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“Bringing you knowledge of the latest in avionics technology”
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In This Issue
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Upcoming Events
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New Products
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Who’s who?
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Rebates
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National business Aviation Association
Las Vegas, NV
Oct. 10-12, 2017
Air Transport Association of Canada
Montreal, Quebec
Nov 6-8, 2017
Helicopter Association of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
Nov 9-11, 2017
Northwest Aviation Conference & Trade Show
Puyallup, Washington
Feb 24-25, 2018
Helicopter Association International
Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb 26 – Mar 1, 2018
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Customer Comments
A Little tardy. The time has come to test my recall skills.
In late October 2016 I got the bright idea to enhance my panel with additions that should be in a Cirrus or some more fitting aircraft than a Cessna 185 on amphibs.
I fly this airplane IFR from time to time and thought that an autopilot may be a good idea as single pilot IFR does require some attention when dealing with changes from ATC and button pushing on a Garmin 430W. I made arrangements to meet Steve Nunn to see what Maxcraft could do for me.
A package was put together that also contained the addition of a Lynx3 NGT 9000+ ADS-B mode S transponder, a Garmin Connext and an S-tec 30 autopilot. Early December was chosen as the retrofit.
The work was accomplished on schedule and flite testing began. An issue regarding the moving of an ADF antenna to make room for a GPS and an additional antenna for the L3 transponder to pickup other transponders made itself known. I wanted to keep the ADF as I sometimes head North and the ADF is still the backup to GPS.
Flying in the congested lower mainland area and seeing other aircraft on a screen is a real enhancement. The ADF issue was solved and it now points at either a station or the nearest thunderstorm.
The S-tec autopilot operates as a first officer and makes it so much easier to accomplish simple tasks that before made button pushing a sometimes real event if in a turn or turbulence. The Garmin Connext makes Foreflite the master of most 430W input as it talks back and forth thru Bluetooth.
Maxcraft was above and beyond my expectations as an installer and problem solver. I would highly recommend their team to anyone who is thinking about a panel upgrade.
Ross Bock (CYNJ)
More Successes
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Avionic Humour
The Copilot
I am the copilot.
I sit on the right.
It’s up to me to be quick and bright;
I never talk back for I have regrets,
But I have to remember what the Captain forgets.
I make out the Flight Plan and study the weather,
Pull up the gear, stand by to feather;
Make out the mail forms and do the reporting,
And fly the old crate while the Captain is courting.
I take the readings, adjust the power,
Put on the heaters when we’re in a shower;
Tell him where we are on the darkest night,
And do all the bookwork without any light.
I call for my Captain and buy him cokes;
I always laugh at his corny jokes,
And once in awhile when his landings are rusty
I always come through with, “By gosh it’s gusty!”
All in all I’m a general stooge,
As I sit on the right of the man I call “Scrooge”;
I guess you think that is past understanding,
But maybe some day he will give me a landing.
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It’s been a busy summer and early fall for Maxcraft and hence why you haven’t heard from us. Steve was at Oshkosh this year hearing about many new products as well as some big news just released this week. Our apologies for being so Garmin centric on this issue, but the big “G” company’s design engineers have been busy this year! Some of these introductions are significant and this newsletter can’t begin to go into the details. If you want to know more we are more than happy to have a chat with you!
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New Products/Announcements
Genesys is announcing its full-functioning next-generation S-TEC 3100 Digital Flight Control System created for single and twin – engine aircraft. Next-generation attitude-based autopilot will deliver an array of safety-enhancing features including Envelope Protection and one-touch Straight and Level Recovery at an affordable price.
“We’re excited to announce the next-generation S-TEC 3100 Digital Flight Control System as the latest addition to our extensive line of aftermarket autopilot solutions that provide exceptional features and performance at attractive pricing,” Genesys Aerosystems’ Director of Sales and Marketing Jamie Luster said. “As the leader in aftermarket autopilots, with over 1,500 STCs, we were able to utilize our vast autopilot experience to leverage the technology from our Level A S-TEC 5000 autopilot to bring a more cost-effective solution to the Part 23 market. This technology provides light aircraft owners with similar safety features as larger aircraft at an affordable price.”
“We’ve worked diligently with piston aircraft owners to identify what were the most important feature sets for our next autopilot, and undoubtedly it was envelope protection and one-button straight and level recovery,” she said.
“We’ve worked diligently with piston aircraft owners to identify what were the most important feature sets for our next autopilot, and undoubtedly it was envelope protection and one-button straight and level recovery,” she said. “We’re excited to bring these new capabilities to the S-TEC 3100 autopilot. It’s like having a virtual copilot along on every flight.”
Garmin boasts new products!
1. Flight Displays and Engine Monitoring Solutions Reimagined with G500 TXi, G600 TXi, G700 TXi and EIS TXi
Garmin announced the touchscreen G500 TXi, G600 TXi and G700 TXi flight displays as well as the engine information system (EIS) TXi. Boasting a clean-sheet touchscreen design and vibrant presentation, the TXi family incorporates greater situational awareness tools and an innovative feature set into a contemporary avionics platform. Three displays are available, offering optimal flexibility for panel configurations, including a large 10.6-inch display, and two versions of 7-inch displays, in portrait and landscape orientations. The 10.6-inch display can operate as a primary flight display (PFD), multi-function display (MFD) and optional EIS in a highly customized package, while the 7-inch portrait display can be dedicated to one of those functions. The 7-inch landscape display is available exclusively as an EIS display solution. The G500 TXi system is intended for Part 23 Class I & II aircraft, with G600 TXi designed for Class III aircraft and G700 TXi intended for Part 23 Class IV and Part 25 aircraft. Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the G500 TXi/G600 TXi and EIS TXi systems is targeted for approval in Q4 2017, which will feature a comprehensive approved model list (AML) containing more than 600 single-engine piston, twin-engine piston and turboprop aircraft makes and models, offering the most configurable, state-of-the-art glass flight display solution in the market.
Scalable Glass Cockpit Touchscreen Solutions
- Bright, crisp 10.6″ and 7″ LCD touchscreen displays offer industry-leading scalability and flexibility in a wide range of panel configurations
- Engine information system (EIS) optionally available on dedicated 7″ display or 10.6″ display with split-screen data strip
- HSI mapping enhances situational awareness with MFD-like geographical map detail, weather, traffic display and more – overlaid within HSI portion of the primary flight display (PFD)
- Interfaces with popular avionics and autopilots, offering full touchscreen system continuity with our GTN™650/750 series¹
- Full compatibility with original G500/600 system sensors for a simplified, cost-effective upgrade path
Real-time Engine Monitoring for TXi Touchscreen Series
- Compatible with most normally aspirated or turbocharged Lycoming and Continental 4- to 6-cylinder engines powering GA singles and twins
- Engine indications can be viewed as an integrated EIS strip on a 10.6″ G500 TXi/G600 TXi display – or on a dedicated, standalone 7″ display
- Enables aircraft-specific tailoring of instrumentation inputs for engine, fuel, oil, electrical and other vital sensor data
- Lean assist mode helps optimize fuel mixture settings for better fuel economy and more efficient engine operation
- EIS data is automatically logged and can be wirelessly downloaded to the Garmin Pilot™ app on your mobile device for transport and postflight analysis¹. An SD™ card can also be used to transfer the EIS data
2.GFC600 and GFC500 Autopilots – Revolutionary, Cost-effective Retrofit Autopilots for General Aviation Aircraft
Garmin announced GFC 600 and GFC 500, solid state, attitude-based autopilots for fixed-wing general aviation aircraft. The unique designs of these autopilots deliver superior in-flight characteristics, self-monitoring capabilities and minimal maintenance needs when compared to older-generation autopilot systems. Boasting a robust feature set, GFC 600 and GFC 500 incorporate a number of technologies that can improve safety, such as Garmin ESP™ (Electronic Stability and Protection), underspeed protection, Level Mode, Flight Director (FD) and more. The GFC 600 autopilot is intended for high- performance piston single/twin-engine and turbine aircraft that have a wide range of aircraft speed and performance characteristics, while GFC 500 is intended for less complex piston single-engine aircraft. Built upon the acclaimed performance of the popular GFC 700 autopilot, GFC 600 and GFC 500 provide pilots with a suite of advanced autopilot capabilities that are an economical addition for a growing number of aircraft.
A. GFC 600 Autopilot for High-performance Single/Twin-engine Piston and Turbine Aircraft
 The GFC 600 is designed as a standalone autopilot that boasts superior integration capability with G500 and G600 glass flight displays, Garmin navigators as well as a variety of third-party flight displays, instruments and navigation sources. The self-contained GMC 605 autopilot controller incorporates backlit keys and a bright, sunlight-readable display that depicts autopilot status and mode selection. An intuitive built-in control wheel also provides convenient adjustment of aircraft pitch, airspeed and vertical speed modes. When the level button is selected, the aircraft automatically returns to straight-and-level flight. Standard mark-width design of the GFC 600 autopilot controller allows for routine installation into the aircraft’s avionics stack.
B. GFC 500 Autopilot for Certificated Single-engine Piston Aircraft
Built upon the popular G5 electronic flight instrument, the GFC 500 autopilot integrates specifically with G5 to provide pilots with an economical autopilot and modern flight instrument (G5 is sold separately).
The GMC 507 mode controller contains large, dedicated keys and knobs, a control wheel that allows for easy adjustments to aircraft pitch, airspeed and vertical speed and a level button that returns the aircraft to straight-and-level flight. Similar to GFC 600, the GSA 28 servos utilized on GFC 500 also contain brushless DC motors and gear trains that eliminate the need for a mechanical slip clutch. G5 provides input and display of altitude preselect, heading, vertical speed target, airspeed target and Flight Director command bars for the GFC 500. The optional GAD™ 29 adapter allows GFC 500 and G5 to interface with select Garmin GPS or VHF navigators. Initial STC for GFC 500 is expected to be completed on select Cessna 172 aircraft models in the fourth quarter of 2017, with select Cessna 182 and Piper PA-28 aircraft models and more to follow.
C. Third Party Autopilot Support – G5 for Certificated Aircraft to Integrate with Select Autopilots
Garmin announced that the G5 electronic flight instrument will soon be compatible with a wide-range of third-party autopilots available on the market.  Utilizing the new GADTM 29B adapter, the G5 directional gyro (DG)/horizontal situation indicator (HSI) can interface with a variety of autopilots to provide heading and course error from G5 to drive the autopilot. With a compatible navigation source, G5 can also interface with select autopilots for coupled flight in heading and navigation modes. Additionally, when interfaced with a GTN 650/750 or GNS 430W/530W, the G5 can provide GPSS roll steering navigation from the navigator to the autopilot. Pilots can simply select GPSS on the G5 and heading mode on the autopilot and the autopilot will fly smooth intercepts, holding patterns, procedure turns and more. 3. GDL® 82 ADS-B “Out” Datalink –
Economical, Easy-to-install, Rule-compliant ADS-B Solution
Garmin announced the GDL 82 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) datalink, the latest addition to the comprehensive lineup of certified ADS-B solutions available from Garmin. GDL 82 is a small, lightweight Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) datalink with a built-in GPS receiver. For aircraft owners looking for an economical and turnkey solution to satisfy the requirements of ADS-B “Out”, GDL 82 is a straightforward path to meet regulatory requirements.
4. GDL® 52 and GDL 51 – Includes Industry-first, All-in-one Portable SiriusXM® and ADS-B Aviation Receiver
 Garmin announced GDL 52/51, a series of datalink receivers capable of receiving SiriusXM Aviation weather1 and audio for display and control on select portables and mobile devices and optionally available with an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) traffic and weather receiver. The flagship GDL 52 combines all f these functions into a single device, while GDL 51 specifically provides SiriusXM Aviation weather and audio entertainment1. Both variants include a built-in backup battery and provide GPS position data and back-up attitude information2 to compatible portable devices. Wireless and hardwired compatibility is extended to include G3X Touch™, aera® 660 and aera 795/796 aviation portables, as well as wireless connectivity with the Garmin Pilot™ app, allowing customers access to a full-featured suite of weather products, ADS-B traffic and more using a single receiver.5. D2 Charlie Aviator Watch – GPS Smartwatch with High-resolution Mapping, Weather Radar Overlay and More
Garmin is pleased to announce the D2 Charlie aviator watch, an elegant and functional timepiece that boasts global navigation information, rich and colorful moving maps and a host of connectivity options. Designed with pilots, aviation enthusiasts and aspiring pilots in mind, the D2 Charlie aviator watch features high-resolution mapping, real-time worldwide weather radar as well as airport information that includes frequencies, runway information, METAR data and more. Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate technology also allows customers to measure heart rate 24/7 alongside daily activity tracking1. Available with leather and silicone bands or in a titanium edition featuring titanium and silicone bands, D2 Charlie can easily adapt in seconds using these new QuickFit™ bands for use in the cockpit, on the golf course or in the boardroom.
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In the Hangar:
The nicest Cessna 150 ever!
Aircraft: 1966 Cessna 150G. This started out as a typical worn out aircraft but is now truly the nicest and best equipped Cessna 150 in the world!
Owner: Ken is based out of Roche Harbor Airport in Friday Harbour
Need: Our customer has flown many aircraft and now semi-retired, needed something to fly from the island to the mainland.
Summary of Equipment:
- GMA 35 Remote Audio Panel /w 4 Place Intercom (Garmin)
- GTN-750 (GPS/NAV/COM & MFD) (Garmin)
- GTR225 VHF Radio System (Garmin)
- EFD1000 Pro PFD System (Aspen)
- GTX345 (ADS-B) Transponder (Garmin)
- System 50 Autopilot System (Genesys)
- MaxPanel – Custom Instrument Panel
- MaxPanel – New (Cessna) Lower Switch Panel
- Leather wrap covers w/ PTT switches for each control yoke
- Sky-Tec Lightweight starter
The Story:
Ken came to us with a worn out Cessna 150 that he wanted to make better than new. It first spent some time up with our partners at Upper Valley Aviation getting stripped down, repaired, new plastic and a custom designed paint job. At the same time Ken commissioned them to put beautiful leather interior to compliment the paint job.
While this work was being performed at UVA, Ken was working with us to design the ultimate instrument panel for his “like new” bird. There are always many factors that influence the final avionics package such as capabilities, budget, and vendor but with the small panel on the C150, space was also a big concern. We cut a new panel and wedged an amazing system in it, now allowing Ken to fly wherever he wants either VFR or a very comfortable and safe IFR operation.
Being the most elaborate in the world, he wanted to have new avionics and a custom panel installed. Including a new lower switch panel and leather warp covers for his control yokes.
 
 
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In the Hangar:
Aircraft: 1971 Cessna 206 (U206E). The Cessna 205, 206, and 207, known primarily as the Stationair are a family of single-engine, general aviation aircraft with fixed landing gear, used in commercial air service and also for personal use. Cessna describes the 206 as “the sport-utility vehicle of the air.”
Owner: Aaron and Rhonda are based out of Fort Langley, B.C.
Need: Aaron, his wife Rhonda, and their active family needed an aircraft to get them all around. They decided on the versatile C206 and found one that fit the bill in the U.S.
Summary of Equipment:
- GTN750 GPS/NAV/COM & MFD System (Garmin)
- FlightStream 510 Wireless tablet interface (Garmin)
- GMA35 Remote Audio Panel (with 6 place intercom) (Garmin)
- CGR-30P Engine Monitor (Electronics Internationial)
- Lynx NGT-9000+ System Transponder, ADS-B, Active Traffic (L3)
- EFD1000 VFR PFD Flight Display System (Aspen)
- ELT System (Kannad)
- LED Instrument Lighting
- MaxPanel – Custom Instrument Panel
- Custom Lower Switch Panel Overlay
- Provisions for an AERA 796 interface (stow under panel)
The Story:
Maxcraft worked with Aaron while he was shopping for an airplane and loosely spec’d in what kind of avionics he would want in his Cessna. Aaron’s trip up from the southern U.S. with his newly acquired Stationair was grounded numerous times with maintenance snags and weather.
 
The aircraft finally arrived and went straight into our hangar for a makeover. His new acquired bird looks like a good airframe but the avionics was sorely lacking. We worked with Aaron and Rhonda to design an affordable avionics package that would keep their family of 5 safe up in the air. The project took a while to complete but it now performs like a new airplane and we strongly suspect that Aaron won’t be the only pilot in that family!
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Who’s Who?
Who is Fanny? 
Fanny joined us over a year ago as our office administrator and looks after our accounting. She has a knack to keep us in line with our timesheets, payables, receivables and budgets! She also loves to joke around with the technicians and check up on what they are doing.
Fanny was born and raised in extended France with her two sisters. After graduating, she went to Lyon to study Business for two years. With Lyon Business School she had the opportunity to travel, doing her 3rd year of school in Senegal, 4th year in Lyon, followed by her internship in China. In 2012 she moved to Quebec to receive her MBA in Finance. After school she joined Desjardins Financial Security, and then moved on to Maxcraft in December 2015.
Fanny is a private pilot receiving her licence in 2014 She is still currently in flying school (and will be forever) having just earning her float and commercial ratings and is working towards obtaining her IFR ratings and whatever else she can get her hands on. Fanny has been privileged to receive numerous scholarships to help in her pursuit of flying including:
BCAC Mary Swain Scholarship – Ongoing flight training
Western Canada 99’s – Cross country tour through the Rocky Mountains
99″s Vicki Cruz Memorial – Unusual Attitude training
BCFA Scholarship – Float training
With her background she is the perfect fit for Maxcraft.
Some personal stuff…. Fanny loves to travel and explore the world and see and experience different cultures. She lived in Australia for 4 months, 8 months in Senegal and 6 months in China before moving to Canada. Every year there are more places to explore…this month she hiked the West Coast Trail, next trip is to Ireland!
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Maxcraft is always looking for skilled technicians
As we continue to grow our business we are always looking for experienced avionics installation technicians. If you’re interested in joining our winning team send your resume to Joanna at Customer Service.
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Rebates for your favorite products
Universal Avionics Incentive Programs have been extended. In a continued effort to help operators with the cost of equipping their aircraft for upcoming industry requirements and mandates, Universal Avionics has extended two popular pricing incentive programs that were initially set to expire at the end of 2016.
Lightspeed
Lightspeed is offering the “Welcome to the Trade Up Program”
It’s the perfect time to get rid of the old and in with the new! Trade in your old headset and receive credit to be applied to a new one! Call us or visit our blog for more info.
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If you would like more information or to pre-order please contact our sales department at sales@maxcraft.ca or 604-465-3080.
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Aspen Avionics
