Page 29 - Volume 15 Number 3

Avantages of onboard radar is that it shows theFlorida. This trip will take several hours and the weather may have changed drastically since my preflight planning. With it, I can not only look at the radar picture from half a country away, but also pull up the METAR for every airport that reports it. That’s great peace of mind on this kind of trip.A very good friend of mine owns a pressurized Baron. His plane has a Narco three-color radar system that needs some attention. The display works fine in the test mode but will not paint anything, including ground return. I have given him my opinion on this topic and because of the very limited panel space in the Baron’s avionics stack, he has elected to remove the radar system completely and install a new Aera 560 in its place.Amongst the benefits will be an increased useful load as the entire radar system, including the antenna, tilt motors, wave guide, cabling and the bulky display unit easily outweighs thehas terrain awareness, lightning detection, text weather data, Nexrad radar, moving map, XM radio stations, and an automotive database all in a full color touch screen “mini-MFD.” All of these benefits for less money than just fixing the older, less capable system. Talk about a no-brainer!As airborne radar units and Stormscopes are not “IFR certified” nor required for IFR flight, this type of exchange is perfectly acceptable. In fact, I believe we’ll see the near extinction of airborne radar systems and Stormscopes in a very short time. And based on the almost total reliance upon GPS units for navigation for the vast majority of us have clearly demonstrated, the data downloaded from satellites eliminates the need for aircraft to carry and maintain expensive, heavy pieces of equipment.This will continue to be a hot topic for a while. Some people will cling to what they know and be reluctant to change. These are the same pilots that would rather shoot a VOR approach, to higher minimums, instead of a GPS approach, when their planes are capable of either. So whether you are thinking about installing this type of system in an airplane that currently doesn’t have any weather detection devices at all, adding it to your existing systems or totally removing your old systems and replacing them completely, I know you will •be adequately impressed and wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. T&TAddvwather real time and it can provide a sense ofweeawether the storm is above or below you. However,wfthe pilot to get the most out of it, proper trainingfirts use is crucial.oorhhetinniitDatalink weather, including Nexrad, is now widespread in general aviation cockpits, from integrated glass avionics systems to small handheld packages, such as the Garmin Aera.provide more detailed information, including a safe taxi page for some airports showing your position on an airport diagram page.Asyoucannodoubttell,Iama definite fan of this new system. It’s low initial cost and cheap subscription fees make this a fantastic addition to most cockpits, particularly those without any weather radar or Stormscope. If you have the open territory in your panel I would highly recommend doing it. You will find the extra information invaluable, particularly on longer trips. I often fly from northern Michigan to southAera. The old radar system will be consigned to the avionics shop to sell the used components, further reducing the already inexpensive costs associated with the new unit. The installation is simple; power to the dock, running the antenna cable to the glare shield and cleaning up the avionics stack. The removal of the old system takes longer than the installation of the new.This change to his panel will definitely give it a more modern feel as well as enhance its capabilities and safety. Immediately, he nowChuck Blackaby is president of Endeavor Aircraft, Inc. of Alpena, Mich., an aircraft service company specializing in aircraft sales, custom paint and interior refurbishments. A commercial, single and multi-engine and instrument rated pilot, Chuck has been fly- ing since 1974 and has 4,500 hours in 28 different aircraft types. You can reach him at (989) 464-6991 or by e-mail at chuck@endeavoraircraft.com.MARCH 2011­TWIN & TURBINE • ­27