The annual avionics trade show hosted by the Aircraft Electronics Association is a good place to get the lowdown on emerging industry trends and try out the latest cockpit and cabin gear from an array of manufacturers and suppliers. This year the AEA spotlight shone brightest on the new breed of glass cockpits for light jets, turboprops and high-end piston airplanes, a fresh category of avionics that seems nicely placed in the so-called owner-flown segment.
Judging from the high interest level in integrated systems from Honeywell Bendix/King, Garmin, Avidyne and Chelton during this year’s show, held April 23 to 26 in Orlando, Fla., fast-maturing, all-glass avionics for GA aircraft appear to be breaking out of the niche class and into aviation’s mainstream. The reasons are obvious: mass-produced glass displays, computer processors, databuses and inertial sensors originally developed for automotive and consumer-electronic markets are being applied to lower-cost aircraft without sacrificing functionality or reliability. Suddenly, the owner of a piston-powered Cirrus SR22 has a cockpit that could very well be the envy of the Gulfstream III crew in the hangar next door.
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