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Avionics for Your LSA

Things to consider when you upgrade your panel.

[Credit: Dynon Avionics]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Upgrading avionics in Light Sport Aircraft (LSA), particularly SLSAs, is complex due to regulatory requirements, often demanding manufacturer approval or a re-categorization to Experimental LSA (ELSA), which prohibits commercial use.
  • Dynon Avionics has pioneered compact, feature-rich systems for LSA and experimental aircraft, such as the SkyView platform, which balances advanced functionalities like synthetic vision and touchscreens with a minimal panel footprint.
  • Modern avionics enhance flight safety and reduce pilot workload through intuitive interfaces, color-coded alerts for critical information, and options for system redundancy, especially vital for IFR or cross-country flights.
  • Dynon simplifies installation for owners and homebuilders by providing a network of authorized service centers and offering pre-assembled panels and wiring harnesses for ELSA and experimental aircraft.
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There comes a time in every aircraft owner’s life when they decide it is time to upgrade the instrument panel. This process is neither quick nor inexpensive, and there are pitfalls along the way—especially if you own a light sport aircraft. Among the common traps are finding enough panel space to create your dreamscreen—and getting the required approvals for the changes.

Michael Schofield, director of marketing for Dynon Avionics, says that they often get telephone calls from owners of SLSAs (built to a conforming model by an OEM) who want to change the avionics and are surprised to learn that only the manufacturer of the LSA can approve the change, unlike the normal supplemental type certificate process.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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