- Joined
- Sep 20, 2017
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After a couple of months of researching, planning and procuring, I've finally completed my upgrade plan!
My plane is a 1969 PA28 180D. Paint, interior and avionics were last upgraded in the mid 1990's with the STEC AP added in the early 2000's.
I received bad news from my AP during the annual inspection concerning my O-360 about a month before the Covid "Outbreak". With all the uncertainty, I decided to wait out the rebuild until things settled down. After 18 months sitting idle, I pulled the engine and sent off to Pinnacle in Alabama. Parts delays and backlog ate up another 4 months until my rebuild was complete. Getting the engine reinstalled was a mess. I tasked my home base "Shop" to do the re-install and it was a complete fiasco taking 6 months and an on-airport engine out during the test flight due to criss-crossed fuel line houses. I couldn't keep up with all the screw ups this place made throughout the painful process. After basically having to sort out the mess on my own, I finally got all the issues resolved and got back up in the air. Been flying a few hours every week for the last 6 months and really didn't want to take her out of service again and have my fate in the hands of another incompetent shop for my avionics upgrade. I've been flying since the late 80's but never an owner until about 5 years ago. Imma a rookie to the ownership gig and now understand the upside down economics of aircraft ownership after a few painful lessons.
With the panel, I've decided to take a different approach then just dropping the Cherokee off somewhere and hoping for the best. My plan was and is to research and organize this effort so that there would not be any supply chain or backlog excuses. I didn't want to be told by a shop… what I wanted.. or should get, but to do so would mean that I'd have to be fully engaged. Basically, do my homework, make sure I completely understood the interface between the systems. Make it plug a play... if possible. No leaf unturned. So this is what I’m doing.
Decided to ditch the 1990's King suite and vacuum instruments. settled in on a major cleanup with modern glass. My search left me with a fairly diverse set up including a little something from different manufactures (Aspen, Garmin, L3 Harris, PS Engineering & Electronics International) and keeping some of the proven components like the STEC 20 and KX155 NAV/COM (Backup). Left room for possible future expansion to include a MFD and possibly a Trio or TruTrak AP if the STEC ever gives up the ghost.
I have been collecting the avionics since the early summer after deciding on the Aspen PFD and GNC 355 combo. Going with the Lynx NGT9000 was probably my most difficult decision, but I finally pulled the trigger last week. I'm currently all-in about $32K in equipment alone. About what I paid for the plane in 2017. I just recently sent the attached plans to a couple of harness builders for fab quotes and custom interface/wiring drawings.
Once I have the wiring interface drawings reviewed and personally approved. The harnesses will be completed. Then I'll be talking to potential installers for quotes. I'm trying to keep the install close to home here Louisiana and hope to start the install this Spring and flying by early summer. Any feed back from you guys regarding my plans would be greatly appreciated before I take the next step. Thanks
My plane is a 1969 PA28 180D. Paint, interior and avionics were last upgraded in the mid 1990's with the STEC AP added in the early 2000's.
I received bad news from my AP during the annual inspection concerning my O-360 about a month before the Covid "Outbreak". With all the uncertainty, I decided to wait out the rebuild until things settled down. After 18 months sitting idle, I pulled the engine and sent off to Pinnacle in Alabama. Parts delays and backlog ate up another 4 months until my rebuild was complete. Getting the engine reinstalled was a mess. I tasked my home base "Shop" to do the re-install and it was a complete fiasco taking 6 months and an on-airport engine out during the test flight due to criss-crossed fuel line houses. I couldn't keep up with all the screw ups this place made throughout the painful process. After basically having to sort out the mess on my own, I finally got all the issues resolved and got back up in the air. Been flying a few hours every week for the last 6 months and really didn't want to take her out of service again and have my fate in the hands of another incompetent shop for my avionics upgrade. I've been flying since the late 80's but never an owner until about 5 years ago. Imma a rookie to the ownership gig and now understand the upside down economics of aircraft ownership after a few painful lessons.
With the panel, I've decided to take a different approach then just dropping the Cherokee off somewhere and hoping for the best. My plan was and is to research and organize this effort so that there would not be any supply chain or backlog excuses. I didn't want to be told by a shop… what I wanted.. or should get, but to do so would mean that I'd have to be fully engaged. Basically, do my homework, make sure I completely understood the interface between the systems. Make it plug a play... if possible. No leaf unturned. So this is what I’m doing.
Decided to ditch the 1990's King suite and vacuum instruments. settled in on a major cleanup with modern glass. My search left me with a fairly diverse set up including a little something from different manufactures (Aspen, Garmin, L3 Harris, PS Engineering & Electronics International) and keeping some of the proven components like the STEC 20 and KX155 NAV/COM (Backup). Left room for possible future expansion to include a MFD and possibly a Trio or TruTrak AP if the STEC ever gives up the ghost.
I have been collecting the avionics since the early summer after deciding on the Aspen PFD and GNC 355 combo. Going with the Lynx NGT9000 was probably my most difficult decision, but I finally pulled the trigger last week. I'm currently all-in about $32K in equipment alone. About what I paid for the plane in 2017. I just recently sent the attached plans to a couple of harness builders for fab quotes and custom interface/wiring drawings.
Once I have the wiring interface drawings reviewed and personally approved. The harnesses will be completed. Then I'll be talking to potential installers for quotes. I'm trying to keep the install close to home here Louisiana and hope to start the install this Spring and flying by early summer. Any feed back from you guys regarding my plans would be greatly appreciated before I take the next step. Thanks
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