Dan Torres from Baldwin, N.Y., notes that he’s been equipped with ADS-B for almost two years now and admits he’s now “addicted.”
I have a Garmin 430W and a Garmin GDL-88. I decided on the GDL 88 about eight months after I had the 430W installed. The cost for the GDL-88 at the time was about $5,500 installed. As far as ADS-B equipage costs go, that is about a low to midrange cost.
I have to say that I am now addicted. Seeing traffic targets on the 430W overlaid on the moving map has been a real treat. It’s simply amazing how many “targets” we never see around us.
My advice is don’t wait too long to get equipped. Prices will not go down significantly.
I waited 12 years to get a 430W installed thinking that they would eventually go down in price. In fact, costs went up, especially install costs.
There will be a couple of other ADS-B solutions coming on the market at lower price points, but labor rates will still go up, and as the deadline approaches, overbooked installers will start pushing their rates up because of the artificially generated demand.
Too many people are thinking they can just put it off until there are “more options,” but there are already plenty of options and you risk serious down time it you plan to wait until the deadline.
Not to mention, all the time in between where you were not able to take advantage of traffic and free weather info.
I know that NexGen is not perfect, and as a systems engineer I could have probably designed a better system, but regardless, it is now in place and it does what it needs to do, so it is not going away.
And yes, we all hate having to spend money because of a new regulatory requirement, but this is one that does have benefits. Airplane ownership will always be expensive and you decided to be an owner, so this is just something we have to deal with.
But one thing I can say: Two years later I have forgotten that $5,500 that hurt so much to part with at the time. What I do not forget is that every time I get into my airplane, I am looking at a really cool feature in my panel that wasn’t even available to the airlines 20 years ago. I love my new toys.
About 85% of mid air collisions occur from planes merging when one can NOT see their flank or from behind. I have had my ADS-B ‘in & out’ since June and twice the ‘voice’ warning alerted me to head on traffic I did not see and could not see after the warning. One warning came just before Approach Control told me I had traffic head on my altitude less than a mile and to take evasive action. The second near head on warning was not followed by Approach Control since smaller aircraft are only given information as the work load of Approach allows. In about every other flight I either change altitude or heading to avoid a potential conflict with other aircraft in the busy Anchorage airspace. It is amazing all the air traffic I never saw before I had an ADS-B. The screen doesn’t distract me since I scan the outside world most. My Garmin GDL-84 ADS-B voice warning is a potential life saver. Having weather information, terrain map, & etc. is all to the good. So before someone without an ADS-B “In & Out” speaks, they need to fly with one, otherwise they have no real idea.
The real question is whether ADS-B enhances overall VFR safety or whether it is simply yet another drug for those addicted to flying “the magenta line”.
There are really only two reasons why I would install ADS-B in my airplane: (i) The FAA will eventually mandate it; and (ii) there are so many gadget-addicted pilots flying VFR without ever looking out the window that I can no longer rely on them to see and avoid me like I am trying hard to see and avoid them.
It is getting scary out there!
@Paul, I can say I’m addicted too. As for the question of distraction, it does the opposite. I want to look outside more and find not only the targets but the unseen as well.
I second your statement Andy. I consider ADS-B a great situational awareness tool especially in high density areas. Such as Class Bravo, high density student training areas, or the whole state of Florida.
It really is a great system. I’m glad I have it and I hope everyone gets on the ADS-B bandwagon ASAP. It makes you and the aircraft around you safer.
If your “addicted” to this display as you candidly admit, how much of a distraction is it in keeping you from seeing and avoiding other aircraft outside the cockpit with you mark-1 mod-0 eyeballs?
All the opposite. After noticing how much traffic exists out there that I normally don’t see, I have become more aware. And I have had two cases where I visually saw traffic that did not appear on ADS-B (in-op transponders???). It has even led me to realized that mu Ray Ban sunglasses are actually horrible for seeing traffic and I have gone bare eye’d until I identify a better pair of sun glasses.
What’s been a real saving grace is when I do not see traffic while looking outside and then I hear my GDL-88 announce “Traffic, 11 O’clock, Low, less than one mile”.