G5/GFC500 with IFD series
Printed From: Avidyne
Category: Avidyne General
Forum Name: IFD 5 Series & IFD 4 Series Touch Screen GPS/NAV/COM
Forum Description: Topics on Avidyne's IFD 5 Series and IFD 4 Series Touch Screen GPS/NAV/COM
URL: http://forums.avidyne.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2083
Printed Date: 20 Apr 2025 at 6:12pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: G5/GFC500 with IFD series
Posted By: ddgates
Subject: G5/GFC500 with IFD series
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2020 at 2:09pm
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Another interconnectivity issue. In conversation with avionics shop in the southwest, a install was planned to install a G* G5 electronic flight instrument as well as a GFC500 autopilot in my Bonanza. The G5 is called out in the IFD540 install manual, as is the G500 and Txi PFD, and since the GFC500 is driven by the G5, we thought all legalities fulfilled. _But_ The autopilot GFC500 STC lists only G* navigators. The Avidyne series is not called out in the autopilot STC, so STC requirements would not be met. Moreover, the avionics manager was told by G* engineering directly that any GFC500s driven by IFDs do not meet the requirements of the STC and are not certified. The manager told me that just having a 337 only documents the change made to the aircraft, it does not provide certification. I suppose a field approval is possible, but... ------------- David Gates |
Replies:
Posted By: mfuesting
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2020 at 2:40pm
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Me thinks they don't really know of what they speak!! The IFD is designed and certified to be plug and play for the earlier GNS series so they do meet the STC requirements. Many shops are Garmin only fanboys and spill out all types of half truths and outright falsehoods. I have dual G5's, GFC500, and IDF540 all installed and certified and playing together well! Contact tech support at Avidyne and they can help you (and your shop) to understand the situation more fully. ------------- Mike L Fuesting |
Posted By: ddgates
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2020 at 3:53pm
Perhaps tech support doesn't know about such a document. They sent me the ICA for the IFD which doesn't mention that. ------------- David Gates |
mfuesting wrote:Posted By: Froethel
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2020 at 8:46pm
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Much like Mike's post, I too have dual G5, Gfc 500 and an IFD 540 for over a year. Love it and it's works sooooo well. ------------- Frank |
Posted By: ddgates
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2020 at 10:54am
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Per my interactions with Avi tech support yesterday, we have not come up with a document which certifies that an IFD is an FAA-approved substitute for a GNS-530. If anybody has such a document, (and Avi is still looking), please let me know. ------------- David Gates |
Posted By: ddgates
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2020 at 1:36pm
Based on my investigations, it is more than fanboys. ------------- David Gates |
Posted By: drapo
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2020 at 4:57pm
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Following this conversation closely! Reading through Avidyne's IFD Pilot's guide, I found this interesting reference to the certification of the IFD and other equipments: IFD500 Series Pilot Guide
INTERACTION WITH EXTERNAL DEVICES ... As a condition for certification, the IFD is approved for integration
with all equipment the GNS 530 is approved for, plus the IFD is
approved for integration with additional equipment beyond those
authorized for use with the GNS system. I wonder if that excerpt has enough «legal weight» to support the certification of the GFC500/IFD5XX combo?
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Posted By: ricardo
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2022 at 12:22pm
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I've ran into the this same issue with my install. Installer can't get the STC doc that says the IFD is approved with the GFC500 and therefore they cannot do that install. argh -- Shouldn't avidyne put out an STC that says the IFD supports the G5 + GFC combo?
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Posted By: Gring
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2022 at 4:11pm
| this is the exact wording that my shop used to justify the install. |
Posted By: ricardo
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2022 at 4:50pm
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it looks like that I have a roadblock because I’m upgrading from a non waas 430. Ugh I’m sticking with the ifd. And dropping the gfc, and likely never do a garmin buy again in future airplanes
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Posted By: chflyer
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2022 at 3:12am
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You should find another shop that will take a less restrictive approach. There are several (many?) G5/GFC500/IFD installations. Wherever the G5/GFC500 installation manual indicates GNS units you can substitute IFD. You won’t have a plug&play IFD installation if you want WAAS since you‘re substituting the IFD for a non-WAAS GNS. You‘d have to make the same changes though to upgrade GNS to WAAS (mostly antenna-related). ------------- Vince |
Posted By: Gring
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2022 at 7:43am
| you have an airplane, find a new shop. Sarasota avionics has done a few, green mountain did mine, and there are a whole host of other shops around. Garmin isn’t necessarily the problem, it’s the industry as a whole. |
Posted By: compasst
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2022 at 11:44am
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As others will tell you, the proposed install IS FULLY LEGAL. I have my Cardinal C177B running on a new-at-the-time IFD 540, installed when they came out, a pair of G5's, also installed when it was approved and BEFORE the GAD29B was released (OK with me since I knew I was only wanting the GFC 500 when it came out), and in Spring 2020, a GFC 500 as soon as the Cardinal was on the list. First off - it all works perfectly and is really a great system - way better than the many other types of setups that I have first hand experience with because I fly and teach for a retirement job. All the installations were done with the oversight of my mechanic and were approved by three different radio shops that are all authorized dealers for all the pieces. NO PROBLEMS with installation nor with approval. The legality is addressed by Avidyne in their installation manual where they document the concept of direct replacement for 430/530 devices - approval that the other folks are not happy about and won't recognize, but is fully legal and compatible none the less. Find a shop that knows what is what and what they are doing - and preferably has done the installs of these three pieces before. It is not a problem to do what you want (including transition to the WAAS capability of the Avidyne stuff). You may have to change your GPS antenna to a WAAS-certified unit. You do NOT have to have antenna for the G5s and their internal antennae will almost certainly work for backup (be certain the shop tests this before they sell you a "required" second antenna). You will be very pleased with the performance of these three interconnected components.
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