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The mornings have become ever so slightly cooler, and the nights are noticeably longer. What a difference a month makes. That can only mean one thing: Flying season is almost here! Your APA has a whole host of fun, interesting, exciting, relaxing and challenging adventures planned for this year. We have long-distance getaways, local day trips, fly-ins, fly-outs, backcountry weekends and more planned. If you haven't joined us on one of our planned events yet, please do so this year. Our team does an amazing job planning these, and they are always a great time. Be sure to check out our website calendar for details, and we'll see you out there!

ADS-B

Like many Arizona pilots, I've been procrastinating installing ADS-B Out in our Comanche. I've researched for countless hours and read dozens of blog posts, articles, and manufacturers' technical documentation, as well as talked to many pilots, attempting to find the best solution for me. When my research started a couple of years ago, I was able to select from three solutions and was looking at about a $12k installed price. As time has progressed, more vendors jumped in with some great products ranging from basic signal repeaters to new transponders. Now, there's even one that simply replaces a navigation light with a complete "Out" solution! After considering what seemed like a mountain of data, and comparing that against my planned missions, I settled on a 1090ES solution that included a new transponder. I upgraded to a digital encoder at the same time. Back in May of this year, I called the avionics shop planning to get our bird in when I got off work that week and was stunned to hear there was a 3-month waiting list for shop space. Three months? Seriously? Didn't they want my money? I'd heard there were waits at some shops, but assumed those were on the East Coast at some of the larger airports. I was wrong.

What I quickly learned is that as more folks realize there are only 14 months left to get ADS-B Out installed, they are biting the bullet and getting their birds in the shop. While there, owners are taking advantage of the shop time, with potential labor savings, and having additional avionics work completed. Whether removing 20 pounds of obsolete radios (anybody want a Loran C?) or upgrading to some of the amazing new electronic instruments available today, shops are reporting more new sales than in recorded history! Of course, this extra work takes time, so the shop begins to back up quickly. I also learned this is a nationwide phenomenon. While this is great for the avionics industry, and pilots are getting some great technology in their aircraft, reserving your time slot is quickly becoming more difficult.

If you haven't already installed ADS-B Out, and you plan to ever take your bird where Mode C is currently required, get your plane on your shop's schedule now. There are many excellent solutions available today at nearly every price point. Choose the one that best meets your needs. You may be waiting a few months, but you won't be grounded come January 1, 2020. There is no sign the FAA is backing down from this. An added benefit is the amazing increase in situational awareness it provides. Evident on my flight back from the shop, I would not have found the "Cessna on base" in front of me or the "Archer on 2 mile final" as I was being sequenced into Deer Valley for landing. The traffic display on my iPad made it simple to locate them. I confidently reported, "Traffic in sight."

Blue Skies,

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