ASPEN AVIONICS OFFERS DISCOUNT ON VFR PFD

AggieMike88

AggieMike88

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Aspen Avionics announced that it is making its FAA-certified, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) display-capable VFR primary flight display available for $3,995 during April, a $1,000 discount off the list price.

The VFR PFD was developed and certified in accordance with FAA technical standard order standards. It offers advanced features including an integrated air data computer, slaved directional gyro, course deviation needle, airspeed indicator, altimeter, turn coordinator, wind indication, and integration with a wide range of autopilots, said Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Aspen Avionics.

0404_aspen_vfr_pfd[1].jpg

The VFR PFD can be upgraded to a full IFR Pro 1000 or Pro Plus PFD through a software upgrade that eliminates the need for future cockpit overhauls. The NextGen-capable unit displays ADS-B traffic and Nexrad weather when combined with a variety of ADS-B solution providers including Garmin, L-3, FreeFlight Systems, and Aspen’s ADS-B transceivers, “at a price on parity with non-certified, and non-NextGen capable PFDs,” the company said.

“Aspen has been committed to developing general aviation solutions that are innovative, safe, affordable, and contribute to the future growth of the pilot community,” said Mark Ferrari, Aspen Avionics vice president of sales and customer support. “We continue to invest in this segment of the flying public that has been underserved with an affordable glass panel solution that offers more value, features and functions than displays manufactured to the recently loosened certification standards.”
 
How much is the IFR upgrade to add later on? It seems a little crazy to me to put in a VFR-only Aspen given that, even discounted, it costs a tremendous fraction of any VFR-only plane's value. Unless you're putting it into a Staggerwing or something but I would still think the IFR version makes more sense.
 
No info was provided in the releases on costs to software upgrade. Also not well explained is what is the big difference visually between the two... as in what is not there on the VFR version versus what is there on the IFR one.

This might be their response to Garmin's G5 product.
 
Definitely cheaper that 2 G5s, but the Aspen has more potential that 2 G5s. This is making me more of a blithering idiot that I usually am....I was going for the Appareo ESG and 3 G5s. Then Garmin reduced the price of the GTX 335, so the order was the 335 & 2 G5s.

Excuse me, I'm going to do something rational and intelligent - gonna go watch Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.
 
At the bottom of this press release is a comment about using this for IFR flight..

http://www.aspenavionics.com/news/aspen-avionics-takes-1000-off-vfr-primary-flight-display

"The VFR PFD is IFR capable with limitations"
​
@murphey, I know you were pulling the trigger on the G5's. But you might take a look at this offer. The Aspen is gonna bring more capacity to your PA28 (especially out of the box autopilot compatibility) and I expect more buyer interest if you ever chose to sell.
 
AggieMike88 said:
At the bottom of this press release is a comment about using this for IFR flight..

http://www.aspenavionics.com/news/aspen-avionics-takes-1000-off-vfr-primary-flight-display

"The VFR PFD is IFR capable with limitations"
​
@murphey, I know you were pulling the trigger on the G5's. But you might take a look at this offer. The Aspen is gonna bring more capacity to your PA28 (especially out of the box autopilot compatibility) and I expect more buyer interest if you ever chose to sell.
Click to expand...
And it has an AOA!,!
 
AggieMike88 said:
At the bottom of this press release is a comment about using this for IFR flight..

http://www.aspenavionics.com/news/aspen-avionics-takes-1000-off-vfr-primary-flight-display

"The VFR PFD is IFR capable with limitations"
​
@murphey, I know you were pulling the trigger on the G5's. But you might take a look at this offer. The Aspen is gonna bring more capacity to your PA28 (especially out of the box autopilot compatibility) and I expect more buyer interest if you ever chose to sell.
Click to expand...
Even better....the company is looking for a software engineer...I got everything on the job description and Albuquerque is only 3 hours away for an interview.
 
murphey said:
Even better....the company is looking for a software engineer...I got everything on the job description and Albuquerque is only 3 hours away for an interview.
Click to expand...
Go for it! Another plus... you're that much closer to aid with MPR flights.
 
Thank you Garmin G5. Competition is awesome.

Please note - "capable" may mean additional unlock codes required to get the feature enabled. I have found Aspen prices for things like AOA, SVT, and ADS-B to be very pricey.
 
GLMS_NC said:
Thank you Garmin G5. Competition is awesome.

Please note - "capable" may mean additional unlock codes required to get the feature enabled. I have found Aspen prices for things like AOA, SVT, and ADS-B to be very pricey.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't see why the VFR version wouldn't work for IFR. The main difference I see is DG versus HSI. You would just need to retain your existing CDIs.

I would consider it for my plane but the integration with the autopilot would add another 2 AMUs to the price tag. Just too rich for my blood. I may go with the G5 to replace the AI and then just have my DG rebuilt.
 
Yes that has been the case for years. They are selling you the same box with a restricted software. The so called upgrade merely flashes the software that includes the hsi functionality, making the total price the same as their pro pfd offering. Theyre identical boxes. There was a vfr pfd option that didnt have the autopilot acu and thus that required additional hardware to be retrofitted. I dont know if theyre still making those sales distinctions.

Considering they havent made fundamental changes to their product but theyre still not significantly budging on price, tells me their non pro customer base is not significant enough for them to get aggressive with pricing discount. Oh well, theres at least other cheaper options now in the market for an electronic AI.
 
GLMS_NC said:
Thank you Garmin G5. Competition is awesome.

Please note - "capable" may mean additional unlock codes required to get the feature enabled. I have found Aspen prices for things like AOA, SVT, and ADS-B to be very pricey.
Click to expand...

I thought Aspen's SVT was less expensive than what Garmin charges for it on the G500?
And, although Garmin's ADS-B solutions are nicely integrated within their products, I don't find them very economical either - especially when you have to pay for antennas and such extra.
 
paflyer said:
https://www.aspenavionics.com/pricing

What you're paying for is access (license?) to their embedded IP.
Click to expand...
Well, that, and the fact that if they offered it for less, everyone would catch on and just buy the VFR units and have them upgraded to IFR if the cost was less than purchasing an IFR unit at full price.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Well, that, and the fact that if they offered it for less, everyone would catch on and just buy the VFR units and have them upgraded to IFR if the cost was less than purchasing an IFR unit at full price.
Click to expand...
I'm sure some smart Harvard MBA working for Aspen figured that out in the pricing scheme, much like the opt-out tax in ACA.
 
GRG55 said:
I thought Aspen's SVT was less expensive than what Garmin charges for it on the G500?
And, although Garmin's ADS-B solutions are nicely integrated within their products, I don't find them very economical either - especially when you have to pay for antennas and such extra.
Click to expand...
You can spend easily another 50% of the device price in installation costs.
 
paflyer said:
You can spend easily another 50% of the device price in installation costs.
Click to expand...
Indeed. And that is the rub of course. These things are not priced with the demanded installation costs in mind. Another example of i can afford the airplane but not the hangar, so i cant afford the airplane and now nobody gets paid, type of thing. GA can be recalcitrant like that. Thankfully six pack instruments are cheapo to overhaul/exchange, so IFR flight is still possible. Not the safest alternative by far, but what ya gonna do.
 
hindsight2020 said:
Indeed. And that is the rub of course. These things are not priced with the demanded installation costs in mind. Another example of i can afford the airplane but not the hangar, so i cant afford the airplane and now nobody gets paid, type of thing. GA can be recalcitrant like that. Thankfully six pack instruments are cheapo to overhaul/exchange, so IFR flight is still possible. Not the safest alternative by far, but what ya gonna do.
Click to expand...

A vacuum DG is around $2000 plus removal/installation.
 
Clark1961 said:
The upgrade cost has always been just about the same as the difference in price between the VFR and IFR units.
Click to expand...

For a unlock code? F' that.


paflyer said:
A vacuum DG is around $2000 plus removal/installation.
Click to expand...

Lol, I'll have what he's having!

Tons of vac AIs on barnstormers and ebay for nearly a whole decimal point less.
 
Aspen SVT is $3k on a very small screen. $25/year on ForeFlight and a much larger screen? No brainer.

Aspen AOA is $2k? Proud of their work for sure.
 
The Aspen is a good value for an HSI, I think. That seems to be their market to me. Want an HSI? Spend $10,000 on a used compass system or spend the same on a PFD that includes an HSI and probably actually costs less to install than the HSI/compass system would have.
 
iamtheari said:
The Aspen is a good value for an HSI, I think. That seems to be their market to me. Want an HSI? Spend $10,000 on a used compass system or spend the same on a PFD that includes an HSI and probably actually costs less to install than the HSI/compass system would have.
Click to expand...

BUT it's not like every other HSI you'll see, it's a VFR ONLY HSI :(
 
I think it's a clever idea and may move my upgrade timing up a bit.

I want the EFD 1000 Pro. The VFR version will chafe. But I can install it now for a reasonable price... upgrade after my Christmas bonus. Yanno?

My big gripe with the G5 HSI is lack of AP integration. If you can install the Aspen and upgrade that via software later, with little other installation work, that's a winner.
 
Ryan F. said:
I think it's a clever idea and may move my upgrade timing up a bit.

I want the EFD 1000 Pro. The VFR version will chafe. But I can install it now for a reasonable price... upgrade after my Christmas bonus. Yanno?

My big gripe with the G5 HSI is lack of AP integration. If you can install the Aspen and upgrade that via software later, with little other installation work, that's a winner.
Click to expand...

Don't you need another box, ie more $ to get AP support in the Aspen?
 
paflyer said:
That'd a Spruce price; I already have an "old and unreliable" DG. Why would I replace it with an unknown unit.
Click to expand...
I didn't say anything at all about replacing with an 'old and unreliable' unit. Why would you make such a silly assertation?
 
Most of us have a core, thence the price is just for the overhaul. You don't have to exchange if you don't mind waiting longer for your own instrument to come back, but usually the stuff you get back on exchange is good enough for government work. Mine run around 0.65AMU for the oh/exchange, since they are autopilot-driving vacuum instruments (Century brand aka Piper vintage APs). Knock on wood, I've yet to pull them for OH on the Arrow. Back when I owned the Warrior I did OH, same for the the DG on the old C150 I owned in a prior life. Not a big to do.
 
hindsight2020 said:
Most of us have a core, thence the price is just for the overhaul. You don't have to exchange if you don't mind waiting longer for your own instrument to come back, but usually the stuff you get back on exchange is good enough for government work. Mine run around 0.65AMU for the oh/exchange, since they are autopilot-driving vacuum instruments (Century brand aka Piper vintage APs). Knock on wood, I've yet to pull them for OH on the Arrow. Back when I owned the Warrior I did OH, same for the the DG on the old C150 I owned in a prior life. Not a big to do.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was a bit off and had factored in the labor to replace. Replacement DG from Spruce 900 bucks or so. Was trying to justify going Aspen to replace aging AI and DG, but it's still far cheaper to just use the vacuum instruments.
 
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