Many of us have already dreamed of beautiful dashboards with digital instruments like you can see on internet or in modern planes. All these instruments bring a lot but are they ideal for your use or your plane? It is important to ask yourself the right questions by having the maximum knowledge of the rules and equipment available to be able to make the right decisions. We will only deal here with amateur-built planes, certified planes of less than 5.7 tons for private non-profit use and ultralights.

This information comes from our experience and is likely to change depending on the regulations and the specificities of your aircraft. ​

The regulations: ​

What am I allowed to replace, add or remove?

There is a list of minimum equipment required to conduct a flight, depending on the flight regime practiced VFR or IFR You will find all these requirements in the document below:

Order of July 24, 1991 relating to the conditions of use of civil aircraft in general aviation

This list is valid for aircraft under French register.

​ We remind you that:

VHF 8.33kHz is mandatory in Europe.

Mode S transponders are mandatory in IFR.

Mode S transponders are mandatory in VFR in some European countries.

​

We can validate a VFR installation with a mode C already installed on an aircraft returning to Europe. We cannot validate an installation with a mode C on an aircraft as original equipment. ​

Installation of equipment in an aircraft: ​

All aircraft fly under the cover of a certification:

​ For example: Amateur-built aircraft via the Order of March 15, 2005 relating to the restricted aircraft airworthiness certificate (CNRA); which defines the construction process, inspections and certification flights and classification on the national register.

Aircraft certified under the cover of a FAR23, CS23 certification base...

All these certification bases define how an aircraft must be designed, built, validated and produced.

If you decide to replace, add or remove equipment on your aircraft, you modify the definition that was validated by its certification. For this reason, the installation of new equipment must go through a certification process that allows you to remain in compliance with the original definition of your aircraft. ​

Below are the three processes that we use the most: ​

The CS-STAN: this is a document published by the EASA that allows simple modifications or installations on aircraft certified in Europe. This is the easiest way to make modifications: https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/certification-specifications/cs-stan-issue-3 Thanks to the CS-STAN, the possibility of installing new products has opened up, including non-certified equipment, but the list of minimum certified equipment must be respected. For example: thanks to the CS-STAN, you can install a non-certified GARMIN G3X in your aircraft but you must keep all the certified instruments necessary for conducting the flight. Space is not always available. ​

The STCs validated by the manufacturers: ​

This is a document that is most of the time linked to a list of eligible aircraft. This document is available with the purchase of the equipment. Its application allows to remain in compliance with the initial certification. Often the STC contains an installation manual, a flight manual, a maintenance manual. There may be a specific modification kit for each aircraft eligible for the STC. ​ In practice, these two systems allow us to install equipment in eligible aircraft without any validation process by national or European authorities, the validation having been done upstream. ​

The modification file: For amateur-built aircraft, we establish a modification file which is validated internally or by the DGAC depending on the importance of the modification. ​

Case of EASA or French certified aircraft for which the equipment to be installed does not have an STC: A modification file must be filed with the authorities and validated. As for the modification files established by the manufacturers, this file includes all the paragraphs of the standard which must be justified again to be in accordance with the initial certification. This solution takes time and can be quite expensive. For some files, we use a third party organization that creates the file. ​

Hardware Information: ​ VHF Radio: Regarding 8.33 radios _As said before, they are mandatory in Europe. _Only one 8.33kHz VHF is required in IFR on the two mandatory VHFs. _Most of the new radios available on the market have a monitoring button that allows you to listen to the frequency used and the standby frequency at the same time. This system is very practical for listening to ATIS. ​

GPS: For VFR, portable GPS and some fixed GPS can be installed and validated by a CS-STAN. ​ For IFR, GPS approaches are becoming more widespread, they can only be carried out with an aircraft equipped for this type of approach. GPS navigators such as the GTN650, the IFD540 have a WAAS receiver. This receiver associated with a digital indicator that is installed in front of the pilot gives your aircraft the LPV capability:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Localizer_performance_with_vertical_guidance ​

TRAFFIC Management:

Air traffic is constantly increasing. Investing in an aircraft alert system flying nearby is a guarantee of safety. To do this, you need to understand the different systems available: Active traffic (TAS, TCAS): This system installed in the aircraft is linked to the MODE S transponder. It allows you to see all aircraft equipped with a transponder within a radius of approximately 12 NM. ADS-B in/out: This system allows you to send your position to other aircraft equipped with an ADS-B in/out transponder, to control towers equipped to receive ADS-B or via relays that transmit to control towers installed on the territory. France is not yet equipped, but having an ADS-B OUT transponder already allows you to be seen by other equipped aircraft. If you have an ADS-B in/out transponder, you can see all aircraft equipped with ADS-B. The advantage of this system,  it has a much greater range than an active traffic. In the future, with ADS-B aircraft will be able to receive the weather that is already available across the Atlantic. All the transponders that we install have ADS-B capability directly or by means of an additional box. ​

The FLARM:

This system is used by gliders for traffic monitoring.

​ We can offer you the solution adapted to your aircraft to take into account traffic monitoring, do not hesitate to contact us.