Aspen Avionics reports it is now included in the NextGen GA Fund’s new Jumpstart GA-IN program.
The program is the second in a series of efforts to ease the financial burden of ADS-B compliance for general aviation.
Aircraft owners can achieve compliance and get subscription-free ADS-B traffic and weather using Aspen displays, coupled with L-3’s Lynx NGT-2500 ADS-B unit.
The pre-packaged options are:
- Evolution VFR primary flight display (PFD)
- Evolution Pro 1000 PFD
- Evolution 1500 system (Evolution Pro 1000 PFD, and MFD 500 multi-function display)
All three packages include an antenna (if required) and a $2,000 installation labor credit.
The NextGen GA fund product bundles will be offered for a limited time and must be installed by an FAA-certified repair station. Orders can be placed through the NextGen GA Fund or through an Aspen Avionics authorized dealer.
If $1,000 is saved per year ($80) a month. Give it 5 years, and you got $5,000. All you need is a Mode-S transponder to be ADSB-Out compliant by 2020. Costs for ADBS will be cheaper by 2020 due to economy of scale.
Costs to upgrade will be a write-off, or installation tax credit/Government funded (Jumpstart GA In-Program). Our tax code may change in the next 4-5 years. Manditory equipment upgrade folks. It is set in stone. It is not the end of the world.
None of these FAA based ADS-B solutions are going to work, let alone economically work, for anyone, from LSAs, to low end GA, to BizAv, to airlines, even if the equipment was given away free.
FAA’s NextGen plan is simply one giant fatally flawed house of cards, being fueled by avionics companies reinforcing terribly erroneous FAA criteria, that is heading straight toward a $40B NextGen failure.
All vehicles need to see each other, and separation needs to be based on exchange of RNP based 3D and eventually 4D trajectories and volumes. The present FAA idea of some artificially high integrity, high data rate, multi frequency ADS-B, using pseudo-radar to hand carrying aircraft and UAVs individually, is simply decades obsolete, unworkable at any affordable cost, and is doomed to failure.
That’s why UAV advocates are already proposing to develop their own low altitude air traffic separation systems, which are also doomed to failure, if they don’t fully and economically integrate with all other air vehicles in any airspace, and even other airspace uses, like military ops.
So discussion of $500 or $5000 FAA ADS-B solutions is pointless, even assuming the equipment was really going to cost $500 (which will never happen with current overspecified FAA criteria), since even if there was 99.9% user equipage, it still won’t work, and it won’t solve NextGen’s efficient separation capability or cost reduction issues. Any of these FAA ADS-B solutions (especially if UAT ADS-R based) are going to just end up being more useless internationally scorned junk, just like MLS, Decca, Regal, Turboclair, IFR Loran C, and a host of other foolish CAA or FAA promoted ideas, over the past 70+ years.
Since we a basically being forced to equip with ADSB out the government should consider allowing a tax credit for the cost of compliance. A tax credit comes off the bottom line of your tax liability. This might take some of the sting out of compliance with the ADSB OUT requirement.
All this talk about “affordable ADS-B”. When the “low cost solution” represents more than 30% of the value of your airplane, it is not “low cost”,
I have an experimental bi-plane worth about $20K. Because I live under a Class B veil, I have to equip. Even though I rarely fly the plane outside the pattern of our fly-in community, I am supposed to plunk down $5000 + install to continue to fly?
Right…..
Skipper… having an experimental bi-plane you have many more options that are also at a lower price point.
So if I understand it correctly. . . $500 for equipment and $2000 for install. . . $7000 for ADS-B Wow! too expensive for me. I want to upgrade but cost is the determining factor.
It seems the bundles cost between $12k for basic VFR to $21k for the 1500 system. Sorry, $12k is not even close to being reasonable for a $40k Skyhawk based in the Midwest, far, far away from B airspace.
I can buy a factory overhauled Lycoming for about the same monthly payment. Lessee, new engine or fancy transponder and redundant display. Which do you think I consider the better bargain?
About 10 days ago I sent you an email asking if my CNX 480 would work with you ADS-B out.
To date, no response from you. Thought I’d give it one more try.
Harold… I’m not sure who you sent the original email to but did you try to connect with your avionics shop or Garmin directly? Sorry to be unhelpful with this response, but going to the source will provide better information.
Article about affordable ADS-B Kit does not give even a target – pre installation – price. Kind of worthless if your idea of affordable is $5,000 before installation.