Avionics installation and repair shop FlightStar, of Savoy, Ill., is in the final stages of earning an ADS-B OUT supplemental type certificate (STC) for the Learjet 40/45, one of a series that the company plans to offer for older business jets.

The FlightStar upgrade will cost approximately $65,000, depending on what equipment needs replacing, but this is far less than the more than $300,000 for Bombardier’s 40/45 service bulletin for ADS-B, according to FlightStar avionics sales manager Greg Vail. Some Learjet 40/45s are now selling for less than $2 million, and it’s hard for an owner to justify spending $300,000 for ADS-B, he explained. “We feel we can offer a lot of options.”

While the Bombardier bulletin calls for replacing the existing FMSs with dual Waas-capable FMSs, the FlightStar upgrade includes a single Universal Avionics UNS-1Ew. Or owners can opt to add a Honeywell Waas GPS sensor instead of replacing the FMS, which would cost about $20,000. The FlightStar STC will also include upgrades to the transponder and control heads, similar to what is done under the Bombardier bulletin, Vail explained.

FlightStar received type inspection authorization for the Learjet 40/45 ADS-B OUT STC in September. Flight-testing is scheduled in December, and FAA approval is expected by year-end.

Vail said that FlightStar has been busy with ADS-B upgrades for customers with Part 23 airplanes, but owners of Part 25 jets, especially older ones, have shown growing interest in the last six months. “There are a lot of airplanes in those niches,” he said.