With the launch last year of the FAA’s program to allow manufacturers of non-TSO’d avionics to get PMA approval for their instruments in Part 23 planes, the aviation world has changed. This week that change accelerated greatly with the announcement that TruTrak, a longtime maker of autopilots for homebuilt and LSA aircraft has earned the nod from the FAA for the installation of its Vizion autopilot in Cessna 172 Skyhawks and Cessna Cardinals. At Sun ’n Fun TruTrak began selling the install kits for the autopilot—at a price of just $1,000. The total cost of the autopilot in these airplanes, including installation, is estimated at around $7,000, a small fraction of the cost of other autopilot solutions for light Part 23 planes. In its release announcing the approvals, TruTrak expects the autopilot to be shipping by this summer.
TruTrak credited the FAA for the new process, which is expected to ease certification of numerous low-risk migrations of avionics products from the homebuilt to the type certificated world. TruTrak also praised the EAA, AOPA, the Aircraft Electronics Association and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association for their part in the project.
Learn more at TruTrak.
