OK,
So I know what the minimums equipment requirements for an aircraft to be IFR certified per the FAA but I am more interested in the minimum equipment you guys are running IFR with. Here is why I ask. I am doing a panel upgrade and want to be reasonable/ smart with the panel. I have a 185 with a Stec autopilot. I am puting in a G3 touch with a new gnx 375 for gps and adsb. I have a garmin sl 30 for nav/com and will be adding a remote garmin GTR 20 com for the primary. I also have a garmin 796 that will be panel mounted as well. So I will have 2 IFR certified Navigation systems and 2 comms systems. I will have 2 gps non certified systems for situational awareness. The question I really pose is would you feel comfortable with this setup or would you want a second navigation source either GPS or ILS/VOR? I have a KX-155 but I really want to get away from it all together. Also I am spending enough on the upgrade that I really do not have enough for a second Certified GPS. I believe the GPS/ILS single systems are enough for the type of IFR flying I want to do. Specifically, IFR on top, healthy personal minimums kind of stuff to extend my flying capabilities, not any kind of wild flying into known ICING/Heavy IMC kinda stuff.
Hope this makes sense.
Thanks,
Gypsy

Anything more would only be an excuse to spend money. What you have planned is plenty.

asa wrote:Anything more would only be an excuse to spend money. What you have planned is plenty.

X2

You would kind of have most of it covered there. The reality in small aircraft, actual IFR is something to be avoided. Good to get on top of clag. Cruise to wherever and let down through it. Or handy to go to busy places with tons of student traffic and do an approach without getting into a pattern cha cha with the hoi paloi. Other than that, without a decent autopilot of some sort, you tend to be busy with light planes. They bounce around in IFR stuff, so what you have needs to be really easy to work.

Will your primary be easy to set up a flight plan and will it let you modify the plan easily. You know you never get to fly what you get cleared, approach always has a different idea, once you get there. Your primary also needs to be able to switch modes, like GPS to ILS with a simple button push or switch automatically when you intercept. Some of these wizard boxes are cool, but the buttonology is a bit on the convoluted side. So your secondary needs to be rather simple to use while you re-program the main unit. The SL-30 coupled to the 796 allows Nav and Comm to be sent to the secondary frequency, which is rather slick.

The KX-155 was a great radio, in its day. Now if it breaks, it is a doorstop. Really you need a primary and a secondary. A source to do ILS and a source VOR is still handy for airways if your GPS signal goes wonky, your SL-30 does that. Radios do fail, not terribly often, but they do. So two is kind of the gold standard. Both radios do need electricity, so if that goes, well, your 796 will still nav you, but you will need something to talk on, hint, handheld. This backup, the 796 does not have to be certified. If you have a major failure in your system, you should declare an emergency. The 796 will do a lot, such as give you nav and even an AHARS system if you have a source for it. The controllers are most likely to vector you to get you down and, again it is an emergency, using your non-certified system to help on the letdown is good headwork. Lack of certification at this point is not going to be an issue.

Do not overcomplicate your panel. Good IFR systems are easy to use. Too much stuff distracts you. Battery powered backups are super cool. I have had a AHARS failure/nav failure. Down to emergency comm. Night, Hard IFR. Ended up doing a no-gyro GCA. Not really fun. Only could dream of something like a 796 to have backed me up. It was in a $205,000,000 airplane, reduced to a Super Cub on the panel. So stuff happens. Spend that extra money on an autopilot if you really want to play much in IFR.

https://backcountrypilot.org/forum/practical-minimum-instruments-for-imc-22440?hilit=minimum%20equipment%20ifr

Gypsy,
Check out this thread. Might help with your question. Sounds to me like you have plenty of avionics going in your 185 to fly IFR.

Holler at me if I can help you. I don't live far from you.

Slowmover