well as a Garmin ADS-B solution in
my old salvaged airplane. We aug-
mented that with a GTN 650, a GFC
500 autopilot driven by a G5 standby
unit and the beautiful G500 TXi sys-
tem that includes an MFD, a PFD and
an engine monitor. This definitively
brings the old Bo into the modern era.
I find the contrast in development
between the two—engine and
avionics—to be quite interesting.
GA avionics have advanced just as
quickly as the tech in the other parts
of our lives. The touchscreens on
these Garmins would not be foreign
to any iPhone user. The engine, which
is more directly responsible for our
safety in f light, has not progressed
much at all since the 1950s. Reliable,
yes. But ancient. All the more reason
to have the right hands on it.
As the GC, I make sure the right
parts are ordered for the airplane.
But once delivered, I must sub-
contract the work as I would to
the plumber and electrician in my
barn. Matt Krosky from Advanced
Aerotech installed the avionics, and
it was no small task. He replaced
thousands of feet of wiring. Based
on his work, everything from mag-
netic headings to cylinder head tem-
peratures must read accurately. SRS
Aviation makes a one-piece panel
that replaces the original panel, lit-
tered with 3 1/8-inch holes from the
outgoing steam gauges. Starting with
their PMA’d solid piece of aluminum
allowed us to create a clean-sheet
design that perfectly incorporates
all of the new instruments—none
of them round.
On the engine side, ACE has a
similarly instrumental task. Again,
I made sure all the parts were deliv-
ered, but I must trust Brian to gap the
piston rings properly. I don’t have the
mechanical knowledge to check on
how the crankcase came together. You
hire the best talent you can find, and
then you must let go and trust.
With the engine and panel removed,
I tended to the airframe. Though
Advanced Aero focuses on avionics,
the owner, George Aikens, recently
partnered with Steve Odean, a tech-
nician who oversees airframe work
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