Used Serviceable Material (USM) According to aerospace powerhouse Oliver Wyman, there is a tsunami of used serviceable material (USM) coming with regard to aircraft parts. Esti- mates show that the current USM “represents 11 percent of total aftermarket materials spending versus 9 percent in 2019.” While airline fleets command a majority of the USM headlines, GA operators have utilized these repurposed parts for years. Enter Stephen Mercer and his 1982 Piper PA-32R-301T Saratoga. We are track- ing Mercer’s installation, which is in the works at Gardner Lowe Aviation Services in Peachtree City, Georgia, outside of Atlanta. Stephen and Corey, until recently, were hangar mates and often helped each other whenever necessary. GA owners are a tribe that relies on each other for advice, support, and friendship. Corey worked a deal to obtain the avionics panel from Stephen after Gardner Lowe removed it from his Saratoga. The details have yet to be completely ironed out, but to date, the components included are:
a factory-new install, Corey is repurposing USM but also upgrading his Cessna’s panel. Yes, much of Corey’s installation will come from Stephen. There is also an el- ement that is brand new. As part of the conversion, Corey procured two Garmin G5 electronic flight instruments for certificated aircraft and picked them up this week. According to the product’s website, this “replaces traditional electromechan- ical instruments; can be configured in attitude, DG/HI/HSI, and turn coordinator positions.” Approval to install comes from a supplemental type certificate (STC), and this model is applicable to 560 aircraft. Another late-breaking development in the avionics swap plan emerged this week. Garmin recently released service advisory No. 23018 Rev B, stating in part that “effective immediately, display repairs for the WAAS and non-WAAS GPS 400, GNC 420, and GNS 430 are no longer available and have been discontinued.” How does this affect the decision to continue flying the GNS 430 Corey is getting from the Saratoga? That’s how it goes with aircraft maintenance. You have a maintenance plan in place, obtain material, and schedule downtime when Murphy’s law checks in and says, “Not so fast.” We are still unpacking what this means for the continued air- worthiness of the GNS 430. An OEM like Garmin withdrawing support for prod- ucts is a key driver in the parts manufacturing approval (PMA) and designated airworthiness representative (DER) repair world. At press time, it is too soon to tell how this ball will bounce, but rest assured, the industry will find a solution. Just like an airplane trims the controls to meet the wind, so shall we adjust to the changing winds of the aviation aftermarket. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned to see what happens next! Richard Scarbrough is a US Navy Veteran, A&P Mechanic, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University alumni. His experience ranges from general and corporate aviation to helicopters, business jets, and commercial airliners. Former owner of a 145 repair station, he currently has an aerospace product management role and is a member of the T-C-Alliance. Follow him on X ( Twitter) at @RScarCo.
• Garmin GMA 340 audio panel • Garmin GNS 530W GPS • Garmin GNS 430 GPS • Garmin GTX 330 Transponder • JPI 700 engine monitor • Garmin GI 106A VOR/ILS/GPS Indicator
Next on the schedule for removal are the antennas. The Saratoga is also under- going its annual inspection, and the avionics installation remains active. I intend to document these maintenance evolutions in real time. Given that, everyone knows that plans are fluid, especially in aircraft maintenance. More on that later. Preparing for Installation I feel I’m invoking my inner Charles Dickens, but we have “A Tale of Two Air- planes” instead of A Tale of Two Cities. While Stephen is going full flat panel with
The original stack on the 172 will be replaced with avionics from the Saratoga.
Much of the Saratoga’s old avionics panel will be used to update the 172.
14 Aircraft For Sale | April 2024
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