Page 12 - Dec18T

Upgrading to Garmin G500 TXi
by Randy Groom
It’s common knowledge that upgrading an older airplane’s panel is an expensive affair. So how do owners justify taking a legal, functioning legacy stack of avionics and replacing them with all-new technology? Some simply seek the “latest and greatest” for their aircraft. Some start with the steps
necessary to become ADS-B compliant and then keep on going. Some are focused on the new capability and situational awareness that a new panel can provide.
In my case, all the above played a role in my decision to install the Garmin G500 TXi system in my aircraft. However, my primary motivation was the worsening reliability from my old avionics – I was becoming less and less comfortable operating them IFR. I’ve owned the same airplane for the last 18 years, a 1984 Beechcraft Bonanza A36, N42BA. My vintage Bendix/King avionics (aka steam gauges) had served me well, but one-by-one unsettling issues were becoming more frequent. So, safety was my primary motivation to stop dragging my feet and start investigating a new glass panel – but doing so didn’t come without some trepidation.
First, a little background. I have had the opportunity over the years to operate several different aircraft with glass panels ranging from the early Electronic Flight Instrument (EFIS) days to Garmin G1000 in Bonanzas and Barons to Rockwell Collins Proline 21 in King Airs and the Beech Premier. But I never re- ally spent the time required to become truly efficient with any of them. Usually, I had a safety pilot that helped me punch the right buttons at the right time.
I learned the hard way that not being familiar with a “Technically Advanced Cockpit” can create a step back in safety for someone not familiar with the equipment. I vividly recall one trip where I took a new G58 Baron from the Beechcraft factory to Stillwater, Oklahoma where I was to speak to the University’s Flying Club. I had been “checked out” in the G1000-equipped Bonanzas and Barons but must admit the checkout was rather brief. It was an IFR day, and I filed direct for the short 40-minute flight. Approaching Stillwater, Ft. Worth Center cleared me for the ILS. I then suddenly realized that I could not recall how to switch from GPS mode to Localizer. I asked Center to hang on for a moment as I was locked up mentally on what to do.
10 • TWIN & TURBINE December 2018