INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Eagle Creek Aviation Services, a leading provider of aircraft sales and service, announced today that it has received Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for Garmin G950 glass flight deck installations in Twin Commander aircraft. The G950 offers an integrated glass flight deck, offering new levels of situational awareness, simplicity and safety to the cockpit. This Twin Commander application of the G950 is essentially the complete Garmin G1000 installation less the Garmin Autopilot. In this installation, the G950 is coupled with the proven and popular S-TEC 2100 Digital (DFCS) Autopilot.
The Garmin G950 integrates all primary flight, navigation, communication, terrain, traffic, weather and engine instrumentation systems on a large 12.4-inch multifunction display and two 10.4-inch primary flight displays. Engine data is displayed on the MFD, providing a clean, integrated appearance. These new components provide more data on demand and eliminate up to 150 pounds of wiring and equipment. The total panel transformation also includes all new fuel, oil and hydraulic system pressure transducers and new engine fuel flow transmitters.
For the first time on a Garmin G950/G1000 platform, Honeywell TPE331 engine information was studied and added to show on the large Garmin MFD. To further expand on the panel integration, Eagle Creek engineered and designed a Crew Alerting System (CAS) that allows for removal of the old annunciator panel. To complete the panel, it is WAAS-Certified and will be offered with full RVSM certification and approval. All of the equipment additions and integration truly transform the Twin Commander Panel.
“This is an important step for us to be able to provide the latest cockpit technology to the Twin Commander community,” said Eagle Creek CEO Matt Hagans. “There are a lot of pilots that have only flown on glass panels and this STC makes the Twin Commander a viable option for them.”
Eagle Creek’s STC allows for customization and offers optional equipment including Garmin’s new TCAS systems and GWX-70 radar. Additional optional equipment includes ChartView and Synthetic Vision. Twin Commander models 840 and up will be RVSM capable.
“Eagle Creek spent two years certifying the Garmin G950 for the Twin Commander,” noted Project Manager Randy Morelock. “We tested and developed the conversion in a Commander 1000, and already have three airplanes in our Indianapolis maintenance facility undergoing the conversion, including two more Commander 1000s and a Commander 900.”
The program is marketed and factory supported by Twin Commander Aircraft and worldwide by its factory authorized Twin Commander Service Center network. Twin Commander President Matt Isley commented, “The Garmin G950 upgrade is a tremendous enhancement to the Commander cockpit. Anything that makes the plane easier and safer to fly is a plus, but the Garmin G950 panel actually opens up the Commander to a whole new generation of aircraft owners.”
Isley continued, “What is unique in the modern aviation era is that a pilot who learns to fly a single engine piston, then moves to a twin, can step up into a twin-turbine such as the Commander without having to invest the time in learning a different suite of avionics with each transition. Pilots can focus on learning the nuances and differences of each aircraft – something that will ultimately make for a better pilot. This milestone is the result of a lot of hard work by some very talented people at Garmin and Eagle Creek Aviation and we at Twin Commander Aircraft are proud to be a part of it as well.”
The G950 Twin Commander will be on display at this year’s EAA AirVenture event as well as the National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) convention in Orlando.
About Eagle Creek Aviation Services, Inc.
Eagle Creek provides business jet and turboprop owners and operators with a complete range of services including maintenance, avionics, interior refurbishment and parts support, as well as aircraft sales and brokerage services. The company also provides executive charter and aircraft management through its First Wing division. Eagle Creek operates two full-service fixed base operations (FBOs): one at its headquarters in Indianapolis, and also Naples Jet Center in Naples, Florida. To learn more about Eagle Creek Aviation Services, visit www.eagle-creek.com.
