5 Most Popular Avionics Retrofits for Your Used Business Jet

With a high demand and low inventory of business jets, many jet shoppers have decided to purchase an aircraft that needs a little love. These jets may not have been flown in a few years and need some upgrades to provide the tools and comforts necessary for flight in 2021.

One of the most common upgrades is the avionics system; a retrofit brings this system into the modern era, while making the jet more enjoyable for your company pilot and safer to fly.

Avionics Retrofits Grew in Popularity on Used Private Jets
The first EFIS retrofits were expensive and clunky, but over time, prices have fallen as technology improved. And after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) relaxed avionics certification rules years ago, many EFIS retrofits became available, including for piston airplanes.

These retrofits eliminated repair bills for outdated equipment and replaced it with a one-time cost for purchase and installation. The result? State-of-the-art glass, head-up displays and autopilots in a variety of used private jets.

In 2019, retrofit avionics sales rose more than 20 percent over 2018. And in 2020, retrofit avionics sales continued to rise another 12.6 percent. This year, used business jets are in high demand, which means we can safely anticipate even higher retrofit sales as people upgrade after purchasing, especially for piston airplanes and turboprops.

Avionics Upgrades for Pre-Owned Jets
A variety of avionics retrofits come with a range of features, like our top five favorites.

Touchscreens
Touchscreens are quite common in newer jets, so it makes sense that an avionics retrofit would include one, both for displaying information about the flight and for adjusting controls.

Paired with super-fast computer processors, touchscreens are perfect for chart-rendering and map displays. Controlling them just as you would a tablet makes them intuitive, too. For example, a swipe pans to the next chart, while pinch-to-zoom uses a single hand to adjust the view.

Touchscreens come in a variety of sizes, making them compatible with cockpits both large and small. Even wearing gloves, these high-tech touchscreens respond to the pilot’s fingertips.

The downside is that during periods of high turbulence, a touchscreen doesn’t offer the precision of tactile controls like knobs and switches.

High-resolution displays
Just as high-definition 4K televisions provide the clearest-possible picture, so, too, do high-definition displays in the cockpit as part of an avionics retrofit.

Clear views allow pilots to make decisions and quickly gather the information they need for safe flights.

And although 4K screens aren’t widely available, you should expect to see more and more of them as the technology becomes more common in general in the aviation industry.

Synthetic Vision Systems
A synthetic vision system (SVS) combines 3-D data with displays to provide situational awareness, especially during inclement weather or at night.

Not so long ago, SVS wasn’t common and considered futuristic technology. But today, new jet buyers can anticipate SVS as a standard feature of most business jets. Similarly, avionics retrofits tend to include them.

Glass Cockpit
Just as the SVS is becoming standard, so, too, is the glass cockpit. A glass cockpit features all digital flight instrument displays on screens, rather than analog controls.

The multi-function displays in a flight management system are adjusted to display flight information when it’s needed. These displays simplify aircraft operation and navigation and shows pilots only the most relevant information they need at the time.

Wireless Connectivity
Wireless connectivity is also standard in relatively new private jets, but not in older aircraft. Wireless connectivity does so much more than provide Internet to cabin passengers.

In the cockpit, the connectivity allows for the transfer of information from aviation databases and the sharing of information for any compatible mobile device. This can provide back-up information about weather, GPS, and more.

Buying a Pre-Owned Jet for Sale
Before determining which avionics retrofits you may consider for your private jet, you’ll need to know what your jet is equipped with. And if you’re buying a pre-owned business jet for your company fleet in today’s market, it’s very possible that you will need retrofits.

Avoid a hassle when it comes to buying a used jet by hiring an International Aircraft Dealer Association (IADA) Accredited Aircraft Dealer to help you locate an aircraft for sale and navigate the purchase process. IADA Accredited Dealers work in your best interest, and not on behalf of anyone else, which means everything they do is focused on getting you the best possible price and the best possible aircraft for your budget. These Accredited Dealers pledge to follow a strict code of ethics and have years of experience in the private aviation industry.

Find an Accredited Dealer, and shop for pre-owned jets for sale at AircraftExchange.com.