An update on Dynon Certified projects

[Bill Putney]

RVDan, I haven’t had a conversation with Ric lately. He came to an IA renewal seminar I attended to deliver the message that A&P/IAs aren’t allowed to install avionics. That, only Avionics Repair Stations can do that. Of course that was his opinion, not a regulatory fact, merely AEAs wish.

AEA doesn’t usually promote reasonably priced avionics. I know Dynon is a member. I get their publications too. I don’t see a lot of ink from them about how great it is that there are starting to be some innovative avionics companies out there to compete with the guys who have held the market locked in the 20th century for a long time now.

 

[RVDan]

Sounds like you have a bone to pick with AEA. It is a resource, you can choose to explore this resource to further your cause or not. However they have a history of making it easier to get avionics installed. Remember their biggest contributors are avionics manufacturers who want to sell avionics. As a DER member, I have had no professional reason to participate, but as an airplane owner, I have worked with them as they have gotten regulations and policy changed to simplify installations.

 

[Bill Putney]

Sounds like you have a bone to pick with AEA. It is a resource, you can choose to explore this resource to further your cause or not. However they have a history of making it easier to get avionics installed. Remember their biggest contributors are avionics manufacturers who want to sell avionics. As a DER member, I have had no professional reason to participate, but as an airplane owner, I have worked with them as they have gotten regulations and policy changed to simplify installations.

Dan, I tried sending an email to Ric and asked about AEA's thoughts on Autopilot certification and that's been about a week ago. Busy guy I'm sure, but at this point I think it's unlikely I'll hear back from him. If you have worked with him before and feel so inclined, would you ask him to get in touch with me. mailto:billp@wwpc.com

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Bill Putney]

Dan, I was able to get Ric on the phone. He was very helpful. Still a lot of work to do, but some new approaches to try.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[N7600J]

There is one day left in Q3. Any updates on the certification of any more autopilots?

 

[n144sh]

Guess that is a no... It would be helpful to have an update and reset expectations.

 

[Dynon]

We've missed Q3, but hopefully not by much. We're in the home stretch, we're pretty sure.

 

[JohnAJohnson]

We've missed Q3, but hopefully not by much. We're in the home stretch, we're pretty sure.

One thing I am not sure of and that I would need to know before writing congress or anyone else... Why did you miss Q3? Or any of the other missed dates? In your June 29 post, you mention Covid. Your competitor had the same issue yet they managed to add to their AML. You mentioned the 737. How hard would it have been to rent a hangar in an area with a friendly certification office, and move your autopilot development team to that location?

I don't want to wait any longer and am looking at other solutions. I won't have HDX bugs driving the autopilot, or all the other feature rich (autopilot) items that drove me to the HDX system in the first place, and going to a lesser autopilot solution is extremely disappointing and will turn my beautiful panel into Frankenpanel. In my opinion the Dynon HDX is the best glass system you can put in small GA airplanes, but only if it includes the autopilot.

If you can't see a way to get much better traction, please consider enabling other autopilot systems to utilize your bugs (altitude, IAS, Rate, etc.), if possible. This would UnFrankenstein the avionics and again make your HDX system attractive as a complete solution.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

One thing I am not sure of and that I would need to know before writing congress or anyone else... Why did you miss Q3? Or any of the other missed dates? In your June 29 post, you mention Covid. Your competitor had the same issue yet they managed to add to their AML. You mentioned the 737. How hard would it have been to rent a hangar in an area with a friendly certification office, and move your autopilot development team to that location?

I don't want to wait any longer and am looking at other solutions. I won't have HDX bugs driving the autopilot, or all the other feature rich (autopilot) items that drove me to the HDX system in the first place, and going to a lesser autopilot solution is extremely disappointing and will turn my beautiful panel into Frankenpanel. In my opinion the Dynon HDX is the best glass system you can put in small GA airplanes, but only if it includes the autopilot.

If you can't see a way to get much better traction, please consider enabling other autopilot systems to utilize your bugs (altitude, IAS, Rate, etc.), if possible. This

would UnFrankenstein the avionics and again make your HDX system attractive as a complete solution

you can use the Trutrak/Aerocruz autopilot and have the HDX drive the A/P with its bugs. Just need an A/P source select switch.

 

[JohnAJohnson]

you can use the Trutrak/Aerocruz autopilot and have the HDX drive the A/P with its bugs. Just need an A/P source select switch.

Thanks FM. I know it'll utilize the heading bug and that's great, but my Navomatic, designed 50 years ago would do that too. To get the most out of the system, I'd want all the other bugs too such as altitude, rate of climb/dive, airspeed, etc., to feed the autopilot, and I'd want all source switching to be on the HDX instead of an external switch.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Thanks FM. I know it'll utilize the heading bug and that's great, but my Navomatic, designed 50 years ago would do that too. To get the most out of the system, I'd want all the other bugs too such as altitude, rate of climb/dive, airspeed, etc., to feed the autopilot, and I'd want all source switching to be on the HDX instead of an external switch.

the altitude bug and VS bug will command the trutrak from the HDX in that mode. It is documented in the experimental version of the Trutrak manual. I go into that mode when ATC is giving me vectors and I'm off the GPS flight plan. It's a toggle switch and pushing Mode on the Trutrak head unit to put in Skyview mode. Then you control everything from the HDX. The Trutrak for certified (I dont know about the experimental) doesn't have an indicated airspeed mode although it does have airspeed envelope protection and they have stated that they hope to enable an airspeed mode feature in the future. Hope that helps.

 

[PYoder]

Hey Dynon …. No substantive update since August? We need some encouragement to stick with you!

 

[Dynon]

We're still in the last rounds of certification work with the FAA on the Bonanza project. Even at this late stage, it is somehow taking longer than we'd hoped and expected, but we aren't going to get into the details of our interactions with the FAA. I wish we had more words of encouragement for you!

 

[TNIndy]

It would be great if you could update your website with more accurate dates for all models. I understand they are estimates but Q3 2021 is behind us and it's difficult to believe any of the 2021 days are likely except for the Bonanza.

 

[RVDan]

We're still in the last rounds of certification work with the FAA on the Bonanza project. Even at this late stage, it is somehow taking longer than we'd hoped and expected, but we aren't going to get into the details of our interactions with the FAA. I wish we had more words of encouragement for you!

Dynon needs an FAA-ODA like Garmin has. That would help you control the schedules better.

 

[Dynon]

It would be great if you could update your website with more accurate dates for all models. I understand they are estimates but Q3 2021 is behind us and it's difficult to believe any of the 2021 days are likely except for the Bonanza.

I wish the dates we could provide were accurate, but we've failed here, for sure. We're very likely to remove the dates entirely in a coming website update, but keep all of the rest of the information (rough progress, what we're working on). As you point out, we've been pretty wrong with our date estimates so far. Lately, timeframes with the FAA are essentially impossible to predict.

 

[dominikos]

Thanks for the honesty, still amazes me that people want govt to run their healthcare.

 

[TNIndy]

Without dates, that at least give estimates, I would not have ordered Dynon products.

 

[Brandon]

I love the HDX in my Cessna 205. Hopefully someday I can add the autopilot

 

[JP JR]

I wish the dates we could provide were accurate, but we've failed here, for sure. We're very likely to remove the dates entirely in a coming website update, but keep all of the rest of the information (rough progress, what we're working on). As you point out, we've been pretty wrong with our date estimates so far. Lately, timeframes with the FAA are essentially impossible to predict.

Don’t succumb to this. We need to know your working on it, removing potential release date might not help all your invested followers and future sale. Let those that need immediate attention sound their alarms but please know the others like me will patiently wait for your success with the unruly process of certification from our FAA officials
.