Avidyne Receives STC Certification for IFD 550 in Some Citation 525s

Cessna CJ owners flying 525 and 525A models with Collins Pro Line 21 and the FGC-3000 digital flight control system are now eligible to upgrade to an Avidyne IFD550/540 series FMS/GPS/NAV/COM system thanks to the FAA’s recent approval of a new company STC for the dual hybrid touchscreen system.

Mitch Biggs, Avidyne’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing said, “The upgraded avionics will provide Citation pilots with better situational awareness and a reduced workload. In addition to getting an easy-to-use, hybrid-touch FMS and compliance with the ADS-B mandate, this STC provides autopilot-coupled LPV approach capability, while adding 3D synthetic vision views of nearby terrain, obstacles, and traffic, plus integrated wireless connectivity to the IFD100 and many third-party apps including ForeFlight.”

The IFD550 and IFD540 will also provide 16-watt VHF communication radios, dual VHF navigation and ILS capability, the ability to display Jeppesen's approach charts, as well as the option of dual Avidyne SkyTrax 322 remote-mount or SkyTrax 340 panel-mounted Mode S transponders for ADS-B OUT. Citation operators who install the new avionics will also have the ability to use the IFD100 WiFi-based iPad App that provides independent, large-screen display and control of the panel-mounted IFD system. The IFD550 with Release 10.2.2 software starts at $21,999.