Avionics News July 2015 - 20

ADS-B STRATEGY ACCELERATED
Continued from page 19

Photo by S.M. Spangler

played a major role in their ultimate decision.
"Coming from an airline background,
Mike likes the (flight management system)
concept," Miller said, and the partners determined that the Avidyne implementation
of this capability best suited their wants
and needs.
So they pulled the trigger. Being retired,
"Mike is the project's manager, because
he has more time and experience," Miller
said. And while the installation hasn't been
The Avidyne AXP304 is only half of the airplane's ADS-B upgrade. It's prewired for the
without its challenges, "it was the right time
Avidyne MLB100, and Wisconsin Aviation will install the remotely mounted ADS-B In
to do it."
receiver when it is available.
A recent Federal Aviation Administration
Bauer had high praise for Wisconsin Aviation, an AEA
notice of proposed rulemaking reinforced
member certified repair station whose work he said was "airthe decision. It will eliminate 736 redundant and underused
line quality; they know what they are doing, what they are
ground-based NDB and VOR instrument approach procedures
talking about, and they don't cut any corners." Keeping the No.
at 549 airports in 47 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S.
2 nav/comm, the shop's standard quality assurance checks re
reVirgin Islands. Airports in Delaware, Hawaii and Rhode Island
vealed that the nav antenna coax wasn't up to spec, Bauer con
conare not on the NPRM's list. A 2010 report addressing the situatinued. But that wasn't the surprise. "We have an airplane with
tion counted 17,025 IAPs, 6,838 of them ground based.
40-year-old radios and wiring; nobody
"If every installation goes like ours,
figured it would ever last that long."
the industry is in big trouble," Mike
Middle-aged avionics connected
Bauer said. "If everyone waits until
by
harnesses of equal age is a rarely
next year or the year after, it's going to
discussed aspect of installation work,
be a big mess," and they would have
according to Brian Riese, Wisconsin
been involved in it had Bauer not wanAviation's avionics manager, but
dered past the AEA booth at AirVenAirVen
the challenges it presents will likely
ture and entered its ADS-B drawing.
REALLY? I'VE NEVER WON
become more recognized once more
"I was surprised when they called to
ANYTHING, BUT THIS
aircraft owners address the ADS-B
say I'd won. Really? I've never won
REALLY PUT US AHEAD OF
mandate. To date, Wisconsin Aviation
anything, but this really put us ahead
THE
ADS-B
CURVE."
has been averaging two ADS-B installs
of the ADS-B curve."
a month, a pace well "short of outfit
outfitIf there is a common denominator
ting 140,000 airplanes."
among the unexpected installation chalMIKE BAUER,
Winner of $1,000 toward an ADS-B upgrade
The partners began their ADS-B
lenges revealed and met by the avionodyssey
last year with Bauer's 20ics department at Wisconsin Aviation
page quote request that "spelled out every syllable of what
in Madison, it is age. Give or take a few, the average general
they wanted," Riese said. "We don't usually get that," but it's
aviation airplane flying in the U.S. today is a 40-year-old anamade for efficient communication.
log machine.
When working with modern avionics, pilots have "a lot of
Only the naïve would expect a plug-and-play integration of
options when they put this stuff together," Bauer said. "We
21st century digital avionics with analog equipment not too
have three systems, the IFD540, the Aspen PFD, and the aufar from its 50th birthday. That's one reason why the partners
topilot, and they must all work well together. I spent a lot of
decided to use all Avidyne equipment, once they'd decided on
time digging through the manuals to cover all the bases. The
the IFD540, said Bauer, "to cut down on the mix-and-match
Aspen has an altitude alert that dongs at the set altitude, but
compatibility problems."

"I WAS SURPRISED
WHEN THEY CALLED
TO SAY I'D WON.

AVIONICS NEWS

JULY

2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News July 2015