Show Us Your Panel! (Pictures)

[Pacer42Z]

Since I had the ASPEN installed in the Pacer in April I have flown over 50 hours in it and I would not like to go back to the original steam gauges. Of the 50 hours I flew almost seven hours in actual IMC or at night. Last Sunday (October 16th) my wife and I visited our daughter at Virginia Tech (KBCB) and departed after dark in VMC, but I filed IFR since there are pretty tall mountains all around the airport. I flew the SID with the transition to my route and it is so much easier hand flying the Pacer and having all the information in just one spot in front of me rather than having to scan at least half of the panel plus center stack for GPS information.

As I said before, if you only fly in VFR condition and hardly at night, don't waste your money. If you fly single Pilot none auto pilot IMC I think it's worth the money. BTW, I think the Pacer is a very stable IFR airplane and as good as any C-172 or PA-28 Cherokee (just my opinion). I love the climb on my Pacer (160HP 74"x58" prop). Within 9 miles after take off on the SID at KBCB RWY30 (elevation 2,100 feet) is a fix with a crossing altitude of 5,600 feet (minimum climb 389 feet per mile or about 480 feet/minute at 65 knots) because of the mountains and with two of us plus full main tanks and some luggage I had no problem to reach the altitude.

Juergen
Pacer N3342Z

[Jim]

Hi,

When you have an all glass panel, and smell something electrical getting hot, what's the plan? Do you shut off the master, wait for a breaker to pop, or KYAGB?

[Pacer42Z]

Hi,

When you have an all glass panel, and smell something electrical getting hot, what's the plan? Do you shut off the master, wait for a breaker to pop, or KYAGB?

Jim, you do the same as you do with steam gauges. Turn off the master and land as quick as possible. My Aspen will go into battery mode and will provide full flight instrumentation for almost one hour. The only thing lost would be the GPS lay-over on the navigation part of the display. In this case I would use my I-Pad with Stratus as GPS navigation back up and the handheld radio I always carry for communications.
In July I experienced an alternator failure (in VMC). The first thing I noticed was on the Aspen a warning flag popped up alerting me that it was running on back up battery power and I had just less than one hour remaining. Then I looked over to the right hand side of he panel where the AMP meter is and noticed the negative charge.

I attended the AOPA aviation photography seminar at KFDK last night and came back in the dark again. Between the PFD and the LED landing and interior lights these are the best improvements I have made for night flying on the Pacer.

Juergen
Pacer N3342Z

[KSG]

I have an aspen pro in the Cherokee 6, 500+ hours no problems. Steam gauges also. I would buy another one for hard IFR flight. Jim if engine quits at night in IFR that wet pump quits. Nothing wrong with steam instruments but independent ahars and gyro systems are nice to have. Find an airliner, corporate jet or military jet produced in the last 10 years that doesn't use an ahars, glass panel. Not many.

[wyandot jim]

"Jim if engine quits at night in IFR that wet pump quits. "

Lets see now under those conditions what do I do first??? Clean the crap out of my skivvie shorts to be more comfortable at the crash. Or turn on the Landing light to see what I'm going to crash into Good reason to have a Baron with two engines and pumps.
My comment was having all your engine gauges on an electron item and no backup.
I saw what it did to my neighbors plans for Oshkosh.
Son has been flying in the Navy since 1990 and went from steam to glass. He has good and bad to say about both. I don't have the experience on glass to comment. I do like the little box I put in the Pacer

[Subsonic]

wyandot jim, Thanks for continuing the discussion - I care. Question: Do you know what's involved with an "overhaul"? Who would you send your DG to? Estimated cost? I'm interested because if it costs more than half the replacement cost of a flat card-type DG, I'd consider swapping to a later model component. so you know the path I'm on, I'd consider getting mine fixed or getting a flat card DG for a few months prior to getting a full glass panel, and sell it later. I need to be a pilot with a license first, and my CFI reminds me that the DG I have is difficult to keep valid (he says 'nearly useless') and could save me 10 pounds if I threw it away. Last time I flew, I only REALLY needed to see outside to survive. All else (inside view) was optional. So, the way I see life in an airplane so far is that a lot of people would like to manage your life if you let them. I like liberty. I think the plane really only NEEDS TO TELL ME how the engine is running. Right now. All else is a second order concern. Else, me thinks my visual perception outside the plane is more important most of the time.

[andya]

I've had alternator failure away from home great VFR. Landed nearest to evaluate, the pulley spun on the shaft. Buttoned up and flew home with everything off to save the battery to talk with approach and tower. I was concerned about reliability of the EFIS stuff when it first came out for the big iron backin the 80's. Our dept upgraded one plane and it proved to be good. Early commercial units had no back up battery but then with dual electric output on the turbines, likely completed electric failure was pretty minimal. I believe the electronic stuff is a little like a new PC, infant mortality, if it runs initially for a couple hours, it's probably going to be good.

I think if I was inclined to put in one of these units in mine, I'd want a steam gage attitude indicator for insurance for IFR. DG, you always have the whiskey compass.

I've had both a DG and Attitude gyro overhauled in the last 3-4 years and you can figure at minimum $500 per unit. I got mine done by an friend in the business for less but it will cost $$ by the time they replace all the jewel bearings and stuff.

As a backup plan, I have a vacuum Attitude and STEC (electric) A/P in our traveler so in worse case I can keep it upright as long as I don't loose electric and vacuum at same time.

[andya]

"Jim if engine quits at night in IFR that wet pump quits. "

Lets see now under those conditions what do I do first??? Clean the crap out of my skivvie shorts to be more comfortable at the crash. Or turn on the Landing light to see what I'm going to crash into

Old friend always said, engine failure at night when nearing the ground, turn the landing light on to see whats coming, if you don't like what you see, turn the light off.

[wyandot jim]

wyandot jim, Thanks for continuing the discussion - I care. Question: Do you know what's involved with an "overhaul"? Who would you send your DG to? Estimated cost? I'm interested because if it costs more than half the replacement cost of a flat card-type DG, I'd consider swapping to a later model component. so you know the path I'm on, I'd consider getting mine fixed or getting a flat card DG for a few months prior to getting a full glass panel, and sell it later. I need to be a pilot with a license first, and my CFI reminds me that the DG I have is difficult to keep valid (he says 'nearly useless') and could save me 10 pounds if I threw it away. Last time I flew, I only REALLY needed to see outside to survive. All else (inside view) was optional. So, the way I see life in an airplane so far is that a lot of people would like to manage your life if you let them. I like liberty. I think the plane really only NEEDS TO TELL ME how the engine is running. Right now. All else is a second order concern. Else, me thinks my visual perception outside the plane is more important most of the time.

Here is who I have used in the past for instrument repair. Looks like about $360 for an AN DG. http://flyaqi.com/gyro.htm. Now my option on a DG and flying with one. Yes the flat card is nice, but when I first started fling in 1963 most of my instruction was with a Mag. Compass. I have flown all over the country with a Mag. compass and a chart. It is nice to have the DG for holding a heading with less work. My 61 Bonanza still has the AN type DG in it, which is what all planes had when I started flying.
I do not know why your CFI is so concerned about your DG. YOU SHOULD be looking out the windshield unless you are doing instrument work IMHO. Learn to fly the PITA Mag. compass and it will always get you where you want to go
Yes the engine will talk to you. But sometimes it might wait until the Oil Pressure has gone to 0 or you cooked a cylinder before saying anything. Then it says "I Quit".
Don't get me wrong on the above advice. I still get the most enjoyment out of following a black line on a chart and being on the check points on ETA. Have not done as much Dead Reckoning as in the past, but still do pilotage I also taught my Grandson on our coast to coast flights to follow the black line. Just as a side note. I have a neighbor that has a 58 Baron. He turns on the auto pilot when the gear comes up and turns it off when it comes down. What fun is that????
I think it is great that you are working on your ticket to a great adventure in your own plane. After soloing in a Cub and having a grand total of 10 hours I bought a 7AC Champ. I have owned at least one plane every since. I have not regretted any of my flying in the last 53 years. Yes there have been times that I have questioned the choice I made at the present time. But always had to open the hangar doors all the way to put the reusable magic carpet away.
Just remember to keep the Blue Side Up and if the houses start getting to big PULL BACK on the stick.
Jim

[Dennis Savarese]

Many of us have cussed and discussed how to install an electronic attitude indicator in our legacy aircraft. Particularly, without a hassle. In this months EAA magazine, Sport Aviation, on page 26 is a terrific article written by Steve Ells. The article covers replacing vacuum driven artificial horizons with an electronic AH. In the article is a reference to an FAA Policy Statement, PS-ACE-23-08, titled Replacement of Vacuum Driven Attitude Indicators in CFR 14, Part 23/CAR3 Airplanes. That's us!!!! If you're interested in replacing your vacuum driven AH with an electronic instrument, here is how you do it as a minor modification (log book entry signed off by an A&P).
http://www.gama.aero/files/PS-ACE-23-08.pdf
Dennis