PiperJet is Initial G3000 Customer

Garmin's announcement about their G3000 marked another big step for GA avionics. I've been wondering who the initial customers would be and I just found out. It turns out that Piper's VLJ - the PiperJet - is the first to announce they'll have the G3000.

This is a great move for Piper. The G3000 is perfect for the VLJ market. It offers capabilities that these aircraft will be able to use, but adds features and glamour that go above and beyond those offered by the G1000.

Some other VLJ manufacturers have had major avionics issues. Eclipse tried to do a custom avionics system and I'm convinced that it was one of their biggest mistakes. The system never achieved the reliability or capability that they promised. The GPS navigation portion of the system wasn't even certified for IFR operations. A checkride in the EA 500 involved pure radio navigation. If Eclipse had gone with the G1000 back then (or the G3000 if they were still around) I think they might have had a chance at surviving.

The PiperJet is a bit of a late entrant to the VLJ market, but the G3000 will help give it an edge and reduce the effects of its tardiness. The numbers for the PiperJet are impressive...especially for being a single engine airplane. Combining that performance with the fanciest, newest avionics suite is a strong move.

I'm excited to see some pictures of the PiperJet equipped with the G3000. I'm excited to hear who else takes advantage of the new system. We'll let you know as soon as we get either.