Reliability of Instruments

Scott Sherer

OK, after 52 years of flying I drank the kool-ade. 52 years of vacuum pumps, pressure valves, air driven attitude indicators and directional gyros. No failures, ever. Two years ago I bought into the "better reliability" marketing pitch for electronic instruments. In the last six months there's been an AD on Aspen PFD's limiting their use and yesterday an Emergency AD on my Sandia 340A backup attitude indicator. My plane is now VFR only. And this is reliability?

Kentwkalb

Yikes! Talk to Bob Hart? The guru of avionics...I have been pleased with the reliability of my Garmin G5’s, so far....

Jgoaviation

Whenever I see these ADs come out against new modern instruments I feel bad for everyone that has taken the time and money to install them and update their panels with the thought that it will be more reliable and safer than the old steam gauges. I'm still running all steam gauges because they still fit my mission profile and I haven't had any problems with them. I fly behind a Garmin G5000 for work and it's nice to jump into our old Cessna with a bare-bones panel and enjoy the plane. I hope they come out with a speedy repair for your Aspen and Sandia.

Scott Sherer

Thanks so much for your comments. This will pass, of course, but the sooner the better.

Scott Sherer

So here's the deal with Sandia Labs and my Quatro 340 backup PFD that cost about $5k to install a little over two years ago. I emailed and called three times and no response. I got them on the fourth communique. They don't know what's wrong. The don't know what it's going to take to fix it. It's going to be months and months while I'm placarded for day-VFR only, their best guess. So much for electronic reliability.

Kentwkalb

Oh my! Extremely disappointing to hear from Sandia, and for you

Scott Sherer

Yes, frustrating...