If you read my last two articles, I expressed concern about the current state of the avionics marketplace. I saw little to talk about at Sun ‘n Fun this year, in the form of new avionics ideas. Shops are still busy, but we have been talking about the same products from the same manufacturers for a while. There is little “mystique” for an aircraft owner who is considering a panel upgrade.
Garmin and Avidyne’s integrated navigators, the heart of most true IFR panels, are over ten years old with a few improvements along the way. Garmin filled the light IFR gap by introducing affordable GPS options in 2019. ADS-B has been beaten to death. PS Engineering continues (in my opinion) to dominate the audio control market but even their best, the PMA450, has been around for over ten years, albeit with three upgraded versions (450A, 450B and 450C) since then.
Five autopilots came to the market in 2017. That’s eight years ago. S-TEC responded by cancelling all their “affordable” autopilot options, perhaps as a result of the introduction of the Trio Pro Pilot and the TruTrak Vision, later known as Bendix King, and now known as the Honeywell AeroCruze 100. Even the EFIS products we are talking about today were introduced seven years ago. So, is the GA avionics market stable or stale? Frankly, I’ve seen a significant reduction in the number of clients coming to me for advice since the start of 2025.
After years on the front lines of avionics sales, I know what many aircraft owners do when the stock market gets a little weird — they put their credit cards away. That may be the case, but I also think the options for panel upgrades have been around long enough that, as I said, the mystique is gone.
With all of that said, a month after Sun ‘n Fun was over, Dynon sent out a press release with some exciting NEW updates.
Dynon Developments
Dynon got its start in January 2000 with the introduction of their EFIS-D10, a compact, solid-state AI/PFD for the experimental market. Dynon had an early accomplishment. They put the D10 in Burt Rutan’s Spaceship One as it attempted to be the first non-governmental spaceship to reach outer space in 2004. It succeeded. The Dynon D10 was the sole navigational device on board used to return Spaceship One back to earth. Since then, Dynon has gone on to be a significant player in big screen EFIS with their SkyView HDX for certified aircraft. Further developments of the HDX system included primary engine monitoring and a sophisticated, integrated two-axis autopilot. The HDX has proven to be a solid alternative to Garmin’s G500 and G3X and in my opinion, the value leader by far.
In November of 2024, Dynon and Trio Avionics announced an FAA approved interface for the HDX, opening a lot of hanger doors for legacy aircraft owners who want big screen EFIS and an affordable autopilot. While the process of getting autopilot STC’s approved can be slow, Trio’s existing autopilot STC’s immediately applied to the Dynon HDX. What also makes this a winner is that the Trio Pro Pilot is about the same price installed (about $11,000) as the Dynon autopilot. That’s where the value comes in compared to Garmin’s G3X with their GFC 500 autopilot. We will discuss the Trio Pro Pilot interface to the Dynon HDX later in the article.
A month after Sun ‘n Fun 2025 was over, Dynon announced that they were acquiring Trig Avionics of Scotland. Trig also has established itself as a serious player in the GA avionics arena. Trig Avionics created the first certified Mode S ES transponder in the world back in 2004 as a solution to the aviation congestion issues Europe was having. Dynon offers a remote Mode S transponder and comm option as a part of their HDX system. Trig Avionics has been the manufacturer of these systems for Dynon. Trig will expand the product line for the Dynon HDX line.
Let’s take a closer look at Trig.
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