Avionics shop recommendations - Europe (merged)

Even though you dont ask about them, I really like RGV at Gloucester. Be careful not to always go with the lowest quote. It is about the best value.

I would echo what JasonC has just said. I was really struggling to get a problem with my a/p fixed until I went to RGV. Met the boss who explained what tests would be carried out and “go for a walk and have lunch whilst we investigate” Good advice and also excellent service as my aircraft was being finished as we wandered back. Courteous, knowledgeable and not overly priced.

It might be good to mention what kind of installation is proposed.

If you just want to throw in say a GTX330, any freelance avionics wireman can do that, probably outdoors in the summer. You won’t get any fancy paperwork but on a G-reg nobody is likely to be too bothered especially if you use a different company for the next Annual

If you want to put in say a GTN750 with interfaces to all kinds of other stuff like an autopilot, and PRNAV and LPV, you need a firm with a heated hangar, an avionics workshop, a good designer, some good wiremen, and good project management. And those are very rare.

Be extra careful if you are N-reg and installing anything not covered by an STC (i.e. requiring a field approval). There is a procedure but…

If EASA-reg then going to a big EASA 21 company can have advantages because they have better options for doing paperwork in-house. But I know at least one that is capable of pretty atrocious work.

Some of the otherwise technically capable ones, with every imaginable approval, operate dubious charging practices. And most of the bigger firms have Team A, Team B and Team C, and you don’t want to get Team C especially if you are spending five figures

I think most “official dealer” shops will quote about the same for the equipment: the list price. They know you will have googled for the US list price. They make a bit on the dealer discount; maybe 25%. It is the separately quoted installation cost that can vary quite a bit, but not necessarily to correspond with the amount of work. For example one shop I know hates TB20s so he sticks another 2k on top – not realising that the later models have the extra access panels which dramatically improve things.

It is about the best value

How would you determine that?

The best value for me means the best job for the best price. The lowest quote is not always the best.

I would echo the cheapest is not likely to be best but the usual customer emphasis on price and the lack of understanding that a lot of pilots have for the interfacing of Avionic equipment usually results in customer dis-satisfaction when all the functions of a system fail to work because the customer has pushed the price down by under specifying the job.

I have worked with a number of company’s over the years and have a working relationship with GAMA to provide B1 license cover on some types of aircraft, they are very good, there MD is ove of the most gifted avionics guys I have ever met but unfortunately management duties keep him in the office most of the time.

GAMA will do a very good job, they understand the the systems and most important the way they interface, you will be happy with the job, the other side of this coin is the price is not going to be the lowest.

I have used Avionicare in Southend for some years now; they are really geared towards bigger jets and military installations but happily do GA. So far, everything that they have done for me has been on time, on budget and worked straight out of the box – which is in stark contrast to experiences that I have had elsewhere in the UK…

The have also done good work on my autopilot, a King KFc200

How many of the people who have quoted have physically seen your plane?

Without that, anybody with any sense will load the job at least 25%

This is not a comment on your plane (which I know nothing about) but a comment on coming up with a costing which is at all accurate.

The items you list involve a fair bit of wiring.

For example just the audio panel may, to do it properly, need all the headset and mike wiring in the entire aircraft re-done. That is a removal of most of the trim. A lot of audio wiring has been bodged in years past, because it was unusual to have an audio panel, so the headsets were all wired in parallel, etc. Also a lot of wiremen don’t understand about correct grounding and how to return e.g. audio grounds back to the audio panel.

First I need to echo what Peter has said about audio wiring, it is essential that this is done correctly with the shield wiring grounded correctly otherwise sound quality will suffer.

Over the last two years the avionics business east of London has been in a state of flux, Pheonix avionics loosing its box fixing facility, the guys at Pheonix would be able to do the job but as their boss is very price sensitive you must make sure that you get the spec written up before the job is started.

The former box fixing arm of Pheonix is now part of Sussex avionics and I think the whole plot is now called NAV/Com ltd, any how they have the best box fixer in the business on staff and I am sure that the instalation side of NAV/ Com could quote for the job but as always you need to get the spec agreed before you start.

The staff at both of the above companies I have always found very helpfull but the boss of Pheonix lacks understanding of this end of the avionics business so you need to talk to his staff to sort out the detail of the job.