It Did Happen To Me

I installed a G500 on the left-side flight panel. Wanting some real redundancy-not just backup-the limited space on the right panel was perfect for Aspens PFD. This way, if my G500 ever croaked, Id just hop over to the right seat and fly using the Aspen. That also had the advantage of giving any planned right-seater good PFD information should that ever be necessary. I was set.

Frank Bowlin

Friday, October 19, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The author installed two EFIS systems, a Garmin G500 and an Aspen PFD, for redundancy in their aircraft.
When the primary G500 failed in flight, the author realized they lacked the necessary proficiency to effectively use the backup Aspen PFD from the right seat, making them unable to fly an IMC approach.
This incident underscored the critical importance of practicing with backup systems and in failure-mode conditions, not just during normal operations, to ensure true redundancy and preparedness.

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You’ve heard the old axiom about gear-up landings: There are those who have, those who will, and those who will again. No, I haven’t (well, haven’t yet) landed gear up. But, I’m thinking that same rule applies to gyro failures and EFIS failures.

When I undertook a panel refit on my bird some years ago, I equipped for the maximum utility for me to fly behind this panel. Garmin’s G500 was new and the Aspen hadn’t been around very long either. Each was attractive, so, unable to decide, I picked both.