|
Autopilot data points worth repeating: in the history of the FAA, there has never been a field approval for changing a factory autopilot or adding an autopilot on a civil certificated aircraft.
I’ve spoken to the head autopilot guy at Garmin a couple times, and he’s the one that told me the above. He also tells me they will eventually borrow someone’s 337 for a year and run the STC on either the 500 or 600 autopilot. No promise of when. I offered my airplane and offered to pay for the equipment (got the idea from patrol pilot!) but was told to go sign up online. And wait.
All that said…I have heard tell of an outfit in Florida that can do the Engineering to show how to connect a 400 or 400A autopilot to modern Garmin glass PFD. If one paid for that, then that data becomes the approved data and basis to approve connecting the STC’d glass displays to a factory autopilot not covered by the STC. In other words…you get field approval for the connection diagrams, and hook it up. I hear it works just fine. I haven’t contacted that guy yet, but will if I can’t get my AP fully functional.
|