That’s a couple of Garmin GI 275 electronic flight instruments retrofitted in a vintage Bonanza. To save the budget, they’re designed for incremental upgrades because they fit in existing three-and-one-quarter-inch instrument cutouts. [Courtesy: Garmin]
Key Takeaways:
Small-screen Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) upgrades offer a budget-friendly alternative to expensive, labor-intensive large-screen retrofits, typically costing $10,000-$15,000 by fitting existing 3-inch instrument cutouts.
These upgrades often incur additional costs for necessary aircraft system clean-up (e.g., wiring, pitot/static) but offer benefits like vacuum system removal for weight and space savings.
Leading budget EFIS options include Garmin's G5 (utilitarian) and GI 275 (more advanced), uAvionix's maturing AV-30-C with adapter-enabled IFR capabilities, and Aspen's larger-screen E5.
While providing easier installation and lower cost, the smaller screen size is a trade-off, and aircraft owners are advised to compare budget EFIS options against larger-screen proposals to determine the best value.
After cutting a new instrument panel and all the other labor-intensive work that tags along with the retrofit, flagship big-screen Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) upgrades come with eye-watering invoices and lots of downtime.
While these big projects could make sense for some, we suspect the majority of buyers look for ways to keep the budget and complexity in check.
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Larry Anglisano is the former Editor in Chief of sister publication Aviation Consumer magazine. He's an active land, sea and glider pilot, and has over 30 years experience as an avionics tech.
