Published in Midwest Flyer – Oct/Nov 2016
OSHKOSH, WIS. – The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and Garmin announced July 25, 2016, the availability of an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) of the G5 electronic attitude indicator for hundreds of makes and models of aircraft. Garmin supplied a G5 that is installed in the panel of AOPA’s Sweepstakes 172, which was on display throughout EAA AirVenture Oshkosh at the AOPA Campus at Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wis.
“We are pleased to see this collaboration between government and industry to pave the way for installing in certified airplanes these modern, highly capable systems common in experimental airplanes,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “These cost-effective new products will bring new vibrancy, safety, and reliability to the GA fleet. This is just the beginning. We expect other companies to bring forth other non-TSO’d equipment that will improve the fleet.”
AOPA has worked closely with the FAA, Garmin, and others in the industry to demonstrate the need for affordable avionics and other safety systems for older airplanes.
The solid-state G5 electronic flight instrument can be installed in type-certificated fixed-wing general aviation aircraft using a supplemental type certificate (STC) in 562 aircraft models. The compact and cost-effective G5 is a standalone primary source for aircraft attitude or turn coordination information, while also displaying secondary information such as airspeed, altitude and more.
The G5 costs $2,149, which includes the install kit, back-up battery and STC, and $2,499 with an optional GPS antenna. Deliveries for new orders are expected to begin in September.
The G5 forms the heart of the upgraded panel on the Cessna 172, which is being remanufactured by Yingling Aviation in Wichita.
In its effort to continue focusing attention on the need for lower cost, safety-enhancing equipment for the legacy fleet, AOPA hopes to install a new-generation digital autopilot in the airplane and other gear, including an upgraded engine and airbag seatbelts, before the aircraft is given away as part of AOPA’s membership sweepstakes, which closes May 31, 2017. Anyone with an active AOPA membership at that point is eligible to win the revitalized Skyhawk. See the official sweepstakes rules on the AOPA website (www.aopa.org).
