Special Presentation on Do-It-Yourself Panels at Prescott SportAir Workshops

January 7, 2010 — EAA SportAir Workshops next weekend, January 15-17, in Prescott, Arizona, will feature a free presentation by a true DIY specialist in homebuilt avionics. Bill DeRouchey, president of EAA Chapter 658, will present Designing Your Glass Panel on Saturday night, January 16, at the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) Flight Department. DeRouchey designed and created a glass panel for his Van's RV-10, built around a Garmin 430, a Garmin 330 transponder, and a solid state Crossbow gyro.

“I built everything else,” he says, and he programmed a Linux-based computer to collect and display the data on dual 10.4-inch screens. “It’s very robust and cost-effective. I’ll discuss how I went about it and then have a Q&A period.” He’ll also impart several discoveries made along the development and fabrication process.

DeRouchey is a computer systems programmer and engineer for 40 years, specializing in telecommunications, networks, and protocol design. Engaged in many successful system design projects over the years, he earned his pilot certificate in 1977.

The free program will run about two hours, starting at 5:30 p.m. Seating is limited, so those wishing to attend need to pre-register via e-mail to mforss@eaa.org.