Page 32 - Volume 19 Number 10

exposed to modern technology. I suppose you can compare it to those that fly both a Citation and a Cub: each satisfies a different itch. The workload is considered to be higher in older airplanes or those with legacy avionics, but that’s the itch I’ve enjoyed scratching–the one that made me feel more engaged, more useful – even more needed. Eventually, though, the finicky old avionics began affecting flight planning and aircraft reliability.The Collins radios needed a mod to prevent frequency bleed-over; a mod that was not available anywhere on the planet. Both transponders (yes, someone installed two, way back when) were intermittent and sometimes transmitted a different code than what was selected. The GPS was non-WAAS and the humor of having Smoky and the Bandit- style radio signal-strength meters was gone. These reasons, and the initial sale price offered by L-3 for its ADS-B line, triggered the upgrade.Newly installed is a Garmin 430W, a King digital flip-flop Nav/Com and a Lynx NGT-9000 ADS-B transponder. The transponder has a polite lady’s voice announcing traffic and its touch-screen is very “iPad” like. The Garmin GPS is four or five generations newer than the old KLN 90B, so the utility and functionality is a pleasing leap forward. I really appreciate coupling an LPV approach and the value of the lower MDA. Almost 20 pounds more useful load was generated from the conversion and a sizable blank spot is now available on the panel.Timing of the ADS-B conversion for the Duke was due to a growing list of malfunctioning components and not so much the concerns about avionics shop-time availability or the looming deadline. It did take a month to get on the schedule, however, and they say the wait time will become increasingly longer as the deadline nears. It’s becoming more and more difficult to remain old-school – without buying a separate, old-school, itch-scratching flying machine. At the pace that technology changes, it shouldn’t be too long, •though, before the current iteration of new-school avionics becomes old-school itself; then, me and the Duke will be back to our old selves. T&TMitsubishi Third Page 4/C AdKevin Dingman has been flying for over 40 years. He’s an ATP typed in the B737 and DC9 with 21,000 hours. A retired Air Force Major, he flew the F-16 then performed as a USAF Civil Air Patrol Liaison Offi- cer. He flies volunteer missions for the Christian organization Wings of Mercy, is employed by a major airline, and owns and operates a Beechcraft Duke. Contact Kevin at Dinger10d@gmail.com30 • TWIN & TURBINE OCTOBER 2015