the other front undershot the runway and dam- cially onerous. seat, the airplane is often near the aged their airplanes. forward CG limit. That has given the While nothing shocks us any- MODS, CLUBS airplane an unjustified reputation more, we did scratch our heads at The Skylane may hold the record for being “nose heavy.” the pilot who touched down short for having the most modifica- When any airplane is loaded of the runway, hit the 6-inch lip of tions available and many of them are good. The big-ticket items are near the forward CG limit it takes the pavement with the nosewheel, engines: replacing the stock O-470 a focused effort on the part of the broke it off and then went around. with a Continental O-520 or IO- pilot to raise the nose and actu- He knew he had a problem so he 550, another TCM product with a ally stop the descent in the flare made the bad decision to land on good reputation. P.Ponk does the and then land on only the main the grass adjacent to the runway 520: Contact pponk.com or 360- gear. The forward CG limit is usu- (if you’ve got a gear problem, put 629-4812. Peterson Performance ally where a pilot cannot flare the the airplane on pavement—it will Plus (katmai-kenai.com) offers an airplane to land—being near it slide). Sure enough, the broken impressive STOL package, including requires really pulling on the yoke nosewheel dug into the turf and the full-up King Katmai mod (we to get into touchdown attitude. flipped the airplane. covered it in the January 2013 issue Our review of the 100 most A total of 50 landing-related of Aviation Consumer), plus O-470 engine upgrades. recent Cessna 182 accidents indi- accidents tells us that pilots should Air Plains (airplains.com, 800- cated that a lot of pilots didn’t get get a good checkout in how to 752-8481) does O-520 and O-550 the briefing regarding what it takes correctly land a 182 before heading conversions for the Skylane. For to flare an airplane loaded well for- off solo. another STOL package, see Si- ward—22 of them messed up the We were impressed by the pilot erra Industries at sijet.com. Texas flare and hit so hard, or porpoised who landed safely after a goose Skyways offers the O-550 upgrade; so badly, that they damaged the took out the airplane’s windshield. check them out at txskyways.com airplane. And we mean damaged— Modern technology allowed two or 800 -899-7597. the minimum reported was a bent pilots to hurt themselves: One de- There is the Horton Flight Bonus firewall, and several managed to cided to pick up his iPad while 20 speed package; contact 800-835- break off one or more gear legs. feet up on final instead of flaring. 2051 or stolcraft.com. More speed mods are available from Knots2U When landing a 182 correctly, Another flew into ground fog, at at knots2u.net or 262-763-5100 and the nose is up high enough to night, on long final. He decided to Maple Leaf Aviation at 204-728- block visibility directly forward— rely on the moving map on his tab- 7618 or aircraftspeedmods.ca. Met- and it takes a healthy pull to get let to reach the runway. He crashed Co-Aire has drag-reducing wing- it there. Not all pilots do it all the a mile short. tips; see metcoaire.com and phone time. If you are considering pur- 262-763-5100. If you want to slow chase of a 182, assume that there ACCIDENT SUMMARY down instead of speed up, contact has been damage due to a hard Precise Flight (preciseflight.com HARD LDG (22%) landing, particularly to the fire- or 800-547-2558) for a speedbrake OTHER (20%) wall—so look for it and ensure that kit. Vortex generators are available RLOC (16%) it’s been correctly repaired. from Micro Aerodynamics at 800- FUEL-RELATED (10%) 677-2370 or microaero.com. There were 16 runway loss of If six hours of endurance isn’t control (RLOC) accidents—not OVERSHOT LDG (9%) ENGINE/MECH (7%) enough, see Monarch Air and De- bad for a tricycle-gear airplane, velopment (monarchcaps.com) for VFR INTO IMC (7%) although two involved 182s that aux tanks and improved fuel sys- had been converted to tailwheel LOC VFR INFLIGHT (4%) tems. For more aux tanks, see Flint configuration. Combining the RLOC UNDERSHOT LDG (3%) Aero (flintaero.com and 619-448- and hard landing numbers for the CFIT/IMC LOC INFLIGHT (2%) 1551). Last, don’t forget props from Skylane gives an overall control Hartzell; three-blade conversions are available. See www.hartzell-

30 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com January 2019 USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE

prop.com or 800-942-7767. I bought it; however, none of the There are a couple of Cessna accessories were touched. I have groups, including the Cessna Pilots overhauled or replaced just about Association at www.cessna.org, as everything. Useful load is only a source for obtaining information 1040 pounds. Obviously, it’s no before purchasing a Skylane. These more than a two-place airplane guys have been at it for years and if you fill all the tanks, but that’s READER SERVICES know the brand well. Find more been rare. It has good, but dated, support at the Cessna Owner Orga- original paint. And it burns 28 TO VIEW OUR WEB SITE nization at 888-692-3776 or www. GPH on takeoff and initial climb. Visit us at: cessnaowner.org. I operate the airplane for about www.aviationconsumer.com $125 an hour, allowing for over- OWNER FEEDBACK haul, insurance, taxes, annual FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR There are Cessna 182s; then there inspection, repairs and $4.50 fuel. I SUBSCRIPTION: are Cessna 182s with STC modifica- do fly-outs in the U.S. and Canada Phone us at: 800-829-9081 tions. They are different airplanes. with the International Fellowship Mine is a 1980 182Q Skylane II that of Flying Rotarians and fly from my I’ve owned for seven years, operat- North Carolina foothills home to TO CHANGE YOUR MAILING OR ing out of a club-owned grass strip. my second home at 03NC, Pilots E-MAIL ADDRESS, RENEW YOUR First, I’ll tell you what it can do, and Ridge Aero Plantation near Caro- SUBSCRIPTION OR TO you’ll think I’m lying. Then I’ll tell lina Beach and Wilmington. This is CHECK PAYMENT STATUS, you about its mods, and perhaps a wonderful airplane. VISIT OUR you’ll believe. ONLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE: With moderate loads, it typi- Rankin A. Whittington cally takes off in about 400 feet Lenoir, North Carolina Log on at: and climbs at a steep deck angle at www.aviationconsumer.com/cs about 1100 FPM. Taking off from a I have a 1998 Cessna 182S model hard-surface 5500-foot runway, it that I purchased in 2015. The air- To change your address by mail, attach your present mailing label to will be 1000 feet AGL at the other plane was expertly repainted by KD this form (or a copy of this form) enter end. It lands in 600 to 800 feet with Aviation in Newburgh, New York. your new address below and mail it to: light to moderate braking. It flies The original paint was in fairly comfortably at 40 knots indicated, good shape, but I was itching for a with no wing drop in shallow turns. more modern look and borrowed a THE AVIATION CONSUMER It will cruise at 8500 feet at 143 factory paint scheme from Cessna’s P.O. Box 8535 knots true airspeed, burning only T-series Skylanes. Big Sandy, TX 75755-8535 9.5 GPH. It can fly nine hours, with I had previously owned a Cessna reserves. I know it’s hard to believe. 172, but needed to upgrade as my The mods start with a Texas kids grew and the Skyhawk’s useful Name______Skyways O-520 Continental engine load didn’t. I seriously considered a Company______with 280 HP and a 2500-hour few Cessna 210s before choosing a TBO. This engine will run lean of 182 and although I do occasionally Address______peak, full throttle, with carb heat miss not having six seats, this 182 Address 2______and burn only 9.5 GPH. There’s a is sized right for the majority of City______lightweight starter and Tanis engine my mission profiles. This airplane heater. Then there are two outboard came ADS-B Out compliant via State______Zip:______auxiliary fuel tanks, 11.5 gallons an Avidyne IFD540 and AXP340 E-mail______each, by Flint. With the mains at 88 transponder. I added ADS-B In gallons, that’s 111 gallons useable. capability via a NavWorx MLB100 To order or renew a subscription, Then there is a Horton STOL mod, that feeds both the Aspen evolution enter your name and address above and with leading edge cuffs, fences, MFD and Avidyne IFD540 displays. check the subscription term you prefer: gap seals and wingtips. For com- As you can expect, getting three [ ] 1 year (12 issues) $69 fort, there’s an Air Mod interior different vendor products to talk to [ ] 6 months (6 issues) $34.50 with high-backed adjustable seats one another was a challenge. I am [ ] Check enclosed [ ] AMEX and Rosen visors. For safety, new mostly—but not fully—satisfied [ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa Amsafe airbags are on the front with the end result in that I receive seatbelts. Avionics include a Gar- ADS-B traffic and weather on the Card #______min GTN650, Strikefinder, Garmin IFD540, but only traffic without Expiration Date______796 with XM Weather, electronic velocity vectors on the Aspen MFD. Signature______tachometer, JPM engine monitor, As a newbie to glass at the time, Xeon traffic detector and a PS Engi- I appreciated the inclusion of steam YOUR RENEWAL neering 8000 audio panel. gauges in addition to the glass in IS JUST A CLICK AWAY! On the negative side, this plane www.aviationconsumer.com had a fresh engine overhaul when continued on page 32

May 2019 www.aviationconsumer.com The Aviation Consumer • 31 PILATUS PC-12

It’s time again to take a look at the used Pilatus PC12 market for the Aviation Consumer Used Aircraft Guide. We want to know what it’s like to own these turboprops, how much they cost to operate, moving electrons, I had Kelly Used Cessna 182 Aerospace install the STC’d backup maintain and insure and what they’re like to fly. If you’d like your (continued from page 31) alternator. I was very impressed with the quality of the components airplane to appear in the maga- and the peace of mind afforded by zine, send us any photographs the panel to aid my transition and this upgrade. In fact, the backup (full-size, high-resolution) you’d provide a comforting backup. This alternator is capable of 95 amps, like to share to the email below. was driven home after witnessing which makes it more capable than We welcome information on red X’s on the Aspens after a brief the stock primary alternator. It’s mods, support organizations or encounter with ice on the pitot only capable of sourcing 60 amps. any other comments. Send corre- tube. Granted it was my fault for Finally, I contacted Aero Comfort spondence on the Pilatus by June being slow on the pitot heat, but to leather wrap the control yokes 1, 2019 to: I thought it odd at the time that and I couldn’t be happier with the attitude would be so dependent on result. Surprisingly, what could the pitot static inputs. arguably be the least essential up- Aviation Consumer With an increased reliance on grade in the airplane ended being e-mail at: among the most satisfying. I swear ConsumerEditor@ the airplane is more fun to manu- hotmail.com That’s George Scavella’s 1998 ally fly now and I am constantly re- Cessna 182S wearing a mod- minded of this when flying rentals and my friends’ airplanes without ern paint scheme in the photo this treatment. I would definitely below. Scavella upgraded from recommend Aero Comfort to any- of ownership, it’s difficult to say. a 172 for more loading and one considering this luxury. Like many of your readers, I like to has never looked back. In terms of determining the cost upgrade the aircraft in addition to merely maintaining it. Fortunately, I have been blessed in that at least for the time being, I can afford to pursue both. However, scanning through my past annuals I see that the basic annual and the associated maintenance repairs have cost anywhere from $3100 to $3700, and these are New York prices. Overall, I am very pleased with N182AM. Sure, there are times when I wished for more speed and seats, but I feel this is an airplane I could comfortably grow older with as it teaches me something new each and every flight.

George Scavella via email

32 • The Aviation Consumer www.aviationconsumer.com May 2019