The mood was upbeat and attendance was strong at the yearly NBAA-BACE (Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition) event this past October in Orlando, Florida. But concerns about inflation, the potential for global recession and the ability to ramp up production because of labor and parts shortages were obvious from manufacturers and customers we talked with. Still, despite supply chain challenges, it’s a lively market for refurbishing aging jets and turboprops—everything from avionics and engine upgrades to paint and interior projects.
Garmin was showing its full suite of retrofit avionics for vintage turboprops and jets, to include the G600 TXi flight displays, EIS (Engine Indication System) and GFC 600 autopilot/flight control system. It was also showing off its G5000 retrofit integrated cockpit—a system with a growing STC for midsized jets, including the Citation Excel/XLS and Hawker/Beechjet platforms. Avidyne was showing its Atlas retrofit FMS—a system that it says will give aging jets and turboprops a new lease on life because it makes for a reasonably easy installation at an affordable price relative to hull value. Aircraft like older Learjets, as one example, might not even have precision GPS approach capability because first-gen EFIS displays won’t support the tech. But the self-contained Atlas units make it possible with minimal panel and wiring modifications, and at the show Avidyne announced an Atlas program aimed at the Lear 55/60 series. We’ll look at the Atlas in an upcoming issue of Aviation Consumer.