Backup equipment

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I'm buying a G1000 Mooney and was trying to ascertain what portable
backup equipment we should carry along, radio, gps, etc?

Anyone hear about any G1000 failures lately?

Thx.

-- Austin Kalb, September 1, 2008

Answers

For extended overwater operations, where you are out of sight of land, e.g., going down through the Caribbean, I would recommend a handheld GPS. Otherwise, I never carry backup equipment in a modern airplane. You don't need a radio to fly to the nearest airport and land. You shouldn't need a GPS either; just climb and look out the window! It is an emergency so you can do anything that you want and ATC will clear other traffic out of your way.

-- Philip Greenspun, September 1, 2008

Austin/Phil- An underappreciated advantage of a handheld backup radio is the ability to turn on runway lights in the event of a primary radio failure. Rich Saunders

-- Richard Saunders, March 22, 2009