diamondaviators.net

WAAS:

1. You can live without it for the time being, though lack of it might slowly become more limiting over coming years.

2. I love it. I almost always have GS-coupled approaches available to IFR airports. You can say it's "nice to have", but I say it's REALLY nice to have. You can say an autopilot is nice to have but I say it's REALLY nice to have. Here's a list of additional stuff I did not have in my earlier planes that I do now and I consider it all REALLY nice to have.

- Dual Nav coms, each with its own CDI w/GS display
- Standby frequencies for both comm and nav on both. I can queue up 4 separate freqs for comm, the same for nav
- Dual WAAS GPS receivers. +1 for my EFBs.
- Autopilot.
- Coupled published DME arcs and holds.
- Integrated headsets (I used to have to rely on speaker volume and hand-held mike).
- All US and Canada VFR and IFR charts and supplements at my fingertips.
- Create and file complex flight plans and load into the navigators for full or part route autopilot coupling. Can be modified on the fly based on conditions.
- Electronics that watch for traffic that might be missed and some that can not be seen visually from inside the airplane.

According to ICAO, a WAAS LPV approach is technically defined as a "non-precision" approach.

But the FAA considers LPV a precision approach for Instrument Rating check rides and Instrument Proficiency Checks -- since it's actually much more precise compared to an ILS precision approach.

Regardless, GPS is the future of flying in the US, with the FAA eliminating ground-based navaids except for the 100 VOR MON (minimum operational network) in an attempt to save the high cost of maintenance. Approaches with vertical guidance (LPV, LP+V, and LNAV+V) based on WAAS are much safer than "dive and drive" approaches without such guidance.

Geezer,

One other bit of info. Currently, it is much cheaper to buy a plane which is already WAAS capable than retrofitting WAAS on an existing plane.
So, if you think you ever want WAAS, you are probably better off buying the plane with it now instead of adding it later.

Tim

Hey Tim -

In the Diamonds, the difference is about 75k - 100k.

That's a pretty big spread. Considering I'm still working on my PPL and then will use the plane for IFR training, I think I should be good.

Thanks.

I think the upgrade program from Diamond is way less than the price difference buying a non-WAAS vs. WAAS last time I looked. That is part of why I did it and knew I would get every $ out if I ever sold.

TimS wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:56 pm One other bit of info. Currently, it is much cheaper to buy a plane which is already WAAS capable than retrofitting WAAS on an existing plane.

That's no longer true. It used to cost $20-$30K to add a pair of GIA63Ws to non-WAAS planes with only GIA63s, but with Diamond's upgrade program the cost for (used) GIA63Ws to add WAAS is about $13K.

Have the prices really changed that much in the past two years? The premium for WAAS was not that high before, and upgrade price has come down a lot.

Tim

TimS wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 4:42 amThe premium for WAAS was not that high before, and upgrade price has come down a lot.

I think of it more as an increasing penalty for non-WAAS than a premium for WAAS. I saw the same phenomenon in other G1000 aircraft when I was comparing prices last year. With the supply of GIA-63W units dropping to essentially zero and no other WAAS upgrade path for the legacy G1000, the disparity in prices will probably continue to widen over time. While it can be argued that you don't need WAAS, it becomes a checkbox that more and more buyers will want ticked off when they are shopping... especially when you consider that even older steam gauge aircraft are picking up WAAS capability as their owners upgrade their panels.

Personally, if I were thinking of buying a non-WAAS aircraft, I'd want to secure a spot on Diamond's upgrade list first.

Chris wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:37 am While it can be argued that you don't need WAAS, it becomes a checkbox that more and more buyers will want ticked off when they are shopping...

Exactly. As a pilot, I consider it (really) nice to have but as an owner, I think of it as investment protection, keeping resale value of the aircrafts.

I have a 2002 with 530W/430 and G5.