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Used Avionics Market: More Volatile Than Ever

Older analog gear like the King KCS55A compass system with HSI will be a lot easier to come by than newer-get equipment. We spotted this system on eBay for $4295 with a 90-day warranty and the connector kits needed for installation.

If you put the brakes on a big avionics upgrade because of the eye-watering price and lead time, you likely considered used equipment. In normal times that might not be a bad plan, but the market isn’t exactly what I consider normal.

Have prices of pre-owned electronics skyrocketed as they have for aircraft? You bet they have, and so has demand. Part of that is the result of a choked supply chain of components and shop labor. That has changed the landscape for buying late-model and even aging avionics, where waiting lists are growing and prices are more inflated than they should be.

Larry Anglisano

Editor in Chief Larry Anglisano has been a staple at Aviation Consumer since 1995. An active land, sea and glider pilot, Larry has over 30 years’ experience as an avionics repairman and flight test pilot. He’s the editorial director overseeing sister publications Aviation Safety magazine, IFR magazine and is a regular contributor to KITPLANES magazine with his Avionics Bootcamp column.