Page 11 - July 2015 Volume 9, Number 7

released, but is expected to be comparable to the non- integrated Garmin G600/GTN upgrade.
The final option for King Airs from Rockwell Collins is the fully integrated Pro Line 21 upgrade. This is available for the King Air B200, 300 and 350 models. Typical downtimes for this retrofit is about two months and costs between $1,200,000 and $1,400,000 depending on options.
Universal Avionics
With Universal Avionics, non-Pro Line 21 airplanes have the option of going with the WAAS/LPV UNS-1 series FMS for all King Air models. The typical downtime for this type of upgrade is about two weeks. Installation will run approximately $100,000-$150,000. Once you have it, you will have new ADS-B options that will use the UNS-1 as a position source for GPS. Universal and Rockwell Collins are partnering using Collins transponders to meet ADS-B requirements. Certification is currently in process.
Not Ready for an Upgrade
If an upgrade is currently not within your budget, you can always go the route of maintaining your aircraft with aftermarket avionics. Keep in mind that this is a temporary solution, because eventually many of the parts in an older King Air avionics system, such as CRTs, will become completely obsolete. However, if you do have an immediate need and do not want to spend the money for an upgrade, a good reputable King Air shop should be able to get you a cost-effective replacement part to save you some money.
Upcoming ADS-B Requirements
With ADS-B requirements coming in late 2019, getting your aircraft equipped to meet requirements is going to be increasingly more difficult. All of the major avionics manufacturers either currently have solutions that will work for King Air operators or are very far down the path to certification.
Current numbers show that less than 10% of the business aircraft in the United States are compliant. Although it seems like it’s still a long way off, there are a lot of aircraft to modify and avionics manpower is limited, so the longer you hold off, the longer you might wait in line.
In addition, if you are an aircraft owner that is thinking you will not need to have ADS-B compliance because you are going to sell your aircraft before 2020, be very careful. An aircraft purchaser in the year 2019 is going to be highly reluctant to take a non-ADS-B-compliant aircraft in on trade because, by that time, every avionics shop in the country is likely to be completely booked many months in advance. They may be unwilling to take the risk of an aircraft that would be grounded because of non ADS-B compliance, which will have an impact on the value of the airplane.
JULY 2015
Regardless of the direction you take, make sure you fully understand what will work best for your mission. Do your research and make sure to reach out to a reputable King Air service center to get all of your questions answered. A good avionics shop will have the customer’s best interest in mind as they fully understand that this is a relationship business and the best way to create meaningful relationships in aviation is to work together to come up with solutions that will work for the people operating the aircraft. KA
About the Author: Mark Wilken is the Director of Avionics Sales for Elliott Aviation, which employs over 40 avionics technicians at their headquarters in Moline, Ill. Mark began his career at Elliott in 1989 as a bench technician repairing radios and quickly became the manager of the department. He helped launch Elliott Aviation’s Garmin G1000 retrofit program in which the company has installed more King Air G1000s than all other dealers in the world combined. Recently, he has headed STC programs for the newly launched Aircell ATG 2000 system for Hawker 800/850/900, Phenom 300 and King Air 350/B200/B200GT. Mark is a licensed pilot and holds an associate’s degree in avionics and a bachelor’s degree in aviation management from Southern Illinois University.
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