AirVenture is notoriously a good place to find smoking hot deals on used avionics, but maybe not this year. The choked supply chain and backlog at avionics shops is adversely affecting the supply of desirable used avionics, while raising prices to levels never seen before. Ahead of AirVenture 2022, Aviation Consumer Editor Larry Anglisano Zoomed up with Chase Larabee—a used avionics pro who worked as a sales manager on the OEM level, and also founded Seattle, Washington-based Avionics Source. He had good advice for buyers looking to save money on used avionics.
And then there is the “I need a replacement XXX in a rush” just to stay airworthy. Took me 7 days to find a simple GTR-200 radio that was in stock somewhere - just to get back in the air. Lot of folks sell you one online and then tell you delivery is weeks out. Call ahead.
So the automotive industry constriction seems to be at least in part that they are depending on very old technology semiconductors (1980s tech) that fell off of the supply chain due to the last remaining fab using the old equipment having a fire and shutting down.
Is that the same issue with avionics? If so are we going to have to wait for the manufacturers to decide they have to reemgineer the boards with newer tech and the FAA to agree to approve the engineering change?
The last time I went to Oshkosh was 2007. I specifically thought that I could get some kind of deal on a headset, handheld radio, GPS unit etc. Being that it’s the airplane Mecca of the USA. Not a bloody chance. They were selling everything for just about what they got in store or online. No such thing as a promotion or a sale. Those words were never spoken. I haven’t been back since.