toto

I had (have) a small metal insulated cabinet for storing paint, cleaning products, glues, solvents, etc, that don't take kindly to freezing. The cabinet has an electronic timer switch in it, with a cable that runs to the wall outlet. That little switch gave off enough heat continuously to keep the box above freezing (on the coldest days of the winter it might get down to mid-30s in there). Very low-tech solution that was built by my predecessor in the hangar, but very effective (and cheap). The county FD put a stop to all this about two years ago by saying that nothing can ever be plugged continuously into a wall outlet. So I had to physically move the cabinet away from the outlet. And now my Simple Green is frozen inside the unplugged cabinet. But it's a great setup.

The theory is that TruTrak really is taking a different, simpler approach. They are installing all servos in space accessible from the cabin ("under the seats" is how I've heard it described). Which is meant to cut the install time in half. It may end up being that removing legacy AP stuff is the bulk of the work.

TruTrak also seems to have backed away from their earlier claimed 18-hour install time. "There are many factors that go into determining how long an installation will take. Plus, labor rates vary significantly across the country / world. However, in general, an autopilot install in aircraft that hasn’t ever had an autopilot will usually take somewhere between 20 and 30 hours. At 20 to 30 hours that will usually cost between $2000 and $3000." https://trutrakflightsystems.com/pages/faq vs "According to TruTrak, the average install time runs about 18 hours." https://www.planeandpilotmag.com/article/trutrak-expands-vizion-stc/

Did you do the AV-20S or the base AV-20? What was the install time? Any pushback from your shop?

Right. I'm certainly not saying that Garmin can't make money on a certified G3X (hell, I *want* them to sell a certified G3X, now, if not sooner!). I'm just saying that they invested a lot in the TXi series, and unless the market forces them to adapt to a lower-profit-per-unit environment, they're going to sell their flagship display. I really really want Dynon to play the disruptor role effectively, and get some price pressure on Garmin. But until that happens, I'm afraid that Garmin is going to sell as many TXi units as they can (albeit to a different market than Dynon is targeting). And that means we spend $60k on an HDX-equivalent solution (assuming that there's a GFC-500 approval in our future), or we wait for the HDX and see how Garmin responds. I'm just getting to the point where my confidence in that competitive non-TSO glass-panel future is waning.

That may be true. But Garmin spent a lot of time and money on the TSO device, and they charge TSO prices for it. I suspect they want to recoup their investment, and prematurely selling a bunch of G3X units to people who might otherwise have bought TXi toys is leaving money on the table. But if there was a real competitive threat from Dynon, then it would make a lot of sense for Garmin to step into the non-TSO arena. And I suspect that once Dynon is at the gate, Garmin will react with a first-to-market alternative. Probably not called G3X, but something based on the G3X (a la the G5 and GTC500). Anyway, the longer Dynon takes, the longer Garmin has limited incentive to introduce a cheaper alternative to their own TXi stuff.

I keep hoping this is going to happen too. But I'm getting a little discouraged. I was thinking that a certified Skyview HDX for Mooneys would force Garmin's hand, but now it's anyone's guess when there will be a Skyview STC, and Garmin is presumably selling a few TXi units. I'm getting to the point where I'd rather have a G500TXi today than a Skyview in five years. I serious hope it's not that bad - but I'm also getting a little nervous about what will actually be available with the Skyview when it achieves STC. E.g., no AP on day one.

Less functionality at twice the price.

+1 I'll do the AV-20 about 20 seconds after it's certified to replace my factory clock.

I have a PF "standby vacuum system," and it's just a quirky relic from a bygone era. I don't intend ever to use it for anything other than entertainment purposes. (See, kids, we used to have to walk to school, uphill both ways..) Today, you can spend 0.8 AMUs for a Dynon D3 with SV, battery backup, and no install costs. And it actually decreases your workload in an unexpected partial-panel situation, rather than increase it.

I can't possibly imagine that the navdata cards are anything more than commodity CF cards with a commodity CF writer, which you could buy on eBay for about 25 bucks in 1998. But a $200 CF writer is a drop in the bucket compared to the $15k you just spent on the installed box. And having the thing stamped "Jeppesen" or "Garmin" will eliminate annoying insurance or warranty disagreements down the road.

Nope. You had to buy the card writer separately.

These look great! Mooney legal has a terms and conditions page at https://www.mooney.com/legal. I don't see a perfect address for licensing inquiries, but I suspect that emailing privacy@mooney.com would get you to the right people.

Cool, thanks for the clarification. I wrote that without consulting [anything]

To raise another common theme ... It probably depends on your typical mission. The Garmin GFC500 seems likely to receive approval for several M20 models within the calendar year. A GFC500 install with two G5's will likely set you back 25-30k, but offers considerable functionality beyond the factory panel. If you do a lot of IFR, the ability to fly full coupled approaches to minimums is not something you'll have initially with the TruTrak. That said, the TruTrak might be a great alternative if you do primarily VFR flying. Allegedly $7500ish all-in, but with no coupled approaches on day one. (This could change with future amendments to the as-yet nonexistent STC.) As always, think about your typical mission, and whether this is a stepping-stone plane or your "forever" plane.

AC had a nice article on concentrators a couple years ago. The Inogen portable units got their top spot, and iirc they ran fine on a battery or could be topped off from the cigar lighter. I think they were good below 18k but were not intended for the flight levels. Seems like a nice toy to have available, and not very big or heavy. But way more expensive than an O2 bottle.

That's an interesting thought that never occurred to me. I assume the scenario is one where the occupants are unable to provide statements after the accident? I frequently fly from the right seat with a passenger in the left seat who's doing nothing at all. I don't do this in the Mooney because it freaks me out to trust the brakes to someone else, but it's common for me to do it in the Piper. I wonder how often an insurance company raises this as an issue.

Understood. The GMC507 is a pretty simple interface, and its operation seems straightforward. I'm really just looking for recommendations on G5 training resources - but I'd be particularly interested in videos that show G5 AP interaction. Basically - the plane was supposed to be out of the shop last week, but it's been delayed by at least a week, and I'm trying to do some couch flying

Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest that I'm looking for GFC500 videos. I'm specifically looking for G5 videos. I mentioned the GFC500 only for context - but your comment is a bit discouraging. My (apparently mistaken?) understanding from the pilot's guide was that you could do things like set heading, enter altitude preselects, constant-airspeed climb values, etc.

It might be worth noting that the STC may not be flexible on the install location. For the Piper install, the only available location is in an incredibly annoying spot near the pilot's left knee. (Where the Piper factory A/Ps live.) I have no idea what the Mooney installation addendum might say whenever it's published. It could be less painful.

Seriously? This doesn't seem like a trivial exercise. The pilot's guide helps, but covers a lot of territory with only a very small number of screenshots. I'm particularly interested in seeing AP controls and indications, but I'd also be interested in videos covering various types of instrument approaches. (This is for a 2xG5 + GFC500 setup.)

Anyone have a favorite video (or other online training resource) for the Garmin G5? I've read the Garmin guides and watched a handful of intro/review videos on YouTube, but haven't found anything really great. I wish Garmin had a simulator for the G5 like they have for their nav boxes.

Eeenteresting. Thanks for that. I guess we'll see what happens.

Here's the tablet I use, fwiw: https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16834324028

It seems that Apple has essentially discontinued the Mini, with nothing new on the horizon. The Mini 4 came out several years ago, and it's pretty long in the tooth at this point. I've owned many Apple devices, so I won't bad mouth them too much. But it always drove me nuts that you have to buy a "cellular" model for a 40% markup if you want a GPS chip. (Most Android tablets include a GPS chip in their Wifi-only models.)