GPSS - worth it?

[Tony Armour]

After swapping the 530 (non-WAAS) for the Avidyne 540 I then added a GDC31, cost was right at $2,200-$2,300 installed. I had a few other things done but that's close on GPSS only. Worth every penny. Not sure if the Garmins work the same flying approaches, procedure turns etc. Never really used my 530. It made me legal and I would fly GPS approaches with my G396 handheld, haha, a waste I know. It seems like the 540 will do some things regarding the approaches/GPSS that a 530 won't but I'm not familiar anymore.

Regarding the Aspen, I thought, well here is a chance to get (kind've) a cheaper price on an Aspen by applying GPSS money toward it. The problem was that with my KAP150 the Aspen needed another box at $1,000 to make the GPSS work. So that ate into the so called discount a pretty good bit.

I would certainly do it over. It's NOT hard to reach up and turn the heading bug on an approach like I was doing but in actual IMC it is nicer to monitor instead of doing.

Edited March 7, 2016 by Tony Armour

[carusoam]

Two IFR things I was concerned about...

1) leveling off at the assigned altitude.

2) turning at the way point.

I used a couple of different strategies to assist the aging memory.  Now that the memory is really aged, I look forward to the GPSS and the Aspen for handling these tasks.  Time to start saving the dough...

Best regards,

-a-

[Andy95W]

2 hours ago, Piloto said:

I have a Century 31 and a 530W without GPSS and it performs 45 deg intercept turns to ILS without overshooting. And then how many times ATC has asked to hold on a published race track hold. Typically they ask to hold over a fix that has no holding pattern, you just circle around. And then how lousy of a pilot you are that can't fly it yourself. You are better off spending $50 on a pilot relief tube than $2K on a GPSS.

José

I have never known a pilot that had GPSS (myself included), or that had flown regularly with one, that felt this strongly that they weren't worth the $2,000.

A necessity? No. 

Really, really, really nice to have?  YES.

[mike_elliott]

9 hours ago, Tony Armour said:

Regarding the Aspen, I thought, well here is a chance to get (kind've) a cheaper price on an Aspen by applying GPSS money toward it. The problem was that with my KAP150 the Aspen needed another box at $1,000 to make the GPSS work. So that ate into the so called discount a pretty good bit.

If you keep your KI256, then the 1K Digital to analog converter needed to convert signals to 1980 tech required by the KAP wouldn't have been necessary, Tony.

[DXB]

OMG, GPSS is SO WORTH IT.  (IMHO)

[Bob_Belville]

My STEC 50 will track HDG or VLOC. It does not hold a track to a synthetic fix, an intersection. W/o GPSS the pilot must use the heading mode and offset, monitor, and adjust the heading to maintain track if there is any crosswind at all and there always is. Is that not so?

My wonderful GTN 750 displays the desired track and the plane's position relative to it but it takes GPSS to automatically stay on that track. Think of it as "altitude hold" for the horizontal plane. Neither "ALT" nor "GPSS" is essential but both are sweet - especially for a single pilot, in busy airspace, in IMC!  

[flyboy0681]

Just now, Bob_Belville said:

. Neither "ALT" nor "GPSS" is essential but both are sweet - especially for a single pilot, in busy airspace, in IMC!  

I think that is where the real value is.

[Marauder]

My STEC 50 will track HDG or VLOC. It does not hold a track to a synthetic fix, an intersection. W/o GPSS the pilot must use the heading mode and offset, monitor, and adjust the heading to maintain track if there is any crosswind at all and there always is. Is that not so?

My wonderful GTN 750 displays the desired track and the plane's position relative to it but it takes GPSS to automatically stay on that track. Think of it as "altitude hold" for the horizontal plane. Neither "ALT" nor "GPSS" is essential but both are sweet - especially for a single pilot, in busy airspace, in IMC!  

I wish I recorded the LPV I flew last week coupled with the GPSS and AP engaged. The winds were unusually high at low altitudes and a direct crosswind for the final approach course. The surface winds were light and I expected a rather abrupt wind shift along the approach.

The system had a 22° correction in and just before I came to the FAF, the winds began the shift. The system didn't lose a beat, it began correcting and by the time I got to the FAF intercept and engaged the approach mode, it was flying a 10° correction.

Was it as fast as me in correcting for the wind shift, no, but it certainly did well.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[flyboy0681]

Just now, Marauder said:

I wish I recorded the LPV I flew last week coupled with the GPSS and AP engaged. The winds were unusually high at low altitudes and a direct crosswind for the final approach course. The surface winds were light and I expected a rather abrupt wind shift along the approach.

The system had a 22° correction in and just before I came to the FAF, the winds began the shift. The system didn't lose a beat, it began correcting and by the time I got to the FAF intercept and engaged the approach mode, it was flying a 10° correction.

Was it as fast as me in correcting for the wind shift, no, but it certainly did well.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Sounds nearly identical to my practice last Saturday. Stiff crosswind gusting to 15kts. When I took the hood off at 260 feet, the runway was straight ahead,

[Danb]

keep it simple,     YES

[Guest]

20 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

Damn that looks good!

Buy one like this, you'll like it more.

Clarence 

[flyboy0681]

Just now, M20Doc said:

Buy one like this, you'll like it more.

Clarence 

One of the (many) features that I love about the Aspen is its built in air data computer and its ability to display where the wind is coming from and at what speed.

[irishpilot]

It's not my money, but my plane has it and I use it when shooting approaches down to mins. Just a few weeks ago I used it to shoot an approach in the wx in KATL and I had plenty of brain-bytes to focus on the radios Andy approach to DH.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Zwaustin]

GPSS is a must ... I have an Aspen and a KFC200 A/P.... It does everything I could ask and does it well. Only thing it is missing is altitude pre select but using the alt hold Manually does the trick.

[Tony Armour]

14 hours ago, mike_elliott said:

If you keep your KI256, then the 1K Digital to analog converter needed to convert signals to 1980 tech required by the KAP wouldn't have been necessary, Tony.

Yes, seems like you have to hide the 256. I didn't need much reason to NOT spend another 10amu. I just recently started an enging fund at ........... 1925 hours :-)

[JohnB]

Just got my DAC 31 GPSS installed with my avionics upgrade pack to my new GTN 750. And YES it is worth every penny. It is like getting your first microwave oven. No you don't absolutely need it, but it is very helpful, particularly if you fly IFR most of the time. (Probably not as helpful if youre VFR only).  I fly in very busy airspaces in CA and am frequently asked to change to different airways, new fixes, deviate for all sorts of reasons and return to course. With my GPSS, it is a piece of cake do all of this, with remarkable precision, while im sure saving fuel and having better looking flight paths. And hey, when youre just another dot to ATC, wouldn't anyone want to make your dot look good by exactly flying courses and route changes?  I say Yes!

Edited March 8, 2016 by JohnB

[mike_elliott]

8 hours ago, Zwaustin said:

GPSS is a must ... I have an Aspen and a KFC200 A/P.... It does everything I could ask and does it well. Only thing it is missing is altitude pre select but using the alt hold Manually does the trick.

I believe Aspen sells a 3rd party add on that will give you that, sort of. While it doesn't allow you to preselect a VS rate it does allow you to select the altitude. It would be really cool if the Aspen could command the AP to hold constant speed climbs and decents like the G700 can.

[Marauder]

8 hours ago, Zwaustin said: GPSS is a must ... I have an Aspen and a KFC200 A/P.... It does everything I could ask and does it well. Only thing it is missing is altitude pre select but using the alt hold Manually does the trick.

I believe Aspen sells a 3rd party add on that will give you that, sort of. While it doesn't allow you to preselect a VS rate it does allow you to select the altitude. It would be really cool if the Aspen could command the AP to hold constant speed climbs and decents like the G700 can.

The unit that does the altitude preselect with the KFC200 is called the APS4A. It is made by a German company and sold by Aspen here.

What I really wish is for the Avidyne DFC90 to be certified on our planes with STEC autopilots. Constant airspeed climbs are the way to go.

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[mike_elliott]

13 hours ago, M20Doc said:

Buy one like this, you'll like it more.

Clarence 

looks like the Bravo's only a bit slower and no SV

[Guest]

10 hours ago, mike_elliott said:

looks like the Bravo's only a bit slower and no SV

Ouch!!

Clarence