Hi everyone. I’m a new pilot with ~110 hours in mostly Piper and Garmin. Working with my brokers on my first plane purchase and SR22 seems to check all the boxes for me and my mission. However, my budget is going to keep me in the G1 or G2 category, which likely means Avidyne avionics. It’s been mentioned by others to me to be cautious buying a plane with those. I’ve heard everything from “they’re practically out of busineess” to “the support just isn’t there”. Haven’t heard much positive, but also saw the new upgrade program they’re supposed to be releasing in the beginning of next year, which looks promising.
My question is to the forum members here who have these avionics. What has your experience been? Are they reliable? Is the support where one would expect it to be? Any feedback would be greatly apprecated, and I do plan on buying a full membership here once I make my airplane purchase.
There are many satisfied Avidyne customers, including myself. The others similar to me find the heritage EX5000 system to be a bit simpler than the Garmin perspective (+) systems and easier to transition into.
Avidyne support comes at a cost, but has always been prompt and effective for me, and the company is very much still in business.
Post 2008 Garmin Perspective Cirrus models have a disadvantage in that the avionics are part of their type certification, making future upgrades more difficult than Avidyne planes.
Asking about Garmin vs Avidyne is kind of like asking about people’s taste in different foods. Everyone has a different perspective.
Hi Dan, G1/G2 with Avidyne, don’t let that be a reason not to buy one of them. I’ve had two. By the time there would be very little or no support, you’d have time to plan ahead with updates or a different plane.
Tailor avionics to mission. I’m a Garmin guy. Until you build time, you’d be fine with:
G1 with two Garmin -275 round displays connected to a new GTN 650txi with flight stream. new -375 ADS. In/out transponder. Integrate current EMAX.
Keep same instrument panel and get electronic AHRS with it. In/out gives you everything you need on EMAX and Ipad Foreflight.
G2 with GTN 750 with remote transponder, comm panel and flight stream. Buy the extended warranty for displays. Integrate 750 into displays. 750 is a nice big display with everything you need.
In either case, keep one of your old radios if budget limited. You’ll have other things to fix.
Echoing all others who say: the money it costs to become a COPA member is, by a thousand-fold, the best payoff you’ll have in the airplane-owner (or pilot) world.
For background: I had an original SR20 back in 2000, with early Arnav equipment; then for past 15 years an SR22 with Avidyne.
Yet another happy Avidyne owener here, I have a G2 with the factory MFD/PFD combo, I have updated to dual IFD 440’s and a DFC90 which I love. As others have said I also find the Avidyne a lot easier to understand, things are hidden behind tons of button presses or pages, it’s a relatively simple UX to understand. Would not hesitate to buy again.
I own a G1 with Avidyne PFD and MFD, dual IFD 440s and the DFC90 autopilot and I find it to be a very capable setup and fairly easy to learn. I’ve had the plane for 5 years and so far there have been no issues with any of these units. I do have the Avidyne extended warranty program as well.
Yes that’s exactly what I mean, sorry for the confusion. Garmin hides things among many non obvious pages, Avidyne is organised more the way my brain works. With things quite obvious.
I have a G2 with Avidyne, originally with Garmin 430s and STEC55. Upgraded to IFDs 550/440 and DFC90. Very happy. I enjoy entering routes manually into the IFDs so much that I don’t ever transfer from Foreflight. You’ll find lots of happy Avidyne users here.
I was in your shoes 18 months ago. new pilot with 100hrs buying first plane and I went with a sr22 G1 avidyne dual gns 430 and it will do more flying then I can do in the next decade of my flying if not more. Buying an sr22 is like buying your second plane first. but buy the plane not the avionics. Avidyne will support you and your equipment and you can upgrade the plane as you grow. as a pilot
Dan, a few observations from my journey. I moved from a 172 to a Cherokee 6 to a Steel Edition 2004 SR22 G2 several years ago. I made the decision when i decided to pursue my IFR certification. The airplane had been upgraded to a 550/440 with the original PFD/MFD configuration and a DFC90 autopilot.
My experience with Avidyne has been very good. I had an early warranty replacement without fuss.
I was not a Garmin guy coming in though i flew with a 430 in the 172.
My advice:
Get an Avidyne experienced CFI. Avidyne behaves like a Garmin in many instances, but is nuanced enough that you can be surprised. So learn the language of the box with someone who knows it. It will do what you tell it, but you have speak its language. And you have to be prepared if you and the box have a disagreement.
Your CSIP transition experience is good but not sufficient. Spend time learning the language of the box with someone who knows it.
Gain confidence and comfort by being prepared to fly all 3 levels of technology - raw data, flight director and fully automated. That way if you and the IFD disagree on what you asked, you can drop a level or two of technology and be comfortable.
The MFD is a wonderful tool. You can put your moving map up, and quickly toggle to the Jepp approach plate with one click back and forth. And it is geo-referenced on the plate. This moved you off the ipad/foreflight habit. The mfd has all checklists in it and forces you to say done. No misses no skips, no headfakes. It also has a ton of other useful functionality.
As an aside two additional thoughts. The Cirrus mission is clearly cross country quickly and efficiently. It is not the easiest plane to use for a check ride because it is built for fast cruise and is slippery. Plan to be in it more than you might today. I try to be out of the plane no more than 10 days at a time. It is a commitment.
Good luck with your purchase and your aviating. Avidyne/Cirrus is a good choice.
Hi Dan
Join COPA before the purchase. It’s half the fun of owning a Cirrus. Will help narrow your preferences. Add value to a plane w existing Avidyne Warranty. Pretty expensive to buy in and about $1000 or so per year. You can read all about warranty swap vs fix on members side.
Worst case you get a Cessna and blew $95.