Elliott Aviation has logged its first customer for a Garmin G5000 flight deck upgrade for the Citation XLS/Excel. The XLS owner, Blue Link, has placed a deposit on the avionics modification. 

The supplemental type certificate will be owned by Garmin, similar to the STC for the G5000 upgrade on the Beechjet 400A/Hawker 400XP. Elliott Aviation has already completed 10 G5000 upgrades on the Beechjet/Hawker, “more…than all other dealers in the world, combined,” according to the company. Garmin announced the XLS/Excel G5000 program last October, and certification is expected in two years.

The G5000 upgrade in the XLS replaces the existing Honeywell Primus 1000 avionics suite and autopilot with three Garmin displays, autopilot and touchscreen controllers. The G5000 flight deck will also meet the upcoming ADS-B mandate when the entire package is certified. In the meantime, operators can opt to install Elliott Aviation's ADS-B OUT/IN STC, which features a Garmin GTX 3000 transponder, GDL 88 datalink and Flight Stream wireless gateway. Customers who buy the Elliott "bridge" STC will receive a discount on the G5000 upgrade, equivalent to the "full value of the Garmin equipment installed under this STC," according to Garmin. 

G5000 features include synthetic vision, electronic charts, WAAS/LPV, Sirius XM weather, engine indication and range rings on the moving map. Total weight savings is estimated at about 175 pounds, according to Elliott Aviation. 

“When buying an airplane for a seven- to 10-year ownership period,” said Sam Blue, Blue Link’s COO, “planning for the future is important, especially today, with compliance mandates such as ADS-B. Availability of safety enhancements like WAAS/LPV capability and synthetic vision are also concerns. For us the G5000 upgrade to the XLS joins a proven and desirable airframe with today’s technology.  Elliott Aviation has significant experience with the Garmin upgrades to King Airs and Hawker 400XPs; that made them my first call when it was announced. In our view we are building an XLS++.”