Avionics News October 2013 - 29

Photos by Scott M. Spangler

The avionics suite in DOUG MACARTHUR ’s RV-9 is built around two GRT EFIS screens.
The sticks holding the rudder pedals are gust locks.

Chris Mortensen – Lancair Super ES
A banker in Virginia, Chris Mortensen fulfilled his long-held
desire to become a pilot soon after he turned 30. Flying out of
Manassas and now holding commercial instrument privileges,
he bought his first airplane, a Piper Archer. He traded up to
a Rockwell Commander 114B 18 months later and flew it
for five years and 750 hours. “I loved the 114’s comfort and
routinely flew it to Florida and California,” but it had steam
gauges, a portable GPS and no moving map.
Rather than put new avionics in an old airframe, he built a
new airplane, the Lancair Super ES. A former R/C modeler,
his first full-scale project did not intimidate him. After visiting
Lancair’s Oregon factory, he ordered the kit.
“I took delivery in November 2001, just after 9/11,” he said.
Living just outside of Washington, D.C., he said “flying in our
area is cumbersome,” but operating a homebuilt in the special
flight rules area is not a problem.
Powered by an IO-550-N, the Lancair has 10-hour legs
at 170 knots true airspeed. It first flew in 2008. Since then,
he’s visited every state except Hawaii and Louisiana, and he
replaced his first-generation glass with a two-screen Garmin
G3X, GTN 750 touchscreen GPS/WAAS, GMA 35 remote
audio panel, GTX 330ES transponder, GDL 39 ADS-B
receiver, an SL 40 nav/comm, and a TruTrak GX autopilot.
Avionics Systems of Leesburg, Va., built both panels
because “electronics overwhelm me,” Mortensen said. The

shop is nearby, so he could discuss things face-to-face with
owner David Buckwalter. The current panel was created in two
steps. In 2012, it had a GTN 650 and no ADS-B. After flying it
for a year, Mortensen realized he used his iPad more than the
650’s moving map feature. Then Buckwalter started talking
about the traffic and weather benefits of ADS-B In and Out. So
in April 2013, he took the second step. He’s since canceled his
XM weather subscription.
With the 750’s larger screen, Mortensen essentially has a
three-screen cockpit, four counting the iPad with its Bluetooth
connection to the GDL 39 hardwired behind the panel. He’s
still optimizing which screen displays what information,
but right now he’s feeding weather and traffic to the iPad,
which has a hands-free mount and aircraft power. It also
holds all of his airport information and approach charts with
geosynchronous display.
Mortensen has logged 400 hours in the ES since its first
flight, but he still needs to install a headliner and decide on a
paint scheme. But he’s fine with that, he said. “I put my time
and money in the panel because it gives the best return.”
Doug MacArthur – Van’s RV-9A
Price point was and is pertinent for Doug MacArthur,
who dedicated years to shopping for his first airplane at
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Avionics News October 2013

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