Search the Community

During our last visit to Marathon, I filmed the approach from the cockpit of the Mooney M20F. Most of the instruments, including my Aspen PFD and the Garmin GTN 750 are visible. Due to the later evening, and the low sun, the outside view is ok, but could be better. To make the visual approach against the sun easy, I selected the visual approach to runway 25 in my Garmin GTN750. With this setup, I got an ILS-like vertical and lateral deviation indication on my Aspen PFD. Also you can see on the Aspen the AOA function and the synthetic vision.

I was just speaking with an experienced and well-regarded avionics installer, asking about installing the L3 ESI-500 as a backup AI to my Aspen PFD and removing my vac system later this year. He had done such installs but said he was no longer doing them. His reason was that the legality of the L3 as a backup to an Aspen single panel pfd had recently been questioned (by the FAA?), and there was now an ongoing dispute between L3 and Aspen on this issue. It seems odd because the two companies have an ongoing product development partnership, with the L3 products even advertised on Aspen's website. I emailed Aspen customer support about it and will report back if they respond. I hope this post doesn't cause undue stress by spreading fake news ! Does anyone else have info on this question? It's a potential headache for people who already have the L3. I have no info on anything other than using the L3 to back up the Aspen single panel pfd, and that info is second hand. However, for anyone considering putting in the ESI-500 as backup now, it may be worth digging a little deeper into the question.

I have an STEC 30 coupled to a GTN 650 and an Aspen pfd. I realize the STEC 30 alone can't do intercepts for approaches but can track a VOR or localizer signal in trk-lo or trk-hi mode. I also understand that having GPSS via the Aspen allows the STEC to use GTN 650 data to intercept. I'm trying to figure out how to make the most of this setup during training and real world IFR flying. After poring through the STEC 30 and Aspen manuals, I'm left with two unanswered questions: 1. After intercepting an LPV final approach course, the STEC manual says to use trk-hi mode to follow the course. But if I use GPSS to intercept, why not just leave it in heading mode with GPSS? In the real world, I imagine one would even prefer to use GPSS to fly an ILS approach after switching the nav signal display to the ILS? The STEC 30 autopilot's ability to track the localizer directly in trk-hi sounds more finicky than heading mode with GPSS. 2. What am I left with if the Aspen fails? This failure will likely be simulated on the check ride. Obviously GPSS function and flying in heading mode will be gone. But will the STEC 30 still be able to track a VOR or localizer in trk-lo or trk-hi mode based on the NAV signal from my GTN 650 or SL30? I suspect not, but couldn't figure this out definitively from the manuals. I'd like to have some clue what the answer should be before I try it.