96934 is now WAAS capable

It's been a few weeks, so here is an update on the plane. The upgraded Garmin 530W was installed at the end of June. There was one minor hiccup, the COM 2 antenna connection was lost during installation. That has been restored. Everything is working now.

I flew the GPS Z RWY 30 at KHAF twice. There was a thin layer but most of the approach was in VMC. After the second missed approach, I let the plane fly the published miss and a lap of the hold using the GPSS on the STEC 30. This is the way to fly, it's hands-off all the way around the oval.

Along with the WAAS upgrade, a few other improvements were done at the same time. An avionics cooling fan was installed. This will increase the reliability and longevity of the equipment in the plane. Also, since the 530W required an antenna upgrade, I had the old GPS antenna wired to a panel jack for a handheld. The plane is now eminently handheld friendly. If you have a Garmin 396/496, it is possible to interface to power, antenna, data (routes download automagically from the 530W) and audio. You get XM audio entertainment for crew and passengers.

With everything shipshape, I'm taking the plane on a 17-day trip. The heart of the trip is my Route 66 flight that you can read about in my other blog. Follow along from day to day as I post pictures and stories. The plane will be back on the West Valley flight line on 8/5.

For readers who are West Valley members, you may know that as of 7/1 I am the owner representative to the Board of Directors. I appreciate the support of members who voted for me and look forward to serving you in the coming year.