yepsame here.puts a real crimp on flying. My shop has installed a few aspens recently. Kate OConnor works as AVweb's Editor-in-Chief. Job specializations: Engineering. 2) Fabricate shim from 2024-T3 aluminum with the four (4) mounting holes and 0.625" cable pass-thru drilled through. But Aspen also offers other displays with more advanced features at higher price points, which muddies the buying decision. The new software is free of charge from Aspen Avionics. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Going out of cal is a big issue with these. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); WORLD'S PREMIER INDEPENDENT AVIATION NEWS RESOURCE. Arming NAVGPSS - Allows NAVGPSS to be armed from the HDG mode. All rights reserved. The short answer is: The Aspen Evolution system is generally performing as advertised. Well I agree that the clip in panel is crap but the actual efd is supposed to have a grounding strap on the back of it connected to the mount so it shouldn't fall more that that would allow. The new FAA certified 900-HP Daher Kodiak 900 turboprop single combines TBM 960 and Kodiak 100 DNA into one airplane. Aspen Owners Survey: An Overall Thumbs Up. The company said it has a customer . Would be possible for sure though, just not fun. One Cessna 310 owner had the easiest install weve heard of: They just pulled two steam gauges out, gave me a credit for them and ran cable to the roof for the GPS sensor.. And that's sad for a $7k (installed) piece. Pilots new to primary EFIS displays should transition easily to the E5 because the primary attitude data is a familiar presentation. On a side note.I am looking real hard at the uAvionix AV-30 as a backup once it gets certified. New technology always takes some time to shake out the bugs, so now that there are hundreds of units out there in the field, we surveyed users to see if the reality is living up to the marketing copy. Aspen actually thought it was a hardware issue and I lucked out because I had purchased my unit just before the Pro Max was released and the plane was in the shop for the install. Theunsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in loss of control of the airplane in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) or at night.. We should be practicing partial panel as part of our currency anyways. The AIRO Group was created to pool the resources of several smaller companies into a larger entity with the chops to battle the big boys in emerging aerospace markets including unmanned aircraft of various sizes and capabilities, along with urban air mobility, and advanced avionics for defense and training. When Aspen Avionics announced its retrofit PFD system in 2007, we were impressed with the designs ingenuity and its workable price point. You cannot paste images directly. Between that, units consistently going out of cal especially in the cold, and the garbage clip-in panel mount (we've had a couple customers end up with the efd in their lap) it's pretty bad. Avionics/Panel Discussion ; Aspen problems Aspen problems. I believe it shares the same processor as the E5. - E5 MAP software was 2.10 during all of this 2 different Aspen 1000 PFD's This is opposed to revamping your panel [yet gaining] little added functionality.. In that case, the E5 will continue to display attitude and heading data and will display an attitude degraded message on the screen to prompt the pilot to turn on the pitot heat. Keep leadership and co-workers apprised of work progress and/or problems. <u>Description:</u><br><br>Take your career to a new level and work at an extraordinary company in Englewood CO! At the dealer level you can get a proper diagnosis the problem. The final EA100 came out of one of Aspens aircraft that had a good known working history. Pasted as rich text. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. The center button on the bottom of the display is for selecting/coupling the navigation source for the electronic CDI, which can be GPS1 or VLOC1, for example, depending on the external interface. Hey PaulThere has been a lot of action lately from Aspen on this topic. The RSM's had a problem with water intrusion they updated them a couple years ago (changed the potting on the bottom) and it got a bit better. Aspen / Century and all analog Auto pilotProblems. The setup and initial configuration is also critical, so our advice is to find a shop that has experience installing other Aspen systems. The right knob is for the heading bug (HDG), editing the selected altitude field (ALT) and baro (BARO) setting. This website contains many older reviews. One item that did come up in our survey is that while the Aspen has an internal GPS, it has no direct-to function as it has no database. If youre turning in. Now it seems that I have to rebuy the system again in repairs? And the AD for the previous versions of software, 2.10 or 2.10.1, where the problem might occur, rolled out in August 2020. Aspen Avionics products are available from Pacific Coast Avionics, your avionics and pilot supply superstore. Penn Avionics was $11,551.00. I wonder how many g500 unit vs individual aspen screens have been sold? Between our full-time technicians, we have over 50 years combined . At extreme pitch attitudes, some sky (blue) or ground (brown) will always be displayed to help maintain situational awareness, even though the horizon line may be off-scale. Install went very well. Familiarity with avionics manufacturers such as Garmin Bendix-King Honeywell Avidyne Aspen Avionics Freeflight Systems to name a few Fluent in basic electrical theory Provide proof of good wire crimping and soldering techniques Must have own hand tools Previous FAA 145 repair station experience beneficial. All installations are done under and in accordance with the STC. If it can replace a KI-256, and its from a well established company, it would be worth the premium to me. Where is Aspen's responsibility in all this? Jerry. By We are currently recruiting an Avionics Maintenance Technician for one of our clients. Make sure you their is not any ferrous material nearby, make sure you do not use power tools to install. SA10822SC. This is what it is supposed to do per the STC. Beautiful airplane but it need a new panel. The result is an Belvoir Media Group, LLC. However in the air we started receiving a "Cross Check Attitude" warning in straight and level flight. Appreciate this community is heavily slanted toward Aspen products, but you cant ignore or dispute the Aspenhigh failure rate. This is particularly critical when flying approaches and other precise procedures. He ended up getting 5 different EA100s before getting the system to work correctly. At this point it appears to be a faulty EA-100 like the others have had. Yes, Garmins G5 EFIS display is a logical choice for backing up the E5, but Garmins STC only permits the G5 to be installed as the primary AI, or for backing up other Garmin displays, including the TXi PFD. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. We are having almost identical issues in a 1994 Saratoga II HP with a legacy KAP150 autopilot, the EA100, and a GTN750 for a navigator. Existing Aspen displays can be upgraded to the MAX, which could be worth it for owners of legacy Aspen displays. Five hot keys to the right of the instruments navigation display toggle various features on and off, including the built-in GPS steering. This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) informs registered owners/operators of an airworthiness concern for aircraft with an Aspen Avionics, Inc. (Aspen), Evolution EFD1000 Primary Flight Display (PFD), an EFD1000 Multi-Function Display (MFD), and/or an EFD500 MFD unit as installed by Supplementary Type Certificate (STC) No. The FAA recommends that owners and operators flying with Aspen EFD1000 and/or EFD500 units with software version 2.9 and the ADS-B IN (FIS-B) Weather Interface option installed restrict flight to Visual Flight Rules only and suspend night operations to allow safe operation in the event of loss of flight display functionality. That would make a perfect replacement for your turn coordinator. . Sure, on the Airbus I enjoy a display that is twice as large. I had an E5 installed into my E model back at annual in May. I will continue to look for aspen related threads and hopefully someone can help shed some light on this. Pilots Facing Retests After Incompetent Examiner Revealed. It also requested that other operators who have experienced similar failures report the event to the FAA. There are notable exceptions, but they seem to be clustered in the earlier installs, which is the trend we want to see. In many cases, its quite warm or even hot to the touch in operation. Not to pile on to Aspen, because I think this will probably be worked out to everyone's satisfaction down the road, but unless you're running two E5s you're not looking at the same level of redundancy offered by dual G5s. I dropped my vacuum system totally though. The reset occurs between five- to ten-minute intervals. A/p = KFC-200 EA-100 was sent to Aspen for 24-Hour shake/bake/freeze and tested good. Brant Aero kept me in the loop on progress and had the install completed at the agreed time. FREE GROUND SHIPPING ON ORDERS $25 AND UP. Aspen had a bad batch of RSM antennas at one point. Contact www.aspenavionics.com and at 888-992-7736. The problem, the SAIB said, appears to be related to the ADS-Binterface, and the FAA recommended that operators suspend night and IFR operations until the problem has been straightened out. Aspen Avionics introduced a new online learning course for its Evolution Pro MAX flight display series at AirVenture 2021 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. . Poll: Did You Watch the Dragon Splashdown? But we did get enough answers to see that the labor for just the Aspen install is running between $1500 and $5000. 2 different Aspen 1000 PFD's 3 different ACU's Replaced Ethernet cable Checked wiring. EFD1000 E5 Dual Electronic Flight Instrument (EFI) Install Manual 1) Use RSM doubler as a template to mark shim stock. Not saying that is it but its just interesting. Last email I have from the owner was January this year when it was working correctly after multiple cross country flights. Aspen Avionics Evolution Flight Display system, glass cockpit digital deck management products and upgrades. Avidyne Corporation (U.S.) Garmin Ltd. Thales Group FreeFlight Systems Trig Avionics Ltd. L3 Technologies, Inc. Rockwell Collins, Inc. I was customer number five and the first in Kansas City. So having said that it gets pretty expensive to replace boxes on my dime. That means the rest of the existing traditional instruments have to stay in the panel. The E5 cant display Aspens synthetic vision or the angle-of-attack data, and it requires the $1000 ACU for most autopilot interfaces. The FAA cleared the way for pilots flying with the Aspen Avionics Evolution 1000 Pro MAX primary flight display to integrate it with Garmin's GFC 600 digital autopilot, and other avionics. First long xc I was on after install was with my IFR instructor. As for the entry-level E5, we think its a credible and affordable product to compete with Garmins G5 if you can live with a no-frills feature set. After some quick help from Aspen, it was discovered that the Z axis of the Magnetometer Guass sensor in the RSM had failed. She is a private pilot, certificated aircraft dispatcher, and graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The left knobs primary function is for setting the E5s course value, and its also used to bug an airspeed. Posted by Cessna Owner Organization | Jan 23, 2019 | Avionics, FAA Announcements & Certifications. FREE 2ND-DAY SHIPPING ON MOST ORDERS $499 AND UP.*. Further, the size of the attitude gyro portion of the display is larger than the Castleberry electric, flight-director gyro it replaced. - E5 has a backup battery but never "goes to battery", ie like in a loss of power situation There is a thread on Beechtalklink that goes over the issues. Founded in 2004 by aviation enthusiasts, Aspen Avionics has a history of punching above its weight, having long battled Garmin to gain a significant share of the general aviation avionics market. Aspen has continued to innovate through the years since, and rolled out its most recent upgrades to the Evolution MAX line in 2019. Mooneyspace.com Aspen Avionics specializes in bringing the most advanced technology and capability into General Aviation cockpitsand budgets. But sure, no harm in double checking that the SW version is current and that there really isn't any traffic info being fed to the unit. At Oshkosh, Aspen Avionics sponsors a base in the North 40 campground, offering an air-conditioned lounge and refreshments for the wide range of its 14,000-plus customers who fly into the show . I had the initial unit fail several times, but all in the first couple of weeks (May June 2008). The overall satisfaction with the Aspen system seems quite high. In installations where multiple Aspen EFDs provide redundancy, this may result in loss of all altitude and airspeed reference during the reset period. I recently upgraded to the Max version. I'd go for it otherwise TBH. The E5 is still considered a major alteration and has the supporting paperwork for installation in type-certified aircraft despite not having a TSO. ADS600-B, Part Numbers 200-0012 and 200-0013. Aspen Avionics has populated the field with over 20,000 Evolution EFIS displays over a 10-year span and is the latest to offer a budget-based EFIS with the $4995 EFD1000 E5 Dual EFI. Just to test my EA-100 Aspen charges $500. Keep leadership and co-workers apprised of work progress and/or problems. There are numerous shops in the greater Los Angeles area that will be able to help diagnose the problem. Spent over 55,000 which included an Aspen 1000 Pro and it has been a 6 month night mare. Definatly some pros over iron but you certainly get what you pay for. Edit, if it matters mine is also paired to an ifd440, That is interestingso far, I've been able to find 4 Aspen E5 customers with this issue.all seem to have ifd440s. I am one of the core software engineers in the Subsurface Science and Engineering (SSE) group working on next-generation cloud and desktop (Windows/Linux) software in the oil and gas industry and green energy solutions. Aspen Avionics delivers updated Evolution 1000 Pro Max, 1000 MFD Max, and 500 MFD Max integrated flight instrument upgrades to include standard synthetic vision, reduced pricing on angle of attack . Intelligent placement of your backup instruments is worth serious thought if youre putting in the Aspen. Rating. Home / Avionics / EFIS / Aspen Avionics / ASPEN E5 SYSTEM WITH TOP MOUNT RSM. should be prepared to deal with it should the issue arise. All rights reserved. Are you saying mine is not installed per the STC? They market it somewhat that it gives GPS backup, which it does not. $30 to $45 Hourly. Thats a bugaboo with other legacy Aspen displays, and a compromised pitot reference can result in the loss of all primary flight data-even attitude. HDG is always the default setting for the right knob-the way it should be, given the frequency with which its used. The Aspen unit makes sense in achieving things you could not do before. Think basic utility. A year later, they were shipping and the field results were mixed: Capable technology but the installations werent going as smoothly as hoped and there was a higher-than-expected failure rate. Coming Soon: The Semi-Professional Pilot. None of this seems to matter tho. Unfortunately, since then my new Aspen E5 has been performing poorly in the 9 months since installation. Penn's quote broke down as follows: I wanted to post this because out of all the Aspens we have done we have never seen this issue. Not sure I would want to do #2 during hard IMC. It's tempting to decry the disappearance of the classic country airport. Mooneyspace.com As mentioned in my email, it is best to have an Authorized Dealer take a look at the system and diagnose the problem. While we think the E5 is a good value at $4995, we also think theres a narrow market for it given Aspens other displays that have a more substantial feature set. SA10822SC. For autopilot interfaces other than the digital TruTrak (which wires directly to the E5), the optional ACU is required. August 5, 2020 By Jim Moore. I've been fortunate so far as I have a friend with an uninstalled Pro-1000 and have been able to borrow some of his equipment, but he isn't using an EA-100. Avionics provides state-of-the-art US and European aviation ChartData to many major aviation companies including Aspen Avionics, Honeywell (Bendix/King), and all the leading iPad applications. One rectangle width is equivalent to one ball width of a conventional inclinometer. I wont turn this into a this is better than that, but one factremains true: Rarely- if ever - doesa G500/GADxx product haveanywhere near these issues; nor do theyfail todisplay anything for which they wereintended. More information is available here and you can comment on the AD here through March 11:https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FAA-2018-1085-0001, though given that the FAA employee who is managing the AD has been shut down, and the commentary period runs past the final adoption date, commentary seems a bit optimistic. they have replaced parts in one plane 4 times. Im marginally satisfied because we have had so much warranty work done on the system. For more than five decades, active and dedicated aircraft owners and pilots have turned to AVIATION CONSUMER to answer their most important buying questions. May 2022 - Present11 months. Balloons And Runway Calamities: Why Wait To Panic? This makes sense to us. This is our policy. Sad to see it appears to be a systemic issue. You also rotate the right knob to the left or right to decrease or increase the value of whatever is in the selected field. Familiarity with avionics manufacturers such as Garmin, Bendix-King, Honeywell, Avidyne, Aspen Avionics, Freeflight Systems to name a few Fluent in basic electrical theory Provide proof of good wire crimping and soldering techniques Must have own . Listed on 2023-03-01. drb930 Specifically, this SAIB notifies owners and operators of temporary loss of all flight display information due to blanking during reset. Aspen announced August 4 that it has entered an agreement in principle to become a member of the AIRO Group companies, noting that the company will maintain current production and support for its GA product line while expanding into new markets including military and unmanned aircraft. I have heard of issues where the the installer used the wrong connectors, wrong Ethernet cable, wrong location of the RSM, etc. Like every other Aspen Evolution PFD, the new E5 is several instruments in one. If you need help finding a dealer in your area, I will be happy to help. Really excited about the new hsi E5 upgrade. Sign in to continue reading, FAA issues a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin to alert pilots, By Plane & Pilot Updated November 29, 2018 Save Article. Unless otherwise noted, these reviews carry product pricing from the time of the original review. the degraded message goes away and the AHRS resets. - E5 is just connected to an ifd440 and an Stec-30 via the Aspen ACU In agreement with your post although I don't think you need to have dual E5s for reliability. I'm posting your email here as I want others to see how I'm being treated by Aspen over their reliability issues. The fact that now itsa different box than whats on the AD illustratesthat Aspen hasvery, I do think part of the reason Garmin has fewer failures is the closed architecture that allows them to control what is interfaced with the pfds. But the STC does allow removing the vacuum system. As we expected when we reviewed the Evolution system a year ago, the EFD1000 Pro version is the market favorite, with 95 percent of the respondents choosing that system. Quality control seems like a major problem. While this issue seems to be dissipating (although not completely gone), its another reason to go with a shop thats done several installations. PFD Primary flight display instrument panels I'll probably sell it at a loss and install dual G5s on my dime when the GFC500 is available for short bodies. Im pretty sure the ea100 works with many older AP sys. His unit is a E5, not anything applicable to said AD. These hot key functions are accessible at any time, except when the main menu is active, and each hot key provides instant access to the assigned command. Digital Media Managing Editor Jim Moore joined AOPA in 2011 and is an instrument-rated private pilot, as well as a certificated remote pilot, who enjoys competition aerobatics and flying drones. Display as a link instead, @PeteMc The aircraft that was referenced was worked on June last year. I brought it to my installer and said take it back, give me the G5s for redundancy. A recent FAA approval will allow aircraft owners installing a single Aspen Avionics Evolution EFD1000 Pro MAX primary flight display (PFD) to remove the previously required backup attitude indicator, the company announced on Thursday. Unlike other Aspen displays, the E5 only has one page, so youll always view attitude and heading data. With an iron gyro, it can AND WILL do this, but give you no flags, no faults and your autopilot can and will follow it. The function of each key is indicated by a label on the display to the left of each key. Any one else having problems? I recently found and reached out to another Aspen E5 customer that is going through similar problems with his new . Im curious what 440 software version everyone is running (especially the units that have reset in flight). There are still a disproportionate number of failures of Aspen boxes and EA100 adapters to warrantthe FAA to issue an AD. Share More sharing options. Probably even would spring for a mfd1000 max to make it legal. This needs to be done. Unlike higher-end Aspen displays, the E5 wont display synthetic vision or Aspens software-based angle of attack data. The more the industry drags out phasing out 100LL, the more susceptible it is to looking unconcerned about public health risks. On November 21, 2018, we issued SAIB SW-18-31 to alert owners and operators of an airworthiness concern for aircraft with an Aspen EFD1000 PFD, an EFD1000 MFD, an EFD1000 EBD, or an EFD500 MFD unit, as installed by Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) No. Additionally, with the replacement units, he would have gotten the newest firmware, surely, not something falling under an AD that was issued almost a year ago. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro. Your previous content has been restored. All rights reserved. Earlier this year I took the plunge and did an avionics upgrade that included a new avidyne ifd440 and a new Aspen E5. Like the E5, the new MAX is a huge improvement in display performance. RSM's are sensitive to magnetic fields (and a strong field can damage an RSM).