So, the answer to my original question is a Garmin 480 at about $15K. Even
with the big Garmin, it looks like I could not do my training, nor take the
checkride. I would not fly IFR without some redundancy, so a conventional
system would be needed, too. The Val Avionics INS422 looks like a compact,
neat package for a simple system.

Thanks to all who responded with suggestions and ideas. As some of you
suspected, I'm not IFR trained. I do practice under the hood several times
a year in the event of an inadvertant IMC incursion. I don't know if I will
get my IFR or not since I fly for the fun of exploring and observing, and
there isn't much to see in the middle of a cloud. On the other hand, the
skill improvement of flying instruments is attractive, and on the mornings
when the fog is thick, it would be nice to be able to fly through the fog to
get up on top, instead of getting up at 3:00AM and taking off before the fog
forms.

Again, thanks for your inputs.
tom pettit


"clipclip" wrote in message
...

tom pettit Wrote:
So how come I can't just use the gps alone? It seems like it is much
more
flexible, and then I wouldn't be as dependent on what ground based
stuff was
available.
tom

-------------------------

you can do that - but forget about saving money. you would need the
garmin 480 GPS which can be used as a sole-means-of-navigation device.
be ready to fork out at least $15,000 by the time it's installed with
all the required hardware and config though.

as per others on this thread, i question the wisdom of relying only on
a GPS - for example, last time as i passed through richmond (KRIC) a
notam said GPS signal may or may not be adequate for navigation. and
just like the NOTAM said, we got a RAIM alert just before passing the
FAF.

another time in albukerque, we were on final descent, navigating by GPS
at night when the unit went dead (welll, not dead, but it gave a message
of "no signal" or something similar). turns out there were some military
exercises going on in the area that included jamming the GPS signal.
that final leg made for some interesting scrambling in the cockpit
looking for maps, beacons and frequencies to navigate "a la VHF" before
we sailed past where we were going...

:-)

francois


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clipclip