AEA Pilot's Guide 2023-2024 - 50

THE HIGH COST OF CHEAP
Continued from page 48
could in order to draft the engineering drawings.
In Schefer's mind, this process is completely
backward, and plans should always come first. " When
you build a skyscraper, do you just throw the building
up and then later put together the architectural plans
after the fact? " Schefer asked. " No, of course not! You
do the engineering first and then you do the work. "
At DeltaFox, the installation plans are always
drafted before an aircraft arrives for an install but
aren't finalized because there will almost always be
minor changes needed after the airplane is inspected
and aircraft-specific issues or variations are found.
The installer works with the engineer to revise the plan
accordingly. " We iterate on the plan, " Schefer said.
" It costs 1,000 times less to fix a defect in the design
phase versus after the installation is completed, "
a lesson learned from Schefer's former career in
software engineering.
Schefer has some other important tips for aircraft
owners in selecting a shop beyond the aforementioned
post-installation support. First, a shop should be a
Part 145 repair station, which is a requirement for
membership in the AEA. The FAA keeps a list on its
website of shops that have this designation and lists their
FAA certificate number. Aircraft owners can also look
up on an avionics manufacturer's website whether or
not a repair station is an authorized dealer for Garmin,
Universal Avionics, Genesys Aerosystems, Aspen
Avionics, etc. DeltaFox is an authorized dealer and
installer for these top avionics brands and is also an
authorized service facility for Cirrus and Textron Aviation.
Shops often display their FAA certificate in the
lobby as DeltaFox does. DeltaFox also has radio and
instrument ratings from the FAA, which Schefer suggest
aircraft owners also look for when considering where
to install avionics. He recommends aircraft owners
should also check the reputation of the shop with other
airplane owners in the area. It's a good idea as well to
make sure the shop is in good standing with the FAA by
talking to the local Flight Standards District Office.
Aircraft owners should also expect to have
engineering and wiring prints provided on completion
of the project for future reference. This is an FAA
requirement as is wire marking.
It helps that Schefer is a licensed airline transport pilot
who flies regularly with a Part 135 charter operation,
which he also owns. He shares his pilot's point of view
when customers walk in to say, " I want this or that piece
of avionics equipment installed. " His company has
created an avionics demonstrator panel that shows how
various panel-mounted equipment interacts when the
systems are integrated. Schefer also asks customers to
be realistic about their budget and focus on maximizing
attainment of goals and objectives given that budget.
" It's a lot of work to put an avionics quote together
thoughtfully, " Schefer said. " I have to research the aircraft,
look at the upgraded pricing guides and technical data and
check for service bulletins. A clear budget and goals are
helpful in the process of achieving the best outcome. "
Once an avionics plan is committed and an installation
contract is signed, DeltaFox begins the design
process and creates engineering plans and drawings
documenting the ways equipment will be integrated along
with panel design. DeltaFox also performs an electrical
load analysis as part of the engineering process.
When everything is planned and all the avionics
equipment is present, DeltaFox is ready to start. " I don't
want the aircraft entering our hangar until everything
is ready to go, " Schefer said. " This is how we minimize
downtime, by doing as much pre-planning and
preparation work as possible. "
Schefer's earlier career included writing software and
managing large software engineering projects. He led a
team of 350 engineers to develop the software, which
today is the mainstay of the Department of Defense's
procurement system.
He designed the data architecture for the DoD system.
The program relied on industrial quality control standards
such as ISO 9000 and Carnegie Mellon's Software
Capability Maturity Model Integration. That experience
has helped him run avionics installation projects, but he
said industrial quality control should not be intimidating.
Avionics installation quality control is not rocket science
- it just involves the application of common sense. He
noted a shop needs a continuous improvement process
so if a mistake is made, steps are taken to make sure it
doesn't happen again.
From past and present project management
experience, Schefer believes there are three issues
that must interact to produce a successful avionics
installation. These are scope, quality, and cost and
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AEA Pilot's Guide 2023-2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AEA Pilot's Guide 2023-2024
