Avionics Training: Systems, Installation and Troubleshooting

by Len Buckwalter

Now in its tenth year of publication, “Avionics Training” has been used by over 10,000 students, technicians, engineers and aviation companies. Easy-to-understand, there are no complex diagrams or formulas. Knowledge of avionics is not required to follow the practical descriptions of equipment aboard aircraft. Over 400 photos and drawings show avionics operating in the real world. The book describes Navigation Short-range navigation (VOR), instrument landing system (ILS), automatic direction finding (ADF), distance measuring equipment (DME), transponder, radar altimeter, weather radar, collision avoidance (TCAS), satnav (GPS), emergency location and electronic flight instrument system (EFIS). Very High Frequency (VHF), High Frequency (HF), satellite (“Satcom”), airline company communications (ACARS), selective calling, cockpit voice recorders (CVR), and flight data recorders (FDR). Panel instruments, line-replaceable units (LRU), electrical systems, connectors, how to work with aircraft wire. There are more than 20 antennas on an airliner operating under extreme temperatures, 500 mph winds and heavy rain. This chapter discusses choosing and installing them. The final chapters describe avionics test equipment and troubleshooting. The avionics industry is growing. Predictions by the Air Transport Association are highly optimistic. Passenger traffic is expected to double by 2036, which greatly increases the need for avionics aboard new airplanes, and retrofitting the existing fleet with new technology. Similar growth is expected for countries around the world with an aviation industry. The author of “Avionics Training” is Len Buckwalter, founder and editor of “Avionics” magazine for over 20 years. During his career, he wrote over 2,000 articles and 10 books on avionics and electronic subjects. A graduate of New York University, his first job in publishing was Technical Editor for “Electronics IIlustrated,” a magazine for the hobbyist interested in building electronic projects. He began learning electronics as a teen-ager while pursuing the hobby of Amateur (“ham”) radio, designing and building his own equipment for long-distance communications. During two years of service in the US Signal Corps, he built and operated a MARS (Military Amateur Radio System) while stationed in Yokohama, Japan. The station provided troops free phone calls to the US. Besides voice operation, he communicated by high-speed Morse Code. He became interested in avionics while becoming an instrument-rated pilot. He has 3,000 hours’ flight time and holds a FCC First Class license for the repair of avionics transmitting equipment. Mr. Buckwalter is president of Avionics.com, a web-based publisher of avionics books, DVD’s and other training materials.

Kindle Edition

Published July 29, 2019