GULF COAST AVIONICS HAS COMPLETED AN AVIONICS UPGRADE
ON A PILATUS PC-9 TURBOPROP
Imported through Legacy Warbirds, the recently upgraded aircraft is one of the first two civilian PC-9s to be in the United States and will be showcased at the Pilatus Aircraft pavilion during Oshkosh AirVenture.
Lakeland, FL (July19, 2016) — Rick Garcia, President and CEO, Gulf Coast Avionics (Oshkosh booth numbers, 2029 & 2030, Hangar B), announced that the company has completed an avionics upgrade on a Pilatus PC-9 single-engine turboprop. The updated aircraft will be on display at the Pilatus Aircraft (Main Aircraft Display areas 124-139) pavilion during Oshkosh AirVenture 2016.
“This is one of those unique types of projects our engineers and installers really enjoy working on,” Garcia said. “The challenges that come with working on a European warbird like the PC-9 are a refreshing change from the aircraft we typically get here at our Lakeland facility.”
“This is an ex-Slovenian military aircraft and our goal was to upgrade the avionics with the latest in touchscreen and wireless connectivity capabilities,” stated Matt Walsh, manager of Legacy Warbirds. “Another part of this project was to prepare the panel so that it can be easily upgraded to Garmin glass displays whenever the owner wants.”
“This is one of only two Pilatus PC-9s currently in the U.S. and it is the first Garmin GTN 650 installation in the type so it presented a few challenges to our team,” stated Gulf Coast Avionics, Sales Representative, Matt Schloss. “We did have a bit of a leg up from a similar installation we completed on a PC-7. The cockpits of the aircraft are virtually identical, which meant we could use a lot of the information from the PC-7 again. That’s a big time saver when you’re working on an aircraft with such a small cockpit area.”
Schloss explained that the PC-9’s avionics upgrade included:
• Dual Garmin GTN 650 touchscreen GPS/NAV/COMM/MFDs
• Dual Garmin GTX 345 ADS-B “Out” and “In” Mode S extended squitter transponders
• Garmin Flight Stream 210 gateway for wireless iPad cockpit connectivity
• Avidyne TAS 620A Traffic Advisory System
“We are absolutely thrilled with the way the panel turned out,” Walsh said. “We know that when we do a project with Gulf Coast Avionics we are going to get the highest level of professionalism, cooperation and care. Their group takes a lot of the worry out of a project like this.”
About Legacy Warbirds
Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, Legacy Warbirds specializes in bringing Cold War-era, ex-military aircraft to the United States from Western European countries and preparing them for their new owners. The company provides aircraft location, acquisition, restoration, pilot training and ongoing support of these unique and collectable aircraft. For more information, visit: wwww.legacywarbirds.com