Choosing between the old Collins Pro Line 4 and the new Garmin G5000 for a King Air retrofit

Had to pick a full glass cockpit system for a client's King Air 200 in Dallas last year. Went with the Garmin G5000 even though it cost about 40k more, because the training and parts pipeline for the Collins stuff is drying up. It was a steep learning curve for the whole shop, but now we're the go-to guys for Garmin work in the area. Anyone else had to make a call like that on an older airframe?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.kevin3mo ago

Tough call but you made the right move. Bet the shop's coffee machine got a workout during that learning curve. Future-proofing the plane usually wins over saving a few bucks now.

henrygrant3mo ago

You know, @king.kevin is right about future-proofing, but everyone's missing the human cost. That learning curve isn't just about coffee. It's about the techs getting confident enough to trust the new system when a plane is on the line and the clock is ticking. That quiet stress is a real factor they have to push through before any of the benefits kick in.

victor21927d ago

Actually on the Collins front, the Pro Line 4 support isn't totally dead yet. A buddy of mine at Duncan Aviation still gets parts for those systems, it's just slower and pricier than it used to be. But I get your point on the Garmin call, once you eat that training cost the payoff is there.