he procured an external power supply from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty. “These portable power supplies are an excellent way to power your avionics on the ground while you train or prac- tice in the cockpit,” the company says. “Especially helpful in learning how to operate glass cockpit avionics and panel mount GPS units.” They are also furnished with Cessna-style, three-pin plug configuration and manufactured in the U.S. Next, Sampson programmed and calibrated the two Garmin G5 Electronic Flight Instruments. Once that was complete, it was time to test fly the airplane around the pat- tern in Peachtree City. After the pitot-static check, he flew to New Orleans with his co-conspirator, Elijah Lisyany, for breakfast. Continued Airworthiness Action According to the FAA, “continued airworthiness requires that safety concerns within the existing fleet be addressed, and the knowledge gained applied for the benefit of future fleets as well.” The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) breaks it down even further, stating that continued airwor- thiness “means all of the processes ensuring that, at any time in its operating life, the aircraft complies with the airwor- thiness requirements in force and is in a condition for safe operation.” That means Sampson now has to shift his maintenance plan to accommodate his new equipment. Earlier in the project, Sampson opted for a Garmin GNS 430. Once installed, Corey adjusted the contrast, and viola, it worked beautifully. In January, Garmin issued Service Advisory (SA) 23018 Rev B—does it affect the continued airworthiness of Samp- son’s Cessna 172? It depends. First of all, service advisory alerts are just that—advice.
The only thing mandatory under FAR Part 91 is an airwor- thiness directive (AD). The SA clearly states that “display repairs for the WAAS and Non-WAAS GPS 400, GNC 420, and GNS 430 are no longer available and have been discontinued.” It does not say the units have been discontinued. Additionally, if feasible, someone could create an alternate repair either by DER or 145 process specification. There is more than one way to stay compliant. And, of course, Samp- son could replace the unit with another USM GNS 430 or upgrade to Avidyne IFD 440. 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.
“These portable power supplies are an excellent way to power your avionics on the ground while you train or practice in the cockpit”
[Credit: Richard Scarbrough]
A “before” look of the Cessna 172 panel. [Credit: Elijah Lisyany]
12 Aircraft For Sale | August 2024
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker