arzenmaster
Cherokee owner since 1983
About a year and half ago (I started the process mid summer 2017.), I began to decide between the Trio and TruTrak Autopilot for my Cherokee. I settled on the Trio. My preference would have been to wait for the Garmin to allow an interface with my Aspen PFD and the appropriate STC, but I was more interested in getting an installation completed sooner rather than later. Subsequently I could have had the TruTrak up and running at least 6 months ago, for a little less $$.
My plan was to prep the plane for the install, having my instrument panel complete, interior completely removed for renovation, and let my avionics shop handle the full installation, prior to putting the interior back together.
After a bunch of false starts, and quite a bit of rough edges on the "The STC Group, LLC." marketing plan for the Trio, I finally received my install kit and STC from the STC group about 2 months after receiving the Autopilot components from Trio. All in all, the necessary parts and pieces came together about 6 or 7 months behind the promised delivery date. This caused 3 rescheduling events with my avionics shop. In the end the first installation date available to me, happened to be this week, the second week of October 2018.
I ended up completing the interior and panel upgrades sans the autopilot so that my Wife and I would have use of the plane for the summer. It cost me another day to open everything up again for the avionics shop.
For those looking at costs, here is what I have spent before installation.
Install kit and STC total price paid to the STC group was $2310
Trio Autopilot total cost was $3528
I'll attempt to chronicle the process as it unfolds and time permits me to post.
My plan was to prep the plane for the install, having my instrument panel complete, interior completely removed for renovation, and let my avionics shop handle the full installation, prior to putting the interior back together.
After a bunch of false starts, and quite a bit of rough edges on the "The STC Group, LLC." marketing plan for the Trio, I finally received my install kit and STC from the STC group about 2 months after receiving the Autopilot components from Trio. All in all, the necessary parts and pieces came together about 6 or 7 months behind the promised delivery date. This caused 3 rescheduling events with my avionics shop. In the end the first installation date available to me, happened to be this week, the second week of October 2018.
I ended up completing the interior and panel upgrades sans the autopilot so that my Wife and I would have use of the plane for the summer. It cost me another day to open everything up again for the avionics shop.
For those looking at costs, here is what I have spent before installation.
Install kit and STC total price paid to the STC group was $2310
Trio Autopilot total cost was $3528
I'll attempt to chronicle the process as it unfolds and time permits me to post.
