Story ID: 
Rare PC-9 on Display at Oshkosh
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: The ex-warbird boasts a host of cockpit upgrades, installed by Gulf Coast Avionics as it was prepared for its new owner.
Word Count: 308
At the Pilatus Aircraft pavilion, visitors to EAA’s AirVenture can see a Pilatus PC-9 on display, one of only two civilian versions of the single-engine turboprop in the U.S.

Gulf Coast Avionics (Booth 2029, Hangar B) recently completed the avionics upgrade on the former Slovenian military aircraft. “This is one of those unique types of projects our engineers and installers really enjoy working on,” said company president and CEO Rick Garcia. “The challenges that come with working on a European warbird like the PC-9 are a refreshing change from the aircraft we typically get at our Lakeland [Fla.] facility.”

The aircraft was imported through North Carolina-based Legacy Warbirds, which specializes in bringing Cold War-era Western European military aircraft to the U.S. and preparing them for new owners. “Our goal was to upgrade the avionics with the latest in touchscreen and wireless connectivity,” said Legacy’s manager Matt Walsh. “Another part of this project was to prepare the panel so that it can be easily upgraded to Garmin glass displays whenever the owner wants.”

According to Gulf Coast, the modifications include dual Garmin GTN 650 touchscreen GPS/NAV/COMM/MFDs, dual Garmin GTX 345 ADS-B OUT and In Mode-S extended squitter transponders, Garmin Flight Stream 210 gateway for wireless iPad connectivity, and the Avidyne TAS 620A traffic advisory system.

“It is the first Garmin GTN 650 installation in the type, so it presented a few challenges to our team,” noted Gulf Coast sales representative Matt Schloss. “We did have a bit of a leg up from a similar installation we completed on a PC-7. The cockpits are virtually identical, which meant we could use a lot of the information from the PC-7 again, that’s a big timesaver when you’re working on an aircraft with such a small cockpit area.”