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Avionics

IFR For $15K: One GPS, Small EFIS

Larry Anglisano
Verified

Edited By:

Omar Filipovic

Garmin’s GI 275 round flight instruments shown in the Cessna panel at the top are made for incremental upgrades without having to cut metal or plastic—a key to saving labor costs.

Since plenty of us don’t have an endless supply of money to drop on flagship avionics upgrades, there are some utilitarian IFR solutions instead of $100K full-glass makeovers.

So we still have money left for flying, we’ll shoot for a more conservative $15,000 budget, fully aware that we’ll have to make some sacrifices. This includes a smaller-screen EFIS, a single GPS and a comm radio. For even limited budgets, it means keeping mechanical round instruments and buying used gear. On the shop floor, it means no fancy new panels—with little or no metal cutting and finishing work. Still, expect cost overruns and long scheduling. 

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.