After a brief discussion, we found a perfect avionics solution which met the customer’s requirements whilst being cost-effective at the same time. In place of the artificial horizon and the gyrocompass, we installed a pair of Garmin G5 certified. The old KMA-24 audio panel was replaced by a modern Garmin GMA 345 with Bluetooth. To fulfil the requirement of two 8.33 kHz radios, we installed a Garmin GNC 255A COM / NAV transceiver. The navigation equipment was completed by a KN-62A DME receiver containing a harmonic filter, which is a requirement for operations in Europe.

Since the bulk of the radio rack was going to be changed, we offered the customer to replace the existing cabling, which had become unsatisfactory after various modifications. Thanks to the aircraft inspection before installation we were able to prepare the cable harness in our workshop without having to ground the aircraft. This shortened the installation time by one week.

Ten days after the start of the installation, the aircraft was ready for the first ground tests associated with the GMU 11 magnetometer calibration. After calibration, the new avionics were tested, and the transponder and altimeter measurements were taken to ensure that the avionics system met all the conditions to remove the VFR restrictions from the ARC.