Let's say you're building a homebuilt -- say an RV8 -- and you're hoping it'll be a Bonanza-replacing traveling machine. [I'm not confessing anything.]

Would you equip it with a VOR? ILS? Marker beacon? It can matter fairly early in the process, depending on the planned location of antennas.

I'm thinking all of those will be redundant at best in five years.

You?

Might have value at certain times:

https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices ... visory.pdf

FLIGHT ADVISORY
GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING
CSG4 GPS 16-01
21-31 March, 2016

Off the coast of Charleston, SC

GPS testing is scheduled as follows and may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS signal.

A. Location: Centered at 322655N0793719W or the Charleston VORTAC (CHS) 150 degree
radial at 34NM.

B. Dates and times:
21 MAR 16 1100Z – 1900Z
30 MAR 16 1100Z – 1700Z
31 MAR 16 1100Z – 1700Z

C. Duration: Each event may last the entire requested period.

D. NOTAM INFO: NAV (CSG4 GPS 16-01) GPS (INCLUDING WAAS, GBAS, AND
ADS-B) MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE WITHIN A 293NM RADIUS CENTERED AT
322655N0793719W (CHS 150034) FL400-UNL DECREASING IN AREA WITH A
DECREASE IN ALTITUDE DEFINED AS:
245NM RADIUS AT FL250
176NM RADIUS AT 10000FT
131NM RADIUS AT 4000FT AGL
68NM RADIUS AT 50FT AGL

E. Pilots are encouraged to report anomalies only when ATC assistance is required.
The NOTAMs discussed in this advisory may change with little or no notice. Pilots are
advised to check NOTAMs frequently for possible changes prior to operations in the
area. NOTAMs will be published at least 24 hours in advance of any GPS tests.

If IFR yes. There are hidden antenna options for RVs. There is a nav antenna you can put in the wingtip.

Stu
Remember the go pro in the top of the Rudder for our visual enjoyment....
Sorry thread drift.

For a traveling machine, the options for experimental is so much better than certified aircraft. I just sold my RV4 that I had set up for cross-country 10 years ago. Stein Air did my panel, give him a call, http://www.steinair.net they are a great bunch of guys, truly enthusiasts that won't steer you wrong. The best option I put in mine was the auto pilot, I used it constantly.

I would not own a plane without ILS and VOR equipment. GPS works really well until it doesn't.

I'd leave the marker beacon out.

I haven't used a VOR/ILS in a LONG TIME! I wouldn't install that in an RV-8.

You don't live in an area commonly afflicted with GPS notams, large areas where GPS may be denied due to military testing.

For example:

GPS 03/064 (KZAB A0055/16) ZAB NAV (WSMR GPS 16-05B) GPS (INCLUDING WAAS, GBAS, AND ADS-B) MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE WITHIN A 469NM RADIUS CENTERED AT 324029N1060700W (ELP 359052) FL400-UNL DECREASING IN AREA WITH A DECREASE IN ALTITUDE DEFINED AS: 431NM RADIUS AT FL250, 360NM RADIUS AT 10000FT, 361NM RADIUS AT 4000FT AGL, 306NM RADIUS AT 50FT AGL. DLY 0530-1330 1603240530-1603261330

306 nm radius (712 nm diameter) at 50 ft AGL. Think about it.

I did see this one for FL:

GPS 03/052 (KZJX A0360/16) ZJX NAV (CSG4 GPS 16-01) GPS (INCLUDING WAAS, GBAS, AND ADS-B) MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE WITHIN A 318 NM RADIUS CENTERED AT 322655N0793719W (CHS 15034) FL600-UNL DECREASING IN AREA WITH A DECREASE IN ALTITUDE DEFINED AS: 293NM RADIUS AT FL400 269NM RADIUS AT FL250 199NM RADIUS AT 10000FT MSL 158NM RADIUS AT 4000FT AGL, 115NM RADIUS AT 50FT AGL. 1603211100-1603211900

Mike C.

If you are going IFR, get a Garmin 650 or750. That gives you VOR, ILS, GPS approaches. You won't need the marker receiver. When I built my RV7 to replace my F33A, I did not realize how many GPS approaches are out there and at some point will be replacing ILS and regret installing a SL30 rather than an IFR navigator. Go with G3X displays, ADSB, get rid of the steam gauges.

Yes for vor/ils and i'd use the dynon screen hsi presentation for the indicator

Despite all the comments on GPS outages; I've never personally been a victim of this. You're not going to be flying RV8 in terrible weather on a regular basis anyways. GPS may be degraded but I've never seen in not work; never.

I'd install a Garmin G3X Touch with a GTN 650 and a Garmin AP. I still wouldn't hook up the VOR/ILS. These will definitely be around for a while but are going to go away soon.

I vote no backups other than an iPad with the GDL 39 attitude indicator.

The GTN650 has VOR/LOC/ILS, why wouldn't you provide the antennas to use it? I would.


I don't think so.

The plan is to keep a solid set of VORs around precisely for GPS backup, and very few LOC/ILS will be turned off. Even now, when they move a runway, they rebuild the ILS (like they did for ILS 4 and ILS 22 at KEVV recently).

Mike C.

You'll find an RV flying in the same weather as any other non-deiced piston plane. It's just another airplane.

Here is my RV-8 Panel lit up , basically the above

I'm not adding any of that stuff. It all adds weight and also holes in the structure that will need to be patched. I'm starting with a basic VFR panel but will go with a GPS based panel if I upgrade.

Robert