David_H

This is how business is earned. When the time comes to slide a new audio panel in place of the old King unit, I will go out of my way to make it a PS Engineering unit. The aviation industry would be much better off if more avionics companies behaved this way. Sadly, most do not.

30hrs was solely for the labor time to install the KN-75. It would need to be located in the tail. I'm just trying to get a working GS indicator solution to replace the KN-214 that is in the panel.

I just received a verbal quote of 30hrs for a KN-75 install.

The IPad built-in timer app also includes a stopwatch with a sweep hand. Cycling between the timer app and the EFB is fairly easy with the IPad mounted on the yoke.

Thanks for sharing this. Maintenance induced failure is very real. Could this have been caught during the post maintenance run-up by the shop? Did they do one?

It seems like the easiest course of action would have been to buy the 100pcs from McMaster for $11 + shipping since they are the exact screw. I think the McMaster image posted shows the identical part number as well. A fellow has to ask themselves how much their time is worth.

Insurance is generally purchased to cover risk. Based on where you live, do you think something will happen while it's tucked away in the hangar (assuming it is hangared)? It may be a reasonable financial decision to wait until you are close to having the plane airworthy before insuring it. Insurance is not inexpensive. Some Insurance salesman may advise you to purchase as much insurance as you're able to. This may be beneficial in some cases... and perhaps not so much in other cases. Disclaimer: I am not a member of the Insurance Industry. That said, I fly regularly and my annual Insurance premiums are up-to-date.

One of those little scissor jacks is not going to work with that load. A keen observer might also see that those flip-flops must be completely flat. Those little piggies must be very close to the ground.

That probably isn't far from the quote I received for the GNX375 by itself. Did they include all the other items needed for the install?

For any that are interested, I received a quote for a 375 install that includes the following: GNX375, GA35, GAE12, GPS/NAV Switch, KI209A, KN75, and removal of KT76. The quote was given as a final installed cost. To better understand the costs I did a simplified cost analysis to understand what the costs likely were. The figure below shows the analysis results. The shop could probably care less if we said yes or no since they have plenty of ADSB install work scheduled. The overall estimate was $13,424.00.

Does anyone have any thoughts on a KN75 install? Where was it placed?

Thanks everyone. I sent Alan a message a few days back.

I certainly can't argue with the long term reasoning. That said, reasonable flying weather and my work schedule only leave a limited window during the next few months for me to make progress towards my IFR ticket. Getting a slot in the avionics shop for any installs right now is also an issue due to all the scheduled ADSB work.

I know the guys at Lafayette Avionics fairly well. They've done me well in the past but I don't think Ron was able to breath life back into this one.

I was testing the Glideslope indicator of the KI-214 this past weekend during some approaches and the GS never came alive. I took it to the local avionics shop and they said they were unable to do anything with it. The GS is being driven by a KX170B. I'm working on my IFR ticket now and don't want to invest heavily in the panel right now. I am scheduled for an ADSB install in a few months and also considering a GNX375 install instead of only an ADSB transponder. However, that's a few months out and I would like to find a solution now so I can get back to my instrument training. What are some good options?

I can't remember the last time I've heard anyone say Bendix King knows how to deliver. BK is no longer the company that produced the products of their past. It'll be interesting to see how many people will line up to buy the TT autopilot once BK puts their sticker on it. That sticker will do nothing but add expense to the product.

BK hasn't had a product that's generated much of an interest for GA for a very long time. It's difficult to understand why an up-and-coming company would want to tie their name (TT) to a company (BK) that's proven it's no longer able to bring anything competitive to the GA market. A business decision such as that would likely require significant financial motivation... or perhaps financial troubles. The webinar was brought to everyone by Honeywell / Bendix King. Perhaps BK just felt the need to help the guys at TT out.

It does look as if TT is looking to position itself for a buyout. Perhaps this is an appropriate time to ask the question: Is Bendix King / Honeywell actively looking to acquire TruTrak?

$418.00 for that hangar is ridiculous if several were manufactured at once. However, making a one-off part like that might justify the 4 hours of labor for a skilled fabricator. If producing more than one-at-a-time: Someone would only need to produce one of these hangars every four hours for ten weeks to produce a quantity of 100 Hangars, while still being able to charge $100 per hour. It's hard to understand how that wouldn't be considered ridiculous.

Does anyone have any install times being quoted for the GNX375 or GPS175 that they can share? Is there going to be much install time difference between the two models?

Just because a customer paid for a $6K annual doesn't mean that they actually received a $6K annual. There have been some wacky logbook entries that don't correspond very well to the repairs that were supposedly made.

Thanks Rick. Livingston may have been a good option if I would have planned further ahead. Regardless of their backlog, it's good to hear the folks at Livingston are doing pilots well.

One bad annual experience may make a week (or two) off of work seem like small potatoes. Being involved with the annual like the OP looks to have the advantage of minimizing a large financial exposure. Imagine how bad it could have been if he just dropped it off at a shop and said "call me when you're done."

I imagine many of those gentleman's "give-a-darn" cards have expired recently. There's probably very little motivation to keep their name up when retirement is just around the corner. That said, there are always good exceptions to be found as well. It's a shame those guys weren't trying to train young AIs and A&Ps. Perhaps it kept the competition down.