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 Systems (EFIS) offer a budget-friendly alternative to large-screen upgrades, significantly reducing installation labor and avoiding costly panel modifications by fitting existing instrument cutouts.
A realistic budget for these upgrades ranges from $10,000 to $15,000, which often provides an opportunity to address and clean up other aging aircraft systems, such as wiring or pitot/static.
A key benefit of installing these EFIS units is the ability to remove the aircraft's vacuum system, saving weight and freeing up panel space, with popular options available from manufacturers like Garmin, uAvionix, and Aspen.
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.
