Brand New Owner???
Moderators: Rick, Lance Murray
- Geezer
- 1 Diamond Member
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2021 5:52 am
- First Name: Stefan
- Aircraft Type: DA40
- Aircraft Registration: N419
- Airports: KVNY
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 1 time
Brand New Owner???
Hello All
I’m looking to make my first aircraft purchase.
I’ve just put down a deposit on a 2004 DA40. It’s got 0 hrs on the engine and the prop.
I’ll be flying to complete my PPL, get my instrument and build hours.
I’m also doing a lease back to a flight school.
My main question is about the age of the avionics.
Does anyone have any experience on how the G1000 holds up or what I would be looking at cost wise it it doesn’t?
Thanks in advance.
I’m looking to make my first aircraft purchase.
I’ve just put down a deposit on a 2004 DA40. It’s got 0 hrs on the engine and the prop.
I’ll be flying to complete my PPL, get my instrument and build hours.
I’m also doing a lease back to a flight school.
My main question is about the age of the avionics.
Does anyone have any experience on how the G1000 holds up or what I would be looking at cost wise it it doesn’t?
Thanks in advance.
- mhoran
- 4 Diamonds Member
- Posts: 477
- Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 11:56 pm
- First Name: Matt
- Aircraft Type: DA40
- Aircraft Registration: N269RB
- Airports: KLDJ
- Has thanked: 121 times
- Been thanked: 248 times
Re: Brand New Owner???
Congrats! We purchased a used 2007 DA40 and it's been great, save for a few maintenance headaches here and there. Hopefully you'll have better luck with mechanics than we have.
We had a number of G1000 issues and they can be quite expensive to fix. We put them off for some time but addressed all the avionics squawks when we had ADS-B installed. We needed a new MFD because the range knob was broken. We also needed to replace a radio, which is an integrated unit (GIA63). The MFD and radio repair each cost nearly $2000. That seems to be about the going rate for repair of any G1000 item.
We never performed the WAAS upgrade, as at the time it was over $25k. There's an option to add WAAS now but we just don't have the need for it. Our home airport has a rather useless instrument approach and our alternate has an ILS. I therefore choose my destination and alternate as appropriate.
We had a number of G1000 issues and they can be quite expensive to fix. We put them off for some time but addressed all the avionics squawks when we had ADS-B installed. We needed a new MFD because the range knob was broken. We also needed to replace a radio, which is an integrated unit (GIA63). The MFD and radio repair each cost nearly $2000. That seems to be about the going rate for repair of any G1000 item.
We never performed the WAAS upgrade, as at the time it was over $25k. There's an option to add WAAS now but we just don't have the need for it. Our home airport has a rather useless instrument approach and our alternate has an ILS. I therefore choose my destination and alternate as appropriate.
- Boatguy
- 5 Diamonds Member
- Posts: 1866
- Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 4:48 am
- First Name: Russ
- Aircraft Type: DA62
- Aircraft Registration: N962M
- Airports: KSTS
- Has thanked: 1366 times
- Been thanked: 1196 times
Re: Brand New Owner???
If you're planning to do your instrument training you want to be sure it has WAAS. There are many threads here on that subject.
- Colin
- 5 Diamonds Member
- Posts: 2006
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:37 pm
- First Name: Colin
- Aircraft Type: DA42
- Aircraft Registration: N972RD
- Airports: KFHR
- Has thanked: 319 times
- Been thanked: 527 times
Re: Brand New Owner???
I disagree about needing WAAS for the instrument rating. I did my rating without it, upgraded it, and used it for exactly one approach in the years that I had the plane with WAAS.
It *might* be worth upgrading since you will not have the option to upgrade once the parts are used up and the software cannot be upgraded unless you have WAAS. That's a different question.
If I were buying a DA40 now I would just always filter for WAAS being included. Probably a GFC700 as well if I were thinking of doing longer flights in the machine.
It *might* be worth upgrading since you will not have the option to upgrade once the parts are used up and the software cannot be upgraded unless you have WAAS. That's a different question.
If I were buying a DA40 now I would just always filter for WAAS being included. Probably a GFC700 as well if I were thinking of doing longer flights in the machine.
Colin Summers, PP Multi-Engine IFR, ~3,000hrs
colin@mightycheese.com * send email rather than PM
http://www.flyingsummers.com
N972RD DA42 G1000 2.0 s/n 42.AC100 (sold!)
N971RD DA40 G1000 s/n 40.508 (traded)
colin@mightycheese.com * send email rather than PM
http://www.flyingsummers.com
N972RD DA42 G1000 2.0 s/n 42.AC100 (sold!)
N971RD DA40 G1000 s/n 40.508 (traded)
- Geezer
- 1 Diamond Member
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2021 5:52 am
- First Name: Stefan
- Aircraft Type: DA40
- Aircraft Registration: N419
- Airports: KVNY
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 1 time
Re: Brand New Owner???
Unfortunately, mine doesn't have WAAS, but in speaking with my instructor he said that precision approaches are the only thing that would be missed.
I have heard that currently there is some sort of work around to upgrade that's not ridiculously expensive.
I have heard that currently there is some sort of work around to upgrade that's not ridiculously expensive.
- Chris
- 5 Diamonds Member
- Posts: 938
- Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2010 3:34 am
- First Name: Chris
- Aircraft Type: DA42NG
- Aircraft Registration: N449TS
- Airports: KHIO
- Has thanked: 1066 times
- Been thanked: 484 times
Re: Brand New Owner???
Technically, LPV approaches aren't even considered "precision" approaches, although they do get you better accuracy and lower minimums than basic LNAV approaches.
Whether or not it's ridiculously expensive is subjective, of course. You can find some recent posts here with pricing information and some owners' experiences with the upgrade. If you're worried about resale value later, then you may want to get the upgrade soon since the parts will get harder and harder to come by.I have heard that currently there is some sort of work around to upgrade that's not ridiculously expensive.
- Rich
- 5 Diamonds Member
- Posts: 4608
- Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:40 pm
- First Name: Rich
- Aircraft Type: DA40
- Aircraft Registration: N40XE
- Airports: S39 Prineville OR
- Has thanked: 145 times
- Been thanked: 1186 times
Re: Brand New Owner???
I wind up using WAAS capabilities on every RNAV approach, as I will get glideslope (in the form of "+V") for LP and LNAV, not just LPV. It's not just about minimums. (It could be argued I actually use WAAS an every single flight, since my addition of ADS-B 6 years ago leveraged the preexistence of WAAS in my GNS units.)
There is that "yeah, but" that gets tossed out regarding the "+V" that such a GS is not guaranteed to not bust a minimum at some waypoint or other, so you monitor that and deal with it as necessary. I haven't seen it happen yet.
In the Inter-mountain West, the cities get far apart and the availability of alternative approaches is even more sparse. There is 1 VOR and 1 ILS (essentially the same location) within 100 miles of my home airport. But within 30 nm there are 15 RNAV approaches (14 of which are WAAS of one type or another) to various runways at 5 different airports, including 2 LP(+V) for each end of our main runway here at Prineville.
Of further note: That one ILS (KRDM) was out of service a couple of winters back for 5-6 weeks due to winter storm related damage to ground facilities.
There is that "yeah, but" that gets tossed out regarding the "+V" that such a GS is not guaranteed to not bust a minimum at some waypoint or other, so you monitor that and deal with it as necessary. I haven't seen it happen yet.
In the Inter-mountain West, the cities get far apart and the availability of alternative approaches is even more sparse. There is 1 VOR and 1 ILS (essentially the same location) within 100 miles of my home airport. But within 30 nm there are 15 RNAV approaches (14 of which are WAAS of one type or another) to various runways at 5 different airports, including 2 LP(+V) for each end of our main runway here at Prineville.
Of further note: That one ILS (KRDM) was out of service a couple of winters back for 5-6 weeks due to winter storm related damage to ground facilities.
Last edited by Rich on Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
- Geezer
- 1 Diamond Member
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2021 5:52 am
- First Name: Stefan
- Aircraft Type: DA40
- Aircraft Registration: N419
- Airports: KVNY
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 1 time
Re: Brand New Owner???
Well that certainly is a lot to consider.
Thanks for your feedback and the links to the upgrade information.
It is appreciated.
Thanks for your feedback and the links to the upgrade information.
It is appreciated.
- AndrewM
- 4 Diamonds Member
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 2:05 pm
- First Name: Andrew
- Aircraft Type: DA40
- Aircraft Registration: N897KC
- Airports:
- Has thanked: 73 times
- Been thanked: 75 times
Re: Brand New Owner???
As with all these matters it depends on your mission and where you are flying as to whether WAAS makes sense to invest in. My first DA40 had WAAS and it was great, but there were plenty of ILS approaches around as well as RNAV. The DA40 I have now does not have WAAS, and I would never invest in the upgrade as again where I fly from most of the time has plenty of ILS options.
So I think it comes down to where you are flying. If there are limited ILS options then it could make sense. To get your Instrument rating I do not think it is necessary or makes much of a difference.
So I think it comes down to where you are flying. If there are limited ILS options then it could make sense. To get your Instrument rating I do not think it is necessary or makes much of a difference.