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Instrument Repairs: Still Cheaper Than EFIS

The fallback, of course, is repairing/overhauling old instruments that may be left over from the Reagan era. This may or may not make sense, depending on the supportability, reliability and bottom-line cost for the work. In this article we'll look at the market for instrument repairs and exchanges, while offering tips for deciding whether an EFIS upgrade is the better decision.

Larry Anglisano
Verified

With primary EFIS hardware prices at an all-time low, you’d think the decision to not repair old iron gyros and static instruments would be easy. It’s not. That’s because budget systems like a pair of Garmin G5s and Aspen’s entry-level E5 PFD could still run north of $10,000 after installation. That’s still out of the budget for many.

The fallback, of course, is repairing/overhauling old instruments that may be left over from the Reagan era. This may or may not make sense, depending on the supportability, reliability and bottom-line cost for the work. In this article we’ll look at the market for instrument repairs and exchanges, while offering tips for deciding whether an EFIS upgrade is the better decision.

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.