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Basic GNS530 VFR to IFR upgrade in N reg aircraft

Thanks guys for the replies and forwarded documents.

Question still remains. Anyone actually done this?

Peter wrote:

you would think that a Field Approval from any FSDO would be a slam-dunk sign off.

Have to agree with that one

I have been on the roundabout for a while on this one. Michael in #04 is nearest in Plan B.
No STC for aircraft so have to go Field Approval route. The link about using FSDO missing in post

I have been with > 4 maintenance/ avionics shops, Garmin support and technical dept, New York IFO, Frankfurt IFO, US based DER’s, US avionics shop.
I have the original installation details that seems to comply with IM and AC’s. Firm/ IA now closed or retired. A FAA approved Manual -IFR was included with installation workpak. Missing part on F337 is that the installion limited to VFR pending FAA field approval and no approved IFR AFMS. So it appears that just need installation verified and AFMS approved.!!! Constant issue is no local FSDO.

I can forward copies of comments and documents to anyone interested.

The GNS/W and GTN systems are EZ, as they come with a pre-approved AFMS for all the aircraft mentioned in the STC AML. There is no field approval involved, just the 337 gets filed with the FAA in Oklahoma City The legacy units require that the sample AFMS be edited and included with a place for the FAA inspector to sign on the cover sheet and initial on each page to indicate approval. This is submitted with a 337 and a cover letter requesting field approval. I have personally done dozens of these. They normally sit at the FSDO for a couple of weeks and get returned with the appropriate signatures. When I have done them, I provide the FAA with a copy of the original unmodified sample provided by Garmin and the modified one for a specific aircraft. Most of the work is editing the cover sheet to reflect the N number and serial number and provide a space at the bottom for the FAA to add their signature. Each page also gets a place for the inspector initials.

The existing installation should have a CDI/HSI in the pilot primary view and the GNS should be interfaced to a pressure altitude source such as a blind encoder. I would also recommend that if the installation of the GNS is not in the primary view of the pilot, that an annunciator be added. There is good guidance in the GNS/W install manual that I would follow, as the guidance in the original install manual is ambiguous.

Here is a link to a sample AFMS for a GNS430: dropbox (local copy)

Here is a link to a sample AFMS for a GNS530: dropbox (local copy)

[local copies added – Peter]

KUZA, United States

NCY looks like it is one of those procedures that are fine in theory, used to be done, but now no one is actually prepared to do.
Looking for US based person to submit F337.

Keith – Why isn’t the A&P/IA that looks after your plane doing this ?

FAA A&P/IA
LFPN

What I have found is that European based IAs don’t have any contacts in the USA.

The contacts for DER and Field Approval work seem to be the province of avionics shops.

One big UK shop does the design drawings and then uses derassociates.com to sign it off and do the 8110, at a reported $300/sheet. The finished job is billed to the client at c. GBP 2000 and it may include a day or two of design drawings. That DER company does not enter into any communications with, presumably, people who are not avionics shops (I have tried). But there may be others, and their availability won’t be advertised by those who use them

I don’t know of any UK shops who do Field Approvals. But the last time I tried was about 5 years ago (with UK’s 2 biggest ones). They all seem to prefer to avoid any contact with the FAA, by using the DER 8110 route, and frankly I am not surprised having had some completely hopeless comms with the NY IFU.

As I have often said, there is a business opportunity for a US based person doing Field Approvals, plus offering a DER facility (probably outsourced). They would need to know what they are doing, to be able to deal directly with Europe based IAs who usually know nothing about avionics.

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Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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