Buying Plan / Avionics Advice

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Norritt

Filing Flight Plan
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Aug 31, 2021
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Norritt
Hi All - curious if there is a resource or maybe some feedback when looking to purchase a 60's -70's single engine plane (Cessna, Piper, Grumman etc) what you need to make sure it has (ADS-B etc) - what other avionics would you want to have bare minimum that is upgraded.
 
Welcome to the forum, Norritt!

It really depends on what you plan to use the airplane for. For me, analog IFR capability is the minimum. For someone flying an Extra or a Kitfox, maybe minimal VFR avionics. If you only plan to fly VFR, you really don’t need a whole lot of avionics. Even IFR, what a person needs versus advice you will get here varies by a good bit. It really depends more on you than anything else.
 
Hey there - yeah I figured if would be about preference. It will mostly be VFR to start as I get hours in. I do like the idea of a Garmin gtn 650 etc. I make video games, so very visual in that regard :)
 
You're asking this board how to spend your money. Should run at least 3 pages.

The plane may or may not have "the minimum". Just bake the costs of getting up to the minimum into your asking price.

Minimum for VFR: Make sure your main 6 pack, transponder, and radios are in good working order. If it has a non ADSB transponder / if you don't have ADSB in as well as out, I would toss the transponder and get one with ADSB In and Out, like a Garmin 345. Sell off what ever you took out. Is your turn coordinator making funny scratching noises? Does your altimeter stick and bounce? Does your heading indicator precess after only 5 minutes? Address those issues first.

For IFR - that's a healthy list just by itself - A GPS navigator (like a GTN 650), dual CDI's, dual nav coms, and a lot of other options (like G275's, etc.) Others more experience in IFR will jump in here as well.
 
Well, are you SURE you even need ADS-B?
 
I would ask these questions first:
  1. What do you want to do with the airplane? Now? In the near future? (If IFR training and trips are in your future the answer tilts toward installing some sort of WAAS GPS)
  2. What do you currently have, and what works? What might you keep? (A working VOR/LOC/ILS/CDI is a keeper for a #2, for example, if you add a GPS-COM, for example.)
  3. Where do you intend to fly? (Trips to class C and B airspace makes ADS-B essential.)
  4. How will you ensure interoperability as you stage avionics purchases? (As you stage purchases, you want a plan to ensure that GPS, ADS-B, CDIs, electronic gyros, AP, and EFB can all work with each other.)
  5. How long do you intend of keeping the aircraft? (For a significant investment, you want to ensure adequate usage to "amortize" the funds spent.)
If adding IFR GPS, there are so many options, depending on what you have now: GPS/NAV/COM, GPS-COM, GPS-ADSB, etc. For IFR, I rarely use NAV2, like never in 20 years, except as an emergency backup or a monitor for NAV1, which is a GNS-430W. I use COM2 pretty much only to talk to Ground. So NAV2 and COM 2 may not have to be anything except something that works in a pinch. For flying VFR only, a GTN box or similar could be overkill. But fly IFR and add GPSS roll steering with an AP, and the answer is different.

No matter what you decide, modern avionics is expen$$$ive. Choose wisely according to your priorities.
 
I’d say rent until you have your certificate. You have your medical, right?
 
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