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Avionics

Panel Planner 101: Cherokee Trainer

Larry Anglisano
Verified

Edited By:

Omar Filipovic

Drop-ins. The Garmin GNC 355 GPS/Comm is the right footprint for replacing a King KX170B in the Piper’s radio stack. Garmin’s GI 275 electronic CDI drops into the existing round instrument hole and fits the plastic overlay. That’s the skyBeacon ADS-B Out with integrated strobe light at the lower right. It fits the cutout and uses some of the wiring of the original position light

This month’s panel for planning is on a Piper PA-28-151 trainer, which sported the same King analog radio package it had when it left the factory in 1976. A primary trainer serving hard duty on the line at Learn2FlytCT in central Connecticut, the goal was to breathe some new life into the 47-year-old panel on a tight budget. 

ADS-B Out is an obvious requirement for operating in the northeast airspace, sandwiched between the New York and Boston B spaces, plus operating in busy Class C and D.  

Larry Anglisano

Editor in Chief Larry Anglisano has been a staple at Aviation Consumer since 1995. An active land, sea and glider pilot, Larry has over 30 years’ experience as an avionics repairman and flight test pilot. He’s the editorial director overseeing sister publications Aviation Safety magazine, IFR magazine and is a regular contributor to KITPLANES magazine with his Avionics Bootcamp column.