BeechTalk - BT

Username Protected · **Posted:** 23 Jul 2014, 11:18

To fly IFR legally you need to "have the equipment necessary to navigate to and terminate the flight safely." (These were my notes from training 20 years ago - not regs.) Here are the regs: (d) Instrument flight rules. For IFR flight, the following instruments and equipment are required:

(1) Instruments and equipment specified in paragraph (b) of this section, and, for night flight, instruments and equipment specified in paragraph (c) of this section.

(2) Two-way radio communication and navigation equipment suitable for the route to be flown.

(3) Gyroscopic rate-of-turn indicator, except on the following aircraft:

(i) Airplanes with a third attitude instrument system usable through flight attitudes of 360 degrees of pitch and roll and installed in accordance with the instrument requirements prescribed in §121.305(j) of this chapter; and

(ii) Rotorcraft with a third attitude instrument system usable through flight attitudes of ±80 degrees of pitch and ±120 degrees of roll and installed in accordance with §29.1303(g) of this chapter.

(4) Slip-skid indicator.

(5) Sensitive altimeter adjustable for barometric pressure.

(6) A clock displaying hours, minutes, and seconds with a sweep-second pointer or digital presentation.

(7) Generator or alternator of adequate capacity.

(8) Gyroscopic pitch and bank indicator (artificial horizon).

(9) Gyroscopic direction indicator (directional gyro or equivalent).

With the G3X I believe you have what it takes to navigate to whever you need to and you would be legal; however, I do not think you could use the G3x to shoot an approach since it does not have a localizer built in or the approach procedures for the GPS. Point # 2 states that the navigation equipment only need be suitable for the route flown. I suppose if you have a G3x and can load the waypoints into the G3x for the approach that would qualify for a GPS approach?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 23 Jul 2014, 11:44

Here's Dynon's opinion on the matter:
http://dynonavionics.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/ ... 1362597418

Username Protected · **Posted:** 23 Jul 2014, 12:49

The pilot in command is responsible for the safety of his aircraft and everything associated with the flight. While the required equipment may be a little bit of a grey area why would you want to risk it, especially when the cost is fairly low to add a good IFR GPS? You can put in a nice used 430W for $8k or so. Considering that it is probably going in a $50-$250k airplane, I do not see why you would skip on such an important piece of equipment.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 24 Jul 2014, 14:20

Username Protected wrote:

The pilot in command is responsible for the safety of his aircraft and everything associated with the flight. While the required equipment may be a little bit of a grey area why would you want to risk it, especially when the cost is fairly low to add a good IFR GPS? You can put in a nice used 430W for $8k or so. Considering that it is probably going in a $50-$250k airplane, I do not see why you would skip on such an important piece of equipment.

Yeah, that 8K will feel pretty inconsequential first time you're shooting a LPV down to minimums when the weather decides to change its tune and go 200 1/2. At that point it's nice knowing the fine folks at Garmin probably have a larger QA software department than the IS&T shops of all the others combined. Not knocking down others, but having a Garmin WASS GPS in the panel always gives me a warm and fuzzy.