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are you going to gain by spending the money on Options 1, 2 or 3? For Option 1, the answer is virtu- ally nothing, especially as a large majority of the fleet has been ADS- B upgraded. In other words, this is more the norm than the exception. Option 2 is great for just about any XL/XLS owner because you’re not only gaining the required ADS-B compliance, you are gaining better access to more destinations. Many owners greatly value (and even re- quire) LPV capabilities. And, while it’s hard to say what dollar value we can place on those additional capa- bilities, the truth is that you appeal to a much larger pool of buyers by having LPV when you go to sell it.
Then there’s Option 3. Hands- down, this avionics package will turn your airplane into a state-of- the-art machine with technology that manufacturers are delivering on new aircraft today. Existing owners and buyers of the Excel and XLS are lining up to have the G5000 installed,
and several installations have al- ready been completed with rave reviews. Through reduced avion- ics maintenance costs, extensively increased capabilities and a weight reduction of nearly 200 lbs (adding to your useful load), you can see why this package is so popular.
Opinions are like... well, you know the joke.
So, where does a G5000 installa- tion make sense? This is where I’m bound to get hate mail, but here’s what I tell my clients: I believe you’ll get more out of your investment at the time of resale by spending the money to do this upgrade on a mid- or low-time aircraft vs. a high-time aircraft. Mainly because total time on an airframe means a lot more to buyers (i.e., those to whom the plane may be resold one day) than it does to the passengers.
So, if it were my money, my first choice would be to start with a mid- or low-time Excel or XLS and install
the G5000. With this avionics suite, you’ll realize tremendous benefits through the latest technology and added capabilities, charter users will love it (if you go that route), and when you decide to sell it, the airplane will sell more quickly and for more money. As a second option, if you plan to use the airplane for charter and don’t care about total time, then buy a high-time airplane at a discount, outfit it aesthetically for you and your charter passen- gers, and install ADS-B with LPV capabilities. If you’re going to spend the money on an upgrade, at least get some added value out of it – both operationally and at the time of resale.
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Kandi Spangler is a sales director at jetAVIVA. She has more than 20 years of aviation experience. You can contact Kandi at kandi.spangler@ jetaviva.com or 512-410-0295.
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