Can shops really retrofit Sandel’s new Avilon integrated flight deck, which includes an advanced autopilot—in a King Air—in five working days? Gerry Block at Sandel Avionics believes so. I’m skeptical because it’s challenging to install a single-screen Aspen PFD in a Skyhawk in one shop week, especially for smaller shops. Tearing down (and building back up) a King Air isn’t easier. I was once on a team that retrofitted a Garmin MFD, TAWS-B and a satellite phone in an old E90 and it took the better part of three weeks, including FAA paperwork, flight testing and a DER signoff.
