Dear fellow Aviator,

Much has happened since our last newsletter. The big news is that our shop foreman Tres Whitt recently finished his private pilot license and is now working on his instrument rating. Oscar Valdez has earned an FAA Repairman's certificate for Radio and Instrument. And fuel prices are coming down. Hooray!.

New KISP ATIS: Long Island MacArthur Airport (KISP) has a new ATIS frequency 120.720.

New Stuff: New production aircraft such as Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft and Piper are being delivered with “Glass Panels”. In most cases, these aircraft are equipped with Primary Flight Displays (PFD’s) and Multi Function Displays (MFD’s). Two of the most well known systems are the Garmin G-1000 and the Avidyne Entegra 5000.

We are asked regularly, “Can you install a Garmin G-1000 in my airplane?” Unfortunately, the answer is no. These units were designed to be installed and certified by the aircraft manufacturer. They were not designed for field retrofit.

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“Glass Panels” are finally here for retrofit into General Aviation aircraft. There are presently 2 viable options and more are on the way in the near future.

• The Aspen Avionics EFD-1000 “PRO” is an entry level “Glass Panel” Primary Flight Display. It is installed in the place of the existing attitude indicator and directional gyro (or HSI). The existing vacuum attitude indicator must be relocated and must remain installed and operational along with the existing altimeter and airspeed indicator. The Aspen “PRO” is STC approved for most single and twin engine aircraft under 6,000 pounds gross weight. The aircraft must have at least one IFR GPS system installed. Installation costs vary depending on other installed equipment. Please use a budget number of under $16,000 installed. Many airplanes will be less.

• The Garmin G-600 is both a PFD and an MFD. It replaces the primary 6 pack instruments. The existing attitude indicator, airspeed and altimeter must be relocated and remain installed. The G-600 is STC approved for most piston and turbine aircraft under 12,500 lbs gross weight. The aircraft must have at least one Garmin 400W or 500W series GPS system installed. The list price for the G-600 equipment is $29,995. Installation costs vary greatly depending on type of aircraft, existing equipment, autopilot and existing instrument panel configuration.

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Important Airworthiness Directives and Service Bulletins:AD 2008-13-17 applies to most Hawker Beechcraft piston airplanes. This AD requires the replacement of any and all toggle circuit breaker switches. This work must be completed by August 2009. Please contact Tres or Fred for more information.

Garmin Mandatory Service Bulletin 0714, Revision A applies to GTX-330 series transponders and must be complied with at the next transponder (91.413) certification. This is a factory only modification. Garmin pays for the modification, return shipping and labor. If you purchased your GTX-330 from Islip Avionics, we will pay for ground shipping outbound. If you prefer express shipping, you just cover the difference in cost. Units installed after June 2007 should be checked, but probably already have this bulletin complied with. This service bulletin will probably become an AD.

Great Deals:  We have several Garmin GNS-430 WAAS units in stock at last year’s prices. Due to the variables in each installation, we are not able to quote a price in this newsletter, but the savings are significant. Call or email Fred for the best pricing.

Garmin GNS-430 and GNS-530 WAAS Upgrade Program: The discounted Garmin WAAS upgrade program has ended. This had been a very successful upgrade program for many of our customers who took advantage of the discounted upgrade.

            What does this mean for units that have not been upgraded? Garmin will continue to perform the upgrades for an indefinite period. The cost to upgrade a GNS-530 or GNS-430 to WAAS is $2995. Shipping and field labor is not included. Down time is approximately 2 ½ weeks.

New Capabilities: As our staff has grown, we have upgraded our FAA Repair Station capabilities. We now service Ni-Cad battery systems and emergency standby battery systems. Contact Peyton for capabilities and scheduling. We now have inspection and maintenance capabilities on Piston and Turbine aircraft under 12,500 lbs. We are presently performing inspections and on going maintenance on two Cessna 208 Caravans, three Beech 18 aircraft, three Morane Saulnier Paris Jets, and other various piston and turbine aircraft. We have sheet metal repair capabilities and can provide insurance company estimates for major repairs. Please call Fred or Tres to discuss your inspection and maintenance needs.

ELT Systems:  There have been a lot of recent discussions and magazine articles about the requirements for the new 406 MHz ELT systems. Here’s the scoop. After February 2009, the international SARSAT/COMSAT systems will no longer monitor 121.50. What does this mean to us as pilots? In the event of a crash the ELT is triggered. The signal will still be received and the search and rescue agencies notified. There will be no location assistance from the satellite system. However, there is presently no FAA requirement to upgrade your existing system and from recent research we have done, the FAA has no plans of pursuing this matter. If you plan on operating outside United States Airspace you will be required under international law to have a 406 MHz ELT system. This includes if you fly to Canada or the Caribbean. Mexico has recently announced that US registered aircraft can be issued a temporary waiver to fly into Mexico without a 406 MHz unit. It is your responsibility to request and receive a waiver. A basic 406 MHz ELT system installed in an average single engine aircraft is about $3000. There are more advanced systems on the market that will also broadcast your last known GPS Latitude/ Longitude position. New ELT systems with additional features will be available shortly. All pilots should consider their own safety and the safety of their families and guests. As all aircraft owners and pilots know, the ELT system must be inspected and tested every 12 months. New 406 MHz ELT systems must be registered with NOAA prior to use. If your old ELT unit fails, that is a great time to upgrade.

Portable Unit Installation: We receive questions on a regular basis about permanently installing a Garmin GPSMAP 496 or 396 in the instrument panel. Portable units are just that, “portable”. They are not FAA approved for permanent installation in a certified aircraft. These units have not been tested and certified. No analysis has been done to prove that they will not interfere with operations of other installed aircraft equipment. The cable harness that comes with these portables is of a PVC material that cannot be installed due to smoke emission requirements. Garmin does not represent in any way that these units can be installed. A third party company, Air Gizmo makes a plastic mount to adapt these portable units into the avionics stack. These mounts are not FAA approved.           

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Major Projects: Although we are primarily an avionics shop, our FAA Repair Station ratings allow us to perform maintenance and inspections on most aircraft. Several years ago, at the request of Jack Bart, a long term customer, we undertook a restoration project on his 1946 Grumman G73 “Mallard” flying boat. As many of you know, this historic aircraft was built in Bethpage right after WW II. We are nearing the end of our three year project and hope to have this airplane flying very soon. N98BS is based in Bridgeport, Ct. and Fort Lauderdale FL. For photos of this repair go to www.islipavionics.com/photos.html.

We are pleased to have participated in the cockpit and instrument panel restoration of N751RB, “Glamorous Gal”, A P51D Mustang owned and operated by Bob and Chris Baranaskas of Warbirds Over Long Island. This Mustang along with a Curtis-Wright P40 Warhawk and a Boeing/ Stearman PT-17 are based at Brookhaven Airport at Northeast Airpark. For details of this restoration, go to www.islipavionics.com/photos.  For more information on Warbirds Over Long Island, go to www.warbirdsoverlongisland.com.

Honeywell HAPP extended warranty program: Many of our customers have taken benefit from the Honeywell/ Bendix King HAPP extended warranty program. For a reasonable fee, Honeywell will renew the warranty on any of their equipment that is still under current production. This program provides for loaners, exchanges, repairs and labor for all covered equipment. For more information you can contact Tres or Derek.

Garmin G1000 FliteLevel extended warranty program: Garmin has recently announced that they have an extended warranty program for the G1000 equipped aircraft. They presently have agreements for these systems in Diamond DA-40 series, Hawker/ Raytheon/ Beechcraft G36, G58 and C90 aircraft, Mooney M20 series, Piper PA-32 series, Kodiak 100 and Socata TBM-850 aircraft. They are presently negotiating with Cessna Aircraft for support of the 172, 182, 206 and 208 series aircraft. Please contact Fred if you have an interest in these plans.

Dinosaur Avionics: Eventually most avionics equipment ages to the point where it no longer can be maintained. Each year, many of the avionics manufacturers publish a list of their older equipment that they can no longer support. This is mostly due to the availability of repair parts. Many electronic components that were used in the design of these older units have not been in production for many years. The Northstar M1, M2 and M3 series Loran systems and GPS systems will no longer be supported. The Collins MicroLine series have also reached the dinosaur list. Many parts are no longer available. We will continue to support the Collins line until our spares inventory runs out. The Cessna/ ARC avionics are also nearing the dinosaur list. We will continue to support this equipment with repairs and exchanges as long as we can, but many are beyond economical repair.

Garmin Repairs: Most Garmin products are factory repair only. Garmin has a flat rate repair program that includes the actual repair, upgrade to the latest software versions and return shipping. The flat rate does not include labor for removal or installation and outbound shipping. Garmin has also announced a rental program for out of warranty repairs. If your unit is under warranty, Garmin will provide a loaner at no charge; you pay for shipping and labor.

Seasonal Alerts: This is a good time of year to check your tie down ropes and replace worn ropes. It is a good idea to check the condition of your aircraft cover and to check the pressure in the tires. If your battery had been weak all summer, now is a good time to replace the battery. Batteries deteriorate in cooler weather. Keep an eye on your wet compass. The vast temperature swings that occur in the fall can cause the seals to fail and the fluid to leak out.

Staff Changes: We have had a lot of exciting staff changes. Marc Gilbert, a local A&P mechanic with 20 plus years experience has joined our staff. Marc attended Aviation High School in NYC and Spartan School of Aeronautics. Marc is in the Air Force Reserve and has been called to active duty 3 times in the last 4 years and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. We thank Marc for his service to our great country. Oscar Valdez has joined our staff as an avionics technician. Oscar attended the Vaughn School of Aeronautics and is presently pursuing an Electrical Engineering degree from SUNY Stony Brook. Oscar holds an FAA Repairman’s certificate for radio and instrument and is a private pilot. Derek Michel, a former part time helper has joined our staff as a systems and office manager. Derek has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Allegheny College. Among many other tasks, Derek is our administrator for the Honeywell HAPP programs. Peyton Harrison, a well known local A&P mechanic has joined our staff. Peyton attended Northrup University. In addition to a mechanic’s certificate, Peyton holds a Commercial Pilots License with multi engine and instrument ratings. We are very proud to announce that Rick Kattermann has joined our staff as an avionics technician. Rick graduated from the University of Miami with an Electrical Engineering degree. Jason Piastuck has taken a job with the FAA as a controller at JFK and continues to work part time as our computer system administrator. Max Baumgartner has moved to Tampa, Florida. We thank Max for his years of service.

Email and Website: Please visit our website www.islipavionics.com for great information and links to many popular avionics and aviation websites. This may be the last letter that we send via snail mail. In the future, we hope to send our newsletters via email. For all of our newsletters new and old you can go to www.islipavionics.com/newsletters-d.html. To continue to receive our newsletter please send an email to pat@islipavionics.com which also includes your current mailing address, phone number(s) and email address so that we can update our database at the same time.

Contact Us: Our phone number is 631-588-3543 and is answered Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. We do not have a voice mail system. We check our email several times daily. Our email addresses are as follows:    fred@islipavionics.com               tres@islipavionics.com     

Thank you for your continued support.

We wish you and your family a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season.

Happy Flying,

Fred & the crew of Islip Avionics: Tres, Pat, Paul, Danny, Tom, Jason, Marc, Oscar, Derek, Peyton & Rick

ISLIP AVIONICS, INC.                                          

135 Schaeffer Drive                                                   

L.I. Mac Arthur Airport                                                         

Ronkonkoma, NY  11779

FAA CRS# FJ1R141K

phone:631-588-3543  

fax: 631-588-1313

email: sales@islipavionics.com