DavePilot

Totally agree with the Awesomeness of Shawn's new Avionics Stack with the Garmin Aera 660, Garmin GTR200 Nav/Comm, Garmin GTX327 Transponder, and Dynon AP74 AutoPilot in a very well engineered complete package. We originally learned to fly with a Garmin 496 GPS Map, and are familiar with the 396, and the Aera 660 is MANY light years ahead ! Expect there are similar improvements and technology leaps ahead for the Radio, Transponder, and Intercom/Audio. Seems like CSA would be interested in selling/supporting an Avionics "stack kit" to upgrade the CZAW SportCruisers to today's generation technology, but it seems CSA is only focused on selling the newest SkyView equipped aircraft, not supporting and upgrading Avionics for the entire CRUZ product line. Expect it comes down to profit margins....but WOW the value of a CZAW SportCruiser has to increase dramatically with state of the art electronics installed inside..... Dave

After one week of Operation with our new, supportable, IPS Software Version 4, it would appear that all is operating correctly with minimal problems. some Admin activity behind the scenes: Forum Security settings have been checked and updated by me to match previous settings that we were using on IPS SW 3.X. For example, "Guests", those folks that have not joined the Forum, are not allowed to Post topics, Upload text or images, or download files off the Forum. Many other settings for various "types" of Members, Guests, Admin, etc., have been checked and verified Same as used on the old SW. I.E., OK for secure Forum operation. The "Member list" has been scanned and checked against our prior list of 249 total Active Members as of May 2, 2017. It may surprise some to know that over the last 3+ years, MANY MANY HUNDREDS of Spammers and "Robot" computers have attempted to join the forum, and have been STOPPED from receiving access. I expect the "attacks" and "attempts at entry" by malicious individuals and computer systems to continue, .....such is the state of the world on the internet today. I am working on some minor issues related to email communication links. I have not had a significant number of complaints from any Members and it appears that folks are learning some of the "tricks and tips" associated with the new SW. Example : "Click the Dot" to the left of a bold posting topic to go immediately to the latest unread post in that topic I will be glad to forward anyone's unique technical questions to our Website Maintainer folks or answer questions if I know the answer Please contact me directly at scflieradm@yahoo.com if there are any issues. Regards and have fun Dave

WmInce I am searching for your "message" in the above Post. were you commenting on something I said ? I don't see any comments from you thanks Dave

WmInce What exactly are you trying to do ? Dave

The SCFLIER SportCruiser Forum is now fully Operational with the latest supportable new 4.X SW version of the website, including a new look and feel and some interesting new features. An initial check shows everything is working, and our content is available once again on the forum. The main SCFLIER Image "Logo Theme" is now working. I will also work to change the "Display Name" of those SCFLIER users who had a different "Display Name" than their "Username" (login ID). Please let me know via my email below if you want this done -- only affects a small subset of our Forum Members who changed their "Display Name" to something different from their login ID. Please contact me at scflieradm@yahoo.com if there are any issues. Regards and have fun Dave

Reminder To all SCFLIER SportCruiser Forum members TOMORROW Wednesday, 4/26/17 is "SCFLIER Forum software upgrade day" From the old, no longer supported "3.X" website software To the new, supportable "4.X" website software. SCFLIER Forum members should expect some Forum downtime tomorrow, Wednesday 4/26/201, likely to occur in the 1600 Zulu thru 2200 Zulu time frame during the actual forum SW update process..... D

Exciting news for “Participating” SCFLIER SportCruiser Forum members ! We are rapidly approaching the December 31, 2019 deadline for installation of USA FAA ADS-B OUT equipment in our CRUZ LSA aircraft, and we are getting closer to the Czech Sport Aircraft CSA “announcement” on possible Letters of Authorization for incorporating CSA Approved ADS-B OUT transmitting equipment (and hopefully also displaying Traffic and Weather info on Cockpit displays from ADS-B IN receiving equipment) into our SCFLIER Member's Non SKYVIEW equipped CRUZ S-LSA’s. In the USA, the FAA sends via ADS-B IN datalink ALL the Airborne Traffic information in a 30 Nmile, +-3500 ft altitude "Hockey Puck" that follows your aircraft in response to ONLY those aircraft that are “Participating” with compliant ADS-B OUT transmissions. Similarly, the good news for “Participating” SCFLIER Forum Members is that friends of the SCFLIER Pilots/Owners located right here in Texas have anonymously donated a GARMIN GDL-39 3D ADS-B ”IN” Traffic and Weather receiving device (with 3D AHRS attitude/heading/reference sensing) for the sole Winner of a “SCFLIER Forum Participation Raffle” to be held at the end of July 2017. And, the GARMIN GDL-39 ADS-B IN receiver is compatible with many of our CRUZ S-LSA cockpit installed Garmin GPS map displays. Currently (April 23, 2017) there are 248 WorldWide SCFLIER SportCruiser Forum members. All SCFLIER Forum members are eligible for the raffle, with a “Catch”. Of the 248 SCFLIER Forum Members, only 36 members, a mere 15%, have more than 7 total SCFLIER Forum posts. To be automatically entered in the “raffle” for the July 31, 2017 Random Drawing, Only SCFLIER Members who are “Participating”, defined by having at least 4 Total Posts on the SCFLIER Forum, are eligible. So, if you have already posted at least 4 items on the Forum, you are good to go, and no additional “work” (or postings) is required to be automatically entered in the ADS-B IN equipment “Raffle”. But for those SCFLIER Forum members who haven’t yet posted any cool pictures of their aircraft, interesting flying stories, CRUZ related maintenance questions or answers, Rotax engine tips, …..you get the idea…. some of these Members may still choose to “activate” their raffle ticket by posting at least 4 total Interesting SportCruiser/PiperSport/PS-28 CRUZ LSA related items on the forum between now and July 30, 2017. Of course not everyone wants to post items on a public forum. That’s OK, but the more SCFLIER Forum members that participate, the more fun for all SCFLIER Forum members and the more useful information is provided and available to all SportCruiser CRUZ LSA owners. ADS-B IN Equipment to be delivered to the Lucky SCFLIER SportCruiser Forum "Raffle" Winner: 1. Garmin GDL-39 3D Portable ADS-B IN Receiver with AHRS 2. RAMI AV-74 ADS-B IN external belly mount antenna and cabling/adapters 3. Garmin GA-56 external top mount GPS antenna and cabling/adapters GDL-39 3D Cockpit GPS Map Display Equipment Compatibility: · Garmin 396 and 496 GPS Map displays – Traffic Only, limited to 8 targets (Hard wired RS-232 interface required). · Garmin 696 GPS Map display – Traffic (limited to 30 targets) and Weather , (Hard wired RS-232 interface required). · Garmin Aera 796 GPS Map display – Traffic (limited to 30 targets) and Weather , (BlueTooth or Hard wired RS-232 interface). · Garmin Aera 660 GPS Map display – Traffic (limited to 30 targets) and Weather , (BlueTooth or Hard wired RS-232 interface). · iPad /iPhone wirelessly compatible to the GDL-39 3D when using both the Garmin Pilot app and the ForeFlight app for ADS-B IN Traffic and Weather display. "Raffle" Rules: 1. ADS-B IN Equipment Installation and Compliance with the USA FAA (or your country’s regulating authority) and LightSportAircraft S-LSA and E-LSA rules and regulations are the responsibility of the winner. 2. Only “Participating” SCFLIER Forum members with at least 4 total forum postings as of July 30, 2017 are eligible to be automatically entered in the random drawing. The SCFLIER Admin and family are of course excluded from the drawing. 3. The random drawing will occur on Monday July 31, 2017 and the Sole Winner (SCFLIER Forum ID) of the Garmin GDL-39 3D ADS-B IN equipment, connectors, cables, adapters and 2 external antennas will be "announced" on the SCFLIER Forum August 1, 2017. Notes: 1. The Garmin GDL-39 3D is a dual band (978 Mhz UAT and 1090 Mhz Extended Squitter) ADS-B IN Traffic Receiver. The 978 Mhz UAT ADS-B OUT Traffic frequency is only used in the USA airspace. The 1090 MHz ES frequency is also used in the USA. However, in Europe, Australia, and other countries, Only the 1090 Mhz ES Traffic ADS-B OUT aircraft transmissions are used. The GDL-39 3D ADS-B IN device can receive BOTH the 1090 Mhz ES and also the 978 MHz UAT ADS-B OUT traffic transmissions air to air. 2. The USA FAA FISB 978 Mhz ADS-B Weather data is only available for use in the USA. 3. The GPS Based information and Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) capability of the GDL-39 3D receiver works world-wide. 4. Use of the RAMI AV-74 ADS-B IN belly mount antenna or the Garmin GA-56 GPS external top mount antenna are not REQUIRED for the Garmin GDL-39 3D to function, however, more ADS-B IN ground transmitting towers may be received with the AV-74 ADS-B IN antenna mounted on the aircraft belly, and more GPS satellite stations may be received with an external top mounted GPS Antenna Important : The Installation and use of a Garmin GDL-39 ADS-B IN receiver, with a Hard Wired Interface to CRUZ S-LSA Cockpit Displays & Aircraft Power provided directly via wiring to a Garmin GDL-39 ADS-B IN Receiver, and Compliance with USA FAA Regulations, or the Aircraft Regulatory Agency in your Country, is the Responsibility of the sole "GDL-39 3D Participation Raffle Winner": Today, the hardwired GDL-39 3D ADS-B IN receiver (and External GPS & ADS-B IN antennas) and also the way cool GARMIN Aera 660 GPS Map display are NOT USA FAA Legal (...today...) to use INSTALLED, hard wired interfaced in a CRUZ S-LSA without a CSA tail number specific Letter of Authorization and/or CSA IPC installation documentation for a CRUZ Factory Built S-LSA. In a USA E-LSA aircraft (a factory built Special Light Sport Aircraft S-LSA CRUZ converted to an Experimental E-LSA), all of the "raffle items" (GDL-39 3D powered by aircraft +12V DC wiring, hard wired to a Garmin GPS Map and operating with two external antennas) and also the new Aera 660 portable GPS Map unit for those Legacy CZAW CRUZ E-LSA owners currently with a Garmin 396 or 496 GPS Map installed in the smaller CZAW CRUZ LSA vertical cockpit dash size, would be legal to install in a USA FAA regulated EXPERIMENTAL CRUZ E-LSA without an LOA from CSA, assuming that the proper installation documentation was recorded in the aircraft logs by the E-LSA owner. Additionally, note that in some current production S-LSA CRUZ aircraft, for example a later model CRUZ S-LSA SportCruiser Light Sport Aircraft with a CSA factory installed Aera 796 Garmin GPS Map display, in these S-LSA CRUZ aircraft, the portable (battery powered) GDL-39 3D ADS-B IN receiver can effectively interface wirelessly to the 796 for display of ADS-B IN Traffic and Weather right there on the 796 GPS Map cockpit display, and also the "3D" backup AHRS feature of a GDL-39 3D portable battery powered unit with AHRS will function on a GARMIN 796 without any "hard wires" attached to the GDL-39 required. Looking forward to the ADSB IN equipment SCFLIER "raffle" soon after EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 ! D

247 Members to date in the SCFLIER SportCruiser Forum New members being added every week ! D

From the Admin If you are a SportCruiser, PS-28, or PiperSport Pilot, Owner, or just someone interested in the CRUZ Light Sport Aircraft line, we want to hear from you ! All are welcome and one doesn't have to be a Pilot to join. Also, we are a WORLDWIDE Forum with members in Australia, The United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, and the United States. EVERYONE is welcome. Once you click "SIGN UP" (used to be "Create Account"), the "system" will ask a question on the Visual Flight Rules VFR Squawk code. Hint - this is the code used in North America, USA and Australia, not the general conspicuity squawk code used in Europe or other "non assigned" squawk codes used in other countries worldwide. Also for those folks signing up to JOIN the SCFLIER Membership, the SCFLIER membership activation process involves a quick email "2 way communication" exchange between yourself and me, the SCFLIER ADMIN. So if you get an email from SCFLIERADM@Yahoo.com, it is not SPAM, it is something worth reading to get your new SCFLIER Forum membership activated. There are no wrong answers, but a RESPONSE IS REQUIRED with meaningful "human" interchange to prevent robot computer email generating spammers from joining our friendly forum. If anyone has trouble on the New Member Activation process, send me an email at scflieradm@yahoo.com Thanks - looking forward to new folks joining and adding to the interesting communication and new topics on all things SPORTCRUISER ! Dave PS. Our only "Rule" is to RESPECT other member's opinions on a wide variety of topics. It is OK to RESPECTFULLY disagree and offer your own unique opinion on a topic, but treating ALL members with RESPECT increases our friendly communication and spread of information from ALL members coming from many different backgrounds and experiences on the SportCruiser/PiperSport/PS-28 line of CZAW/CSA S-LSA and Experimental E-LSA AWESOME CRUZ Light Sport Aircraft.

Having converted our CRUZ factory built S-LSA to an Experimental E-LSA, my comments: 1) extremely pleased with the E-LSA result. No regrets. 2) key changes to date - added the proven Dynon angle of attack AOA sensing probe for awareness of "lift margin" in all flying scenarios - a USA FAA recommended safety upgrade. Also eliminated the Rotax internal alternator's Ducati rectifier/regulator from an expected source of summertime failures in our aircraft's DC electrical system. 3) no longer have to consider the long time frame (sometimes infinite) and struggle - even with TSO certified Avionics, proven, available tested, qualified Certified equipment.... to getting a manufacturer's approval Letter of Authorization for the "next" change for improved safety, reliability, more.... 4) continue to use well trained certified AIrframe & Powerplant A&P Maintenance folks to perform all maintenance and upgrades with well documented logbooks. 5) as our aircraft gets more capable, why would we want to sell it ? 6) I no longer look at my monthly EAA Experimental Aircraft Association as "those other Pilots with very desirable Experimental aircraft with state of the art X, Y, Z....". We own an Experimental aircraft ! My EAA membership card makes sense ! 7) the aircraft still flies very well and the Rotax engine, control surfaces, flying qualities, ramp appeal, production build quality, etc., are still top of the line in the Light Sport Aircraft world 8) the future state of our airplane is not limited by someone I have never met who A- doesn't understand or apparently care much about the USA FAA rules And B- doesn't respond to "already sold" aircraft owner's customer input. And, in fairness to Czech Sport Aircraft, they produce a fine Special - Light Sport Aircraft. The production design of the basic aircraft, the craftsmanship exhibited by the Czech production line workers, the long proud history of Czech production of aircraft in Kunovice is outstanding. But today, the "aircraft" is more than just the sturdy, easy to fly aluminum structure and the strength of the rivets. The installed Avionics is in many cases, a major discriminator to an S-LSA prospective owner. And there are HUNDREDS of "already sold" CRUZ S-LSA out there - the ability to upgrade these S-LSA aircraft with manufacturer supported LOA's and IPC/Maintenance manual "instructions" (protecting the legal USA FAA validity of the owner's S-LSA Special Airworthiness Certificates) could extend the desirability of the entire SportCruiser line of S-LSA's in the USA market. The "problem" or perhaps better said, "CSA's choice" emanating from the Czech Republic is way beyond just limited LOA support for S-LSA USA FAA "ADS-B OUT Compliance". In my opinion, continual upgrades of Dynon, Garmin, .... avionics and new equipment, legal to install on "already sold" CRUZ S-LSA USA aircraft will make the "already sold" SportCruiser S-LSA aircraft, even the "Legacy" CZAW produced SportCruisers, much more desirable, and keep the CRUZ S-LSA resale value up, and support the entire line of CRUZ S-LSA's, including sales of new production CRUZ S-LSAs. 9) today, the Experimental E-LSA remains "THE GREAT ESCAPE CLAUSE" for CRUZ S-LSA Owners in the USA FAA regulated Light Sport Aircraft world. Thanks EAA ! We can now plan ahead for inclusion of upgrades like IFR certified Avionics, the next generation of available equipment from Dynon, GARMIN, ...., more...., and the aircraft upgrade road map is now controlled by the aircraft owner .... what could be better ? D

Notice to all Members of the SportCruiser SCFLIER Forum acting as the Admin of the Forum, I receive periodic notices from our Website supplier company on various topics. A major topic that has been communicated to me ( see 2 posts above) is UPGRADING our Website maintainer company Forum software to their newest advanced forum "4.X" software version baseline. We have been running on a "3.X" software baseline for several years now. The "4.X" software started use (on other Forums run by the same company) in August of 2016 and appears to be relatively stable now after about six months of use by other Forums hosted by our same Website maintainer company. Lately, I have been receiving increasing "pressure" to Upgrade our Forum to the "4.X" Forum software baseline, due to improved Forum security features, improved and new fun features of the 4.X software for members, and the Forum Company's promise to discontinue Support of the older "3.X" Software in April of 2017. I believe it is time for us to UPGRADE the SCFLIER Forum Website SW to the newest, supportable, improved "4.X" baseline. There will be some "new buttons" to learn how to push and some "new features" with the new "4.X" software, but I am confident that our members will like the new version better, based on some testing I have done on a trial "sample" version. I am working towards a FORUM SW CONVERSION changeover date of April 26, 2017. The SCFLIER Forum website maintainer company assures me that the CHANGEOVER to the new software will take less than one day. Having worked in the software line for many years, I expect there will be some minor issues to work out, and a learning curve for our members. All of the EXISTING SCFLIER SportCruiser Forum Material, all images, all text, all postings, all avatars, all Forum structure and content, will carry over directly to the new Forum Software Baseline "as is". However, just to be cautious, If anyone has "very special to them" data or images, or uploaded files that a member has placed on the forum that can not be replicated anywhere else via a personal backup, I would encourage them to make a backup of these precious data images and files before our April 26, 2017 changeover date. Also, to minimize any need for action on our Members part, I have been requesting and receiving MONTHLY BACKUPs of all our forum postings, images, and attachments from the website maintainer company, and I keep these Backups Stored on my personal computer, which is also backed up separately, remotely. Three examples of our SCFLIER Image posting backups - of one Members' Posted Image gallery, and the second, Images posted to our Forum in March of 2017 in various member's postings, and finally the third example, all of our Members who have individual AVATAR Images, are shown below. The Text postings of each daily forum postings are also backed up, of course, but these take MUCH less disk space. All told, our March 24, 2017 SCFLIER Forum backup used 1.32 gigabytes of storage room (when extracted fully) on my computer. Get ready for some new Forum Features and New Forum Software April 26, 2017 ! I will provide more details on when (Zulu time) exactly in late April that the SCFLIER Forum will be down and when it will be back up again.... regards - Comments Welcome Dave

An explanation of our two recent SCFLIER Forum "website down times" from the Forum website provider... "It was 'bad timing', unfortunately. One issue was caused by a problem on the server hosting your site, which has been fixed, and the other due to another account on that server, which has also been addressed. It was just bad luck the second was the same server as the first. Our apologies for the inconvenience. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. Regards, Mark H" Let's hope the "bad timing" doesn't happen again anytime soon.... D

The SCFLIER Forum experienced more "down time" late last night with inability to get to the www.scflier.com forum website over several hours. Earlier this week, I have requested and received a "backup" of all of our Forum material, now saved on my own computer and backups to same, which could be used to recreate the forum in the event of technical problems at the source - the website maintainer company. But, of course new forum material posted after the backup was made would not be available and not restored. Under the maintenance program we have, I am allowed one "off site" backup per month without additional fees, and I plan to request an archive of all the SCFLIER Forum material "off site" on my personal computer on a monthly basis as a separate backed up source of SCFLIER Forum material. The forum website maintainer does back up all SCFLIER Forum material daily, and of course that is our best bet to recreate the forum in a "disaster" scenario at the website system source, assuming that their facility (with the backup stored inside their building) is not also destroyed by some "disaster". Using this website maintained backup would only have up to a "one day" potential loss of forum material. If any SCFLIER Forum Member has any Forum material that is critical to the member, and they do not have this material also "saved" in a personal backup on their own computer systems, it may be wise to consider placing your material in an accessible backup medium at your computer, for your own personal uses. I will continue to press the folks that maintain our actual SCFLIER Forum site for answers as to the causes of recent outages. I am confident that the website maintainer will do their best to keep our SCFLIER Forum running, but in this day of "computer technology advances (and issues)", individual Members should be aware of a small risk of loss to their posted Forum material. I am also investigating an UPGRADE to our Website maintainer company Forum software to their newest advanced forum "4.X" software version baseline. We have been running on a "3.X" software baseline for several years now. The "4.X" software started use in August of 2016 and appears to Be relatively stable after about six months of use by other Forums hosted by our same Website maintainer company. Some "PROs" of updating to this new "4.X" Software baseline are advanced user interface features, a more common "look and feel" of the Forum between "desktop computers" and "iPhone/IPad/cell phone platforms", as well as promised continued support of our Forum on the latest "4.X" software baseline as well as some administrative feature set improvements. The "CONs" of upgrading our Forum software to the new "4.X" software baseline is that some features and "buttons" are different requiring some small "learning curve" for Members to adjust to the new Forum software, as well as risk of technical problems potentially embedded in the new "4.X" software as it matures. I have tested a Pilot version of the new "4.X" software and found it to be easy to use, intuitive, and very minimal "new" interface learning required. Another "CON" to an upgrade is that a transition period during the upgrade will prevent Member access for about one day while all of our Forum material is transported to the new "4.X" software based platform. However, A major "PRO" of upgrading to the new "4.X" software baseline is that our particular "3.X" software version is advertised to eventually be no longer "long term" supportable, with a freeze on future "3.X" software updates starting in April 2017. For that reason alone, it will benefit our Members long term to transition to the new "4.X" Software platform, perhaps as early as a TBD date in March 2017. More info as it becomes available. Dave SCFLIER FORUM Admin

From your friendly SCFLIER Forum admin / owner Dave Yesterday, some of y'all may have experienced a problem accessing the SCFLIER Forum website. The problem was at the SCFLIER Forum website level and was NOT a problem with your individual computer. The problem was resolved later yesterday by Invision, the folks that maintain and provide our website services at a monthly fee and support charge. I am working with the Support personnel at Invision to understand what the issue was and what they will do to prevent access problems in the future. I am also pressing Invision for up to date details on how they "back up" and maintain copies of our SCFLIER Forum material to prevent loss of any of our postings and to protect the website against hacker/virus/etc attacks from those that may attempt to disrupt the service. More information will be provided as it is available. In the meantime, if we should lose access to the SCFLIER Forum again, may I suggest that an alternate use of your valuable time is to go out and FLY your airplane.... Regards Dave SCFLIER Forum Admin/Owner

In case anyone from Cruiser Aircraft, Inc or Czech Sport Aircraft is reading SCFLIER .... One of the details that can be easily overlooked with an ADS-B OUT solution for older "Legacy" SportCruisers built by CZAW Czech Aircraft Works is that WITHOUT FULL INTEGRATION of the ADS-B OUT/IN transceiver into other existing Avionics in the SportCruiser cockpit like the GPS MAP Display, Radio, intercom, and Auto-Pilot, the "Legacy" SportCruiser owners would lose many Safety/Operational features that owners of some of the newer aircraft (2010-2011 PiperSport, and recent Dynon SkyView ADS-B "2020" Equipped SportCruisers) currently enjoy. An "incomplete" ADS-B OUT solution might include ONLY the addition of a GARMIN GTX345 "all in one" transponder, which is an awesome piece of equipment, but if the GTX345 Is only allowed to talk to say an iPad on the Pilot's lap, .....then the Legacy CRUZ CZAW aircraft owners: Would NOT have the ability to DISPLAY ADS-B IN Traffic and Weather on their GPS MAP panel mounted display, Would NOT have the ability to select a new airport, away from say a Thunderstorm covering their planned destination, and easily "DIVERT" To a new airport away from the Thunderstorm with a touch of the airport marker on the GPS MAP, Would NOT be able to, with a few "clicks" on their GPS MAP, automatically enter the new airport's CTAF COMM frequency in their radio's "flip flop" next frequency memory, And Would NOT be able to quickly engage their autopilot to have the autopilot fly the aircraft "Direct to" the NEW SELECTED "divert" airport in response to the thunderstorm. One of our SCFLIER Members has investigated a GARMIN AERA660 cockpit panel GPS MAP INTEGRATED ADS-B OUT/IN total solution with the GTX345 for the "Legacy" CZAW older SportCruisers (that have a reduced vertical dash size) that WOULD INCLUDE all of these above features and many more. Simply meeting the minimum USA FAA requirement of ADS-B OUT transmissions to only barely MEET the 1/1/2020 ADS-B OUT mandate misses the point on how capable an aircraft can be with an INTEGRATED ADS-B OUT/IN transceiver solution, fully INTEGRATED with all the existing cockpit Avionics such as data transfer to the COMM radio, GPS MAP (on the panel) for display of ADS-B IN traffic and weather, new destination interface to the AutoPilot, and Intercom alerts for traffic over the Pilot's headset as well as ADS-B IN Traffic display on their PANEL mounted GPS MAP .... SAFETY can be dramatically improved when ADS-B OUT/IN equipment is INTEGRATED with the aircraft's existing Avionics, and displays for Traffic, Weather, Airport Diverts, and more. iPads are useful as a backup, but an integrated panel mounted ADS-B OUT/In Solution can be dramatically safer and more effective in flight. I know that many "Legacy" CZAW SportCruiser owners have been following Shawn's excellent research into the INTEGRATED Garmin Aera660/GTX345 ADS-B OUT/IN solution which was (near as we can tell) IGNORED by Czech Sport Aircraft when a Letter of Authorization was requested for Shawn's proposed Aera660/GTX345 integrated solution. Also, a "gotcha technical detail", while the Garmin GTX345 is an outstanding "all in one" transponder and ADS-B OUT/IN transceiver, it will NOT interface with and provide ADS-B IN Traffic and Weather data to the Garmin 696 GPS MAP unit installed in many older PiperSport and SportCruiser aircraft. While some aircraft owners may be willing to upgrade their CRUZ aircraft to a Garmin 796 GPS Map unit, the additional cost to allow ADS-B IN Traffic and Weather displayed on their new installed panel Garmin 796 GPS MAP unit would be well over $2K. (edited 6/19/2017) Other ADS-B OUT/IN devices such as the Navworx ADS600-B ADS-B OUT/IN Universal Access Transceiver (UAT part number 200-0112) can provide Mandate compliant USA FAA ADS-B OUT transmissions, and ADS-B IN traffic (only) data hard wired to the CRUZ GARMIN 696 GPS Map display, and, even better, coupling a (now available-2017) Garmin GTX335 ADS-B OUT only solution including an internal WAAS GPS Position source with the long available Garmin Data Link GDL-39 line of ADS-B IN traffic and weather receivers WILL interface (hard wired) to the older Garmin 696 GPS Map for cockpit panel display of ADS-B IN Traffic AND Weather data on the CRUZ 696 GPS map display, and also the GDL-39 will interface to the GARMIN Aera 796 and latest Aera 660 GPS Map display via Bluetooth wireless interface, for an INTEGRATED ADS-B OUT solution with an ADS-B IN traffic and weather display solution for the CRUZ LSA aircraft line. (The above paragraph was edited 6/19/2017 to reflect the now available Garmin GTX335 (ADS-B OUT only solution coupled with a GARMIN GDL-39 ADS-B IN receiver hard wired to the GARMIN 696 GPS MAP display) and the Garmin GTX345 (ADS-B OUT and IN to the 796 & 660 --not the 696-- GARMIN GPS Map displays) ). An attempt at IMPROVED COMMUNICATION to Czech Sport Aircraft for the Letters of Authorization required on USA S-LSAs as the clock continues to tick down towards the USA ADS-B OUT 2020 FAA deadline. USA S-LSA Aircraft that need to fly in Class C and Class B airspace will be GROUNDED without a CSA LOA... To other SCFLIER "Legacy" CZAW aircraft Pilot/Owners - please jump in and comment from your perspective..... D

FYI to SCFLIER Forum members.... a letter sent via email to Thomas Schrade of Cruiser Aircraft, Inc. Thomas Schrade : I assume you are attending the US SPORT AVIATION EXPO this Wednesday through Saturday, January 25-28, 2017 at KSEF Sebring, Florida. last year, in June and July of 2016, members of the SCFLIER SportCruiser forum participated in a forum discussion, "voting", and ranking for the most desired improvements to the SportCruiser line of CRUZ Type aircraft. The "Top 5" Improvements desired by SCFLIER Forum Voters for the CRUZ Aircraft are: Letter of Authorization from CSA to allow incorporation of the Dynon Angle of Attack Probe to feed D-100 and SkyView AOA Displays Improved Cruise Speed and Climb Performance Improved Engine Cooling on the Ground especially in Hot Climates Improved Reliability of the Ducati Rectifier/Regulator, especially in Hot Conditions Improved Inside Cockpit Canopy Release Handle An "Honorable Mention" item, which ranked high for everyone wanting to equip for ADS-B OUT FAA Compliance before 1/1/2020, is for CSA to provide Letters of Authorization to allow installation of ADS-B OUT Equipment, especially for the Non SkyView "2020" equipped, older configuration "Legacy" CRUZ CZAW manufactured Aircraft, (including display of ADS-B IN Traffic and Weather on aircraft cockpit panel displays, with particular interest from owners of the oldest CZAW Legacy SportCruisers which have the smaller vertical dash height that will not accommodate a larger Garmin 696 or 796 cockpit GPS Map display). For more details on the SCFLIER Forum CRUZ Improvements Ranked list, please see the attached picture below. All of the items on this Ranked Improvements list, including those that did not receive significant "voting" interest, are included in the attached picture below. You may want to review the discussion on SCFLIER regarding many of the improvements - please see the second picture attached for the location of this topic on the SCFLIER Forum go to "Forum Information & News" and topic "What Improvements would you like to see in the CRUZ Aircraft?". The SportCruiser SCFLIER Forum members would appreciate very much if you would pass this "Desired CRUZ Improvements" ranked list on to employees representing Czech Sport Aircraft at Sebring US Sport Aviation Expo this week. With over 220 worldwide members now participating in the SCFLIER Forum, we believe the CRUZ aircraft improvement list represents many of the items desired by SportCruiser/PiperSport aircraft owners, Pilots, and potential new aircraft owners, especially with regard to Czech Sport Aircraft Letters of Authorization (LOA) for modifications to their USA Based S-LSA Aircraft. The same identical "What Improvements would SCFLIERs Like to see in the CRUZ Aircraft" list was provided to Patrick Arnzen of US Sport Aircraft (KADS Addison, Texas) Last July 2016, and was presented to Czech Sport Aircraft at Oshkosh. However, we at the SCFLIER Forum have not heard any response from CSA, either Pro or Con on any of these proposed CRUZ SportCruiser/PiperSport aircraft improvements. Of particular interest is ADS-B OUT and IN solutions (including display of ADS-B IN Traffic and Weather on aircraft installed cockpit panel displays) in order to meet the USA FAA January 1, 2020 mandate. Thank You in advance for your help in communicating this list to representatives of Czech Sport Aircraft this week at Sebring. For reference, I will be posting this letter on the SCFLIER Forum, so that other SCFLIER Forum Members who plan to attend the Sebring US Sport Aviation Expo this week are also aware of the desire for Cruiser Aircraft, Inc. to improve communication with the CSA Czech Republic LSA Factory on CRUZ Aircraft Improvements and CSA Letters of Authorization for their S-LSA aircraft. regards Dave SCFLIER Forum Admin/Owner

Agree

As far as I am aware, using a Rotax 912 ULS in an S-LSA is not legal for IFR operation. There are no Letters of Authorization in place for our CRUZ S-LSA (that I know of.....) that allow IFR operation in IMC with our S-LSA. If CSA would provide a list of all approved Letters of Authorization, the answer to that question might be easier. however, with an E-LSA, the Day VFR/Night VFR/IFR requirements and Operating Limitations that go with the aircraft are different. "The following statement is standard, according to our North Texas FAA DAR, in all Experimental Light-Sport operating limitations. '... Day VFR flight operations are authorized. Night flight operations are authorized if the instruments specified in § 91.205-c are installed, operational, and maintained in accordance with the applicable requirements of part 91. Instrument flight operations are authorized if the instruments specified in § 91.205-d are installed, operational, and maintained in accordance with the applicable requirements of part 91. All maintenance or inspection of this equipment must be recorded in the aircraft maintenance records and include the following items: date, work performed, and name and certificate number of the person returning the aircraft to service....' " Rotax has over the years, changed some of their wording in their manuals and directions re Night VFR use, relaxing it from years ago where it was "not allowed by Rotax", to the most recent where it IS allowed under the S-LSA Operating limitations in place (updated) for a particular aircraft, IF the required Night VFR equipment such as cockpit night lighting, NAV lights, strobes, and aircraft electrical equipment (battery backups and more) are in place, suitable for Night VFR operation. I know your question was IFR with a uncertified Rotax 912ULS engine as opposed to a certified Rotax 912S which is the same engine but more expensive and of course "certified". In the S-LSA world, the question of VFR or IFR use is CONTROLLED BY THE S-LSA Manufacturer, which in our CSA case (I presume) would defer to the guidance of Rotax, and in effect, we in the S-LSA world are restricted to "no IFR use" by the Letter of Authorization requirement for S-LSA production built aircraft. I believe it is one way for the aircraft (and engine) manufacturer's to Limit their Liability in a very litigious society here in the USA. there is a LOT of bad information (my opinion) out there if you GOOGLE "ROTAX 912 and IFR" on the web. Lots of folks Google and post and replicate bad information - on other forums......on the internet..... my understanding is based on discussions with the North Texas USA FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR), who offered the above guidance on VFR Day, VFR Night, and IFR (in IMC) operation of an Experimental E-LSA. The formal legal Operating Limitations documented for a particular aircraft at the time of Special Airworthiness Certificate generation is key. I believe the key item needing "upgrade" in the CRUZ for operating IFR in IMC would be replacing for example an uncertified portable GPS such as a Garmin 696 or a Garmin 796 with an IFR Certified (and maintained and documented....) GPS such as a Garmin GTN650 or GTN750. Expensive and heavy and takes more current to run them. But IFR Certified. And allowed by E-LSA Operating limitations that I have seen. It is a confusing world out there in the land of Google. But my understanding from the USA FAA North Texas DAR is that you COULD fly a Rotax 912ULS with a Garmin GTN750 installed in a CRUZ E-LSA, of course with an IFR Rated, proficient, and current Private Pilot or higher, using IFR in IMC conditions. This understanding on an Experimental aircraft powered by a Rotax 912 engine does NOT require a "Certified" Rotax 912S. I don't know of any CRUZ E-LSAs that have taken all those IFR/IMC IFR certified Instrument GTN650/750 steps, but it seems plausible. It is also very interesting that in the CSA Manuals, there are equipment drawings and descriptions of the Garmin GTN650/750 product line.....maybe someone has already done this and CSA is not advertising the fact. my opinion only. But I trust talking to an FAA DAR experienced in Rotax powered E-LSA aircraft more than Googling my way to an answer.... a great question.

Great links to articles from AOPA and EAA supporting ACTION on ADS-B and AOA for S-LSA's that need Letters of Authorization from some reluctant S-LSA Aircraft manufacturer's. ADS-B OUT solutions and Angle of Attack solutions are high on our SCFLIER FORUM Ranked List of Items needing LOA Action from our manufacturer CSA in the Czech Republic. a comment on the LSA/Experimental aircraft ADS-B OUT solutions...from the AOPA link above.... "The letter also noted that the ADS-B equipment to be installed must meet the “performance” requirements of the technical standard order (TSO) for ADS-B Out, meaning TSO approval is not necessary." That seems like a great idea for LSA's and Experimental Aircraft. Make ADS-B OUT equipment that meets the GPS "PERFORMANCE" requirements, and make the equipment cheaper by not requiring full TSO Approval. Awesome. But after FAA AD actions on Navworx "Experimental and LSA" ADSB OUT units, only the CERTIFIED NAVWORX ADS600-B equipment, the ones with part numbers ADS600-B part number 200-0112 and ADS600-B part number 200-0113, which have a TSO CERTIFIED Internal GPS Position source, are allowed to be used for ADS-B OUT transmissions in the USA FAA ATC controlled airspace. The ones with "un-certified GPS Position sources", part numbers ADS600-EXP, and 200-0012 and 200-0013, have been the subject of an FAA AD and inspections requested at the Navworx factory. The FAA has recently taken the special care to REQUIRE Certified GPS Position sources for ALL ADS-B OUT units. I can certainly see the point of view of the FAA in making sure that the GPS position that is sent down to the FAA ground towers from aircraft using ADS-B OUT is VERY Accurate, because ATC is going to use that ADS-B OUT GPS position data from airliners as well as General Aviation aircraft in Class B and Class C airspace to SAFELY SEPARATE TRAFFIC in the air. Great ! Makes sense. This Navworx box 200-0112 has a full TSO Certified GPS Position Source. The Navworx ADS600-0112 Passes all the FAA In-Flight ADS-B OUT performancr checks.

Some good reading on "where did all this Letter of Authorizations stuff required for S-LSA modifications come from ?" http://www.rainbowaviation.com/articles/Major%20Repairs.pdf Describes how the Aircraft Manufacturer must write LOAs for modifications after S-LSA production aircraft Certification, and who must sign the LOA from the manufacturer, and what type of information And instructions are provided in a Letter of Authorization to modify a SPECIFIC serial number aircraft.... And more....

An opinion On rtk 's question above re difference in materials or structure ? on kit built SportCruisers vs factory built SportCruisers. And the U.K. Light Aircraft Association (LAA) limiting kit-built to a reduced Vne of 120 KIAS vs the original Vne of 138 KIAS. The SportCruiser kits were supplied by the "original" manufacturer, now bankrupt, called CZAW, Czech Aircraft Works. The SportCruisers built by the factory are now manufactured by the later company, CSA, Czech Sport Aircraft, A.S. It is not unusual for an owner to purchase an aircraft kit, and then take YEARS, sometimes five, ten, fifteen or more years to complete the kit and perform flight test and then fly the completed aircraft. I believe the USA FAA laws related to E-AB Experimental Amaterur Built aircraft kits may be similar to the U.K. LAA regulations related to Experimental Kit Built Aircraft. There are some options on techniques and methods that are legal for an owner building a kit aircraft. If you look at the U.K. LAA directive related to the CZAW SportCruiser kit aircraft sold by a British Company called Sprite Aviation, the LAA lists Mandatory Compliance Items in Section 2 and Optional Alternatove Compliance Items in Section 3. See the LAA PDF link in my post above, and the excerpt pictures below of Section 2 and Section 3 details. For example, the Elevator horn reinforcement Service Bulletin is mandatory for CZAW SportCruiser kit builders. But, as an alternative, a newer one piece elevator horn discussed in Section 3 may be used. Also note that some modifications we now see on PiperSports and new production SportCruisers such as the Rotax required fuel pressure vapor return line to the left wing fuel tank is even required by the U.K. LAA on these kit built SportCruisers. Very strict parts and configuration control. So I believe that the U.K. LAA is strictly controlling the parts, structure, and materials of the CZAW kits to match improvements and Service Bulletins that have come out on the production aircraft. The kit materials and structures should match the production aircraft. Yet, For both of the Section 2 and Section 3 options, the Vne speed reduction limit on Knots Indicated Air Speed KIAS is set to 120 KIAS for kit built aircraft, vs the original 138 KIAS that we here in the USA have for production built CSA factory SportCruisers, and I believe even applies with Vne of 138 KIAS for the legacy CZAW factory built 2007-2009 SportCruisers. I don't believe the structure or materials or parts of the kit built elevator stabilizer is significantly different from factory built. Same aluminum skin, same internal structure, same riveted all metal construction. Same upgraded parts such as the reinforced elevator horn or as an option, the NEW one piece elevator horn. My opinion is that the kit quality variation and Vne speed concern from the LAA is the BUILD QUALITY of the "Experimental-Amateur Built" experience level of the builders of CZAW kits. Some of these kit builders may be SUPERB aircraft builders, with extensive kit building experience, excellent tools available, and perhaps even fixtures available to hold the aluminum parts whilst building the aircraft. Some other amateur kit builders may have far less experience resulting in lower build quality. And my OPINION is that the Czech Sport Aircraft production workers are simply SUPERB at assembling and producing all metal aluminum aircraft parts. That is what the Czechs do, and they are famous for high quality aircraft production dating back to WWII. I'll bet that some of (all?) of the CZAW fixtures, tools, assembly jigs, etc., carried over from the bankrupt CZAW company to the new CSA company. The CSA and CZAW factory built SportCruisers and PiperSports have EXCELLENT BUILD QUALITY. So my opinion is that I would rather fly a production built SportCruiser, with highly experienced riveters using production quality fixtures and jigs and tools, than the expected higher variation in build quality that MAY be found with some amateur Kit builders. If one was a government U.K. Official from the LAA, charged with protecting the public on the ground and also aircraft Pilots, it seems they would prefer the BUILD QUALITY of a production built factory SportCruiser over an amateur kit-built SportCruiser. Just an opinion.

Two SportCruiser U.K. Events were forwarded to me by U.K. SportCruiser owners who responded to my question on Maximum Take Off Weight in the United Kingdom: 1) There was a kit built SportCruiser structural elevator failure in England. Not related to being over the MTOW 600 Kg weight limit, but a unique restriction on kit-built SportCruisers (Vne reduced from 138 knots to 120 knots) is now in effect in the U.K. The United Kingdom has a Light Aircraft Association called LAA. Here are the comments I received on that single incidence of a structural elevator failure during Vne high speed shallow dive testing, with some extra details (fire extinguisher was "loose baggage in the cockpit", ...problems related to fire extinguisher......a good reminder to all aircraft Pilots to ensure that all loose items are SECURED in the cockpit.... ). The kit built SportCruiser Pilot was able to land safely and successfully. From one of our U.K. SCFLIER SportCruiser owners....."Vne for factory built is 138 knots. however, kit built is restricted to 120 knots by the UK LAA due to (the Kit Built SportCruiser) Vne test that resulted in structure failure of the elevator.....having read the account of the incident I (a U.K. SCFLIER FORUM member) think it was due to pilot error using large control inputs above Vmo rather than a fault with the airframe." 2) This news article (another different, second separate U.K. SportCruiser event ) suggests that exceeding 600Kg is not a good idea. One fatal, one seriously injured in this second event. Speculation that exceeding 600 Kg may be a factor, but other factors also may seem plausible... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-32732607 Back to event 1) above....More discussion of the structural failure of the elevator in a Kit built SportCruiser while testing Vne in a shallow dive is provided in this second article. See pictures below for this second article.

There are two topics in play here: 1) how heavy (airplane empty Weight, plus occupants, plus fuel plus baggage) can I fly a CRUZ aircraft and not have a structural failure or flying quality difficulties. 2) how heavy (airplane empty Weight, plus occupants, plus fuel plus baggage) can I fly a CRUZ aircraft and still be LEGAL under the government and regulatory authorities in my country. My assumption for this post is "if I meet the requirements of topic 2 above (fly Legal), then I will not have an airplane structural failure or flying qualities problem due to overloading the aircraft (Topic 1). I.e., the presumption is that if we stay below the Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW) LEGALLY ALLOWED in our country for a Light Sport Aircraft, and of course if before flight we do the proper and normal Weight & Balance checks, and we are a skilled Pilot and are current and proficient at flying a Light Sport CRUZ airplane, then we likely will survive the flight, and not experience unusual flight handling difficulties when the aircraft is not overloaded. So, I am not going to discuss in this post any speculation as to "how much design margin" is available above the LEGAL MTOW of our CRUZ LSA. That Topic # 1 is a great, interesting discussion topic, and I would love to know "the answer", but it seems a more appropriate topic for a specific flight test to expand the Maximum Take Off Weight envelope above what is legally allowed and specified as "maximum" by our CRUZ aircraft manufacturer. Since I fly in the USA, I know the USA FAA laws for Light Sport Aircraft. We with an LSA in the USA must stay below a MTOW of 1320 lbs which is ~600 kilo grams. But what about Europe or Australia ? What are their legal requirements for LSA CRUZ FACTORY BUILT AIRCRAFT ? We have SCFLIER FORUM members who live in the U.K. and Australia. I emailed them directly and asked what their laws and legal requirements for flying a LSA CRUZ in their country were. Here is what they said: United Kingdom "Light Sport Aeroplane complies with the following criteria: A Maximum Take-Off Mass (MTOM) of not more than 600 kg (~1320 lbs) A maximum stalling speed in the landing configuration (VS0) of not more than 45 knots CAS at the aircraft's maximum certificated Take-Off Mass and most critical centre of gravity. A maximum seating capacity of no more than two persons, including the pilot. A single, non-turbine engine fitted with a propeller. A non-pressurised cabin These specifications apply to aeroplanes intended for "non-aerobatic" and for "VFR day" operation only. The airworthiness code is ASTM International standard F2245. The ASTM standard for Light Sport Aircraft is accepted as a "certification" basis for issuing a permit to fly. This PTF PERMIT TO FLY has a limited validity, 2 years, and will not be extended when ELA rules are in place in Europe. Limitations will prohibit at least IFR, Night VFR, Aerobatics, and SOLO-Training. Modifications of the Aircraft require a new approval of flight conditions. There are two different types in the UK, older planes are known as SportCruiser are covered under a LAA permit to fly http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/engineering/TADs/338%20SPORTCRUISER.pdf and the MTOW is stated as 600Kg. (~1320 lbs) Newer planes are known as “PS28 Cruiser” and are certified to a European specification -again this has a MTOW of 600Kg. (~1320 lbs) The certified versions have much more restrictive maintenance, modification and paperwork requirements." Australia: "The United States FAA introduced an LSA rule on 1 September 2004. CASA Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority intended to harmonise with this rule as much as possible. However, because of the extensive experience with operating similar types of aircraft in Australia, it was decided that minor differences in defining LSA were warranted. These CASA Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authoritydifferences vs the USA FAA LSA laws are: •CASA Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority allows a (maximum) stall speed of 45 knots in the landing configuration (Vso) whereas the FAA allows a (maximum) stall speed 45 knots in clean configuration (Vs1) •CASA has no requirements for a propeller whereas the FAA requires the propeller to be fixed pitch or ground adjustable. •CASA allows a never exceed speed (Vne) for glider of 135 knots whereas the FAA allows 120 knots. •CASA allows a gross maximum takeoff weight of 600 kg (~1320 lbs) for a LSA, increased to 650 kg (1433 lbs) for float planes •CASA has no maximum airspeed requirement for a powered aircraft whereas the FAA stipulates maximum airspeed in level flight with maximum continuous power (Vh) of not more than 120 knots CAS (in standard sea level atmospheric conditions)" Disclaimer: while I did receive credible, consistent answers on LSA legal requirements from multiple SCFLIER FORUM members in both the U.K. And Australia, I (nor they) -are not legal experts in the LSA laws applying to the U.K. or Australia. CRUZ aircraft owners should consult their regulatory agency for Light Sport Aircraft in their individual countries rather than using the SCFLIER FORUM as a legally accurate source of information.

the SportCruiser would NOT be an effective design if it had zero margin above the Light Sport Aircraft 1320 lb limit.... Having said that, it is of course illegal in the FAA regulated USA to fly a Light Sport Aircraft (non amphibian) loaded with fuel, baggage and occupants With takeoff weight above the LSA 1320 lb legal limit. And I doubt that anyone "in the know" would reveal the actual design limits.... And of course exceeding the 1320 lb limit would put the Pilot and passenger in uncharted waters, effectively becoming a beyond the envelope Flight Test with the PIC acting as a "Test Pilot" exposed along with the passenger to possibly unsafe and unknown conditions for the survival of the structure of the aircraft. Classic effects of an overloaded aircraft: Higher takeoff speed and Longer takeoff run Reduced rate and angle of climb Shorter range and Reduced cruising speed Reduced maneuverability and control effectiveness Higher stalling speed and potential inability to recover from a stall Higher approach and landing speed and Longer landing roll Excessive weight on the nose wheel possibly leading to gear failure and prop strike Potentially hidden structural damage that may weaken key elements of the aircraft Control effectiveness, flutter, stall recovery, stability, turbulence survival, and reduced margin on ultimate structure limits and more might be affected by an overloaded LSA. A great question though. Wonder what actual design limits have been tested to by CSA either on the ground with g load limit tests or airborne in CSA flight test at beyond 1320 lbs ? From a Mechanical Engineering standpoint, it is easier to "design in" more safety margin on a much heavier aircraft like a Cessna 182 heavy load hauler, than it is to design in additional safety margin on an 800 lb Light Sport Aircraft. Heavier stronger structures just won't fit as easy in an 800 lb total weight budget, for example. On an unrelated note, the BRS-6 1350 soft pack Ballistic whole airframe parachutes that some SportCruisers carry is only rated to 1350 lbs (612 kg). Very low margin above the 1320 lb LSA legal limit. I am not implying that 1350 lbs would be OK for an LSA. It is not. Just showing the limited margin of the parachute and rocket motor, that together also consume some (29 lbs) of that limited 800 lb example aircraft empty weight budget. A challenging problem. D

For those in the USA that are Private Pilot and above with an Instrument rating, and may be considering going E-LSA and upgrading their NAV/COM/GPS equipment to IFR Certified, and fly IFR in IMC, here is a handy excel file from GARMIN That shows which of their IFR certified products have which capabilities---drives which codes you may enter in the flight plan.....example.... /G as compared to /U.... https://static.garmincdn.com/apps/fly/files/support/icao-flight-plans/Garmin_ICAO_Flight_Plan_Information.xlsx Looks to me that in order of steeply increasing cost, one might consider GNS430W GNS530W GTN650 GTN750 some like the 430W could be found at a fairly "reasonable" ? Price in the used market Might have to add an external alternator to supply enough Amps to run some of these devices And weight and balance would of course need to be considered ... maybe an upgrade to the EarthX LiIon battery which saves over 6 pounds.....might be worth adding to your Christmas gift list... "All" it takes is money and an IFR rating and an E-LSA....