November 4, 2004 ...But Are Pilots Left Behind?...

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By Mary Grady, Newswriter, Editor

But while the technology moves forward in leaps and bounds, can pilots -- and their avionics providers -- keep up? In some cases, the rapid pace of change leaves pilots with functional but outdated equipment -- and none too happy about it. "We who have installed [Garmin] GNS 430s and 530s are still waiting on WAAS capability upgrades," pilot Tom Adams told AVweb last week. Garmin said last year that the upgrades would be available by the end of 2004, but now the date has been pushed back. "The GNS 430/530 upgrades for WAAS have moved out to mid-2005," Garmin spokesman Pete Brumbaugh told AVweb on Tuesday. "The $1,500 upgrade price still stands." Brumbaugh added that XM WX upgrades will be available for those units in the first quarter of next year.