AIR CONDITIONING MODS
The July 2023 Aviation Consumer article on aftermarket air conditioning could not have arrived at a better time. It initially gave me some hope, when all of south Florida was frying in the heat most of the day, that I could get real air conditioning for my plane. Getting into a heat-soaked plane sitting in a 120-degree hangar is definitely a downer even for the most die-hard aviator. Convincing non-pilots who are used to air conditioning in every space to get in a non-AC vehicle is a losing proposition. But after reading the article and evaluating the options, I’m resigned to my Arctic Air Chiller and tons of ice.
It’s dumb simple and works—for a while. Did I mention tons of ice? The article reviewed Thermocool from Kelly Aerospace. I stopped at their demo booth at AirVenture 2023 and it certainly was blowing a lot of cool air. But the weight penalty and big bucks needed to install it in my Piper Saratoga were out of my range. Nearby was the Peter Schiff Aero display, a direct competitor to Thermocool. One of its products, the SofieLite, seemed like a good option as it is available in 12- and 24-volt versions and is a non-permanent installation. At $5500 it won’t break the bank too badly. Read closely, however, as the 12-volt system will require an alternator capable of at least 100 amps. Plane Power does make such an alternator, but that will add another couple grand to the total cost, not to mention the labor of cutting a hole in the baggage door to get outside air into the SofieLite.
Rick Durden’s article in the May 2013 Aviation Consumer covered the Air Management Technology Fly Cool air conditioning system. Alas, that company folded a while ago. I spoke to the principal of that project recently, Doug Boobar, and he said they simply did not get the business traction needed to make a go of it. That’s too bad as it seemed to be a great option. The demo unit was relatively light and had lots of BTUs and a low price. If anyone else has suggestions, I’m listening. Meanwhile pass me another bucket of ice.
Ramon J. Pabalan – Sweltering in Florida
GARMIN AUTOTHROTTLE
I read Larry Anglisano’s flight trial on Garmin’s retrofit Autothrottle and Autoland system in the September 2023 issue of Aviation Consumer. This is of real interest to me because as the chief pilot of a small corporate flight department I’ve been tasked with finding a twin turboprop to supplement our Cessna piston twin and helicopter. The King Air series has been at the top of the list.
What I’m finding is that many of these older 200-series King Airs are in desperate need of avionics upgrades and while the G1000 NXi upgrade is a huge investment, it probably makes good sense for resale. So do engines, paint and interior work—essentially, a total refurb process.
The good news is that the current market price for King Airs not yet retrofitted with new avionics and engine mods, including the Blackhawk Aerospace offerings, are relatively low.
Now the Autothrottle and Autoland capability makes the mind-blowing investment a no-brainer, and kicks the safety potential up several notches especially for single-pilot ops. Thank you for your valuable coverage.
Ralph Herring – via email
We think Garmin’s automation for the King Air is so we’ll executed that we can easily recommend the huge investment. Since that article hit, Garmin asked for a couple of clarifications.
First, if an engine fails, the engine-out Smart Rudder Bias (rudder boost) system operates independently of the GFC 700 autopilot, making OEI-ESP (One Engine Inoperative Electronic Stability Protection) even more of a safety backstop.
And when it comes to the Autoland functionality, the de-ice boots run repeatedly on a three-minute timer if the OAT is greater than -40 degrees. Garmin reiterates that ice can still accumulate on cold surfaces when the OAT is above 0 degrees C, so it hasn’t programmed a maximum temperature value for the de-ice boot cycle.
