Going with Glass: The Mother of All Panel Upgrades

The Boyd family gives their Piper Twin Comanche an extreme instrument makeover in Washington state.

Wednesday, April 03, 2024 at 10:32 AM ET

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'I chose the Twin Comanche because I flew one back in the 1980s, and I loved it,' says John Boyd, an A&P and retired Boeing 737 captain from Alaska Airlines who resides in Puyallup, Washington. 'It’s an efficient twin and faster than the 182.' [Jim Barrett]

Key Takeaways:

The Boyd family undertook an "extreme makeover" of their 1963 Piper Twin Comanche's panel, replacing outdated and unreliable analog instruments with a full suite of modern digital Garmin avionics, including a GFC 500 autopilot and Smart Glide.
The primary motivations for the extensive upgrade were to enhance safety, improve flying convenience, and address issues like scattered instruments, a failing autopilot, and inaccurate gauges, making the aircraft suitable for modern single-pilot IFR operations.
The project involved meticulous planning, an estimated $80,000 investment, and the family's active participation in removing old components to save costs and ensure a cleaner installation, despite facing delays due to shop backlogs and supply chain challenges.
The comprehensive modernization also included an overhaul of the electrical system and upgraded exterior lighting, ultimately transforming the aircraft into a dramatically safer and more capable machine that is now "almost like a different airplane."

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A vintage aircraft, if properly maintained, will last for decades. But there may come a time you want to make changes in the name of safety and convenience. It can be a challenge, as the Boyd family from Puyallup, Washington, learned when deciding to do an extreme makeover on the panel of its 1960s-era Piper Twin Comanche, also known as the PA-30.

The Boyds are an aviation family. John Boyd is an A&P and retired Boeing 737 captain from Alaska Airlines. John’s sons, Jason, 32, and Justin, 30, both hold instructor ratings and are planning aviation careers. Jason is also an A&P. The family also owns a Cessna 182 Skylane that it flies regularly. In summer 2017, John Boyd decided it was time to get something a little more comfortable for family travel, and something for the boys to build their multiengine time in.