Integrated Flight System Now Standard Equipment
By ANN Correspondent Kevin O'Brien
Another OEM customer Tuesday announced the Garmin G1000
integrated flight system will now be standard equipment on Bonanzas
and Barons starting next year. In a press conference attended by
both reporters and members of the American Bonanza Society,
Beechcraft committed totally to the Garmin glass panel.
Randy Groom, president of the Beechcraft division at Raytheon,
said, "I personally think there is something really magical about
the Bonanzas and the Barons. And today, we're going to light up a
little more magic in the front end of these airplanes." With that
phrase, Beechcraft employees pulled aside a red cloth covering a
mock-up of the new panel.
The G1000 installation in the Beeches differs from previous
installations of the system, in that the Beech version is more
tightly integrated, and offers more features, including traffic
(the system is a Level B TAWS), terrain warning, and engine
monitoring. The Garmin GFC 700 autopilot is included in both
systems, and the Baron includes the GWX 68, a new weather radar
from Garmin.
One important note in Groom's address may have been
off-the-cuff, because it didn't appear in the internet press
release. He directly addressed intermittent rumors of a corporate
desire to sell off the piston-powered line. "Make no mistake about
it, the Bonanza and the Baron are key components of our product
strategy going forward. I am committed -- and Beechcraft is
committed -- to these products and their continued refinement. You
see, we have a lot of customers that buy our piston engined
airplanes, and then they progress; they tend to get in the
Beechcraft family and move up the line."
Groom (below) also praised the type club, saying, "The American
Bonanza Society has over 10,000 enthusiastic members that are
committed to these products and to the safe operation of the
products." One bit of gloom in Groom's remarks was reserved for
owners of existing Barons and Bonanzas: due to the complexity of
the installation, and its integration with all of the systems
aboard the airplane this particular system will not be available as
a retrofit kit for owners of existing Barons and Bonanzas. He
suggested that the aftermarket may come up with something in due
course, but didn't commit Beech to anything.
Beech made just under 50 Barons and Bonanzas last year. The line
began with the first Bonanza in 1947, and the Bonanza has been in
continuous production with over 17,000 built so far. The derivative
twin Baron has so far sold 6,000 units.