Dispatches & Bulletins
— from the RWAS avionics desk —
Blog Articles, Product Updates, and Shop Dispatches
Garmin updates, service bulletins, shop notes, and industry memos — current as of 2026-05-12.
Lead Article
Electroair Electronic Ignition Installations Now Available Through RWAS
Roger Wilco Aviation Services is working with Electroair to support aircraft owners interested in upgrading from traditional magneto-only ignition to modern electronic ignition systems. For eligible aircraft, an Electroair installation can bring variable spark timing, high-energy ignition, and a more efficient piston-engine ignition package into a properly documented shop workflow.
For decades, piston aircraft ignition has been dominated by the magneto: reliable, self-contained, and familiar to every A&P who has spent time around Lycoming and Continental engines. Magnetos still have their place. But electronic ignition has been steadily moving from experimental-aircraft innovation into certified-aircraft upgrade conversations, and Electroair has been one of the names pushing that change.
[Electroair](http://www.electroair.net/)’s system grew out of experimental aviation work in the early 1990s. The basic idea is straightforward: use a controller, manifold-pressure sensing, engine-position sensing, and high-energy coils to manage spark timing more precisely than a fixed-timing magneto can. In practice, that can mean smoother operation, better starting behavior, improved combustion efficiency, and potential fuel savings when the system is installed and operated correctly.
Filed Under
electroair · electronic-ignition · aircraft-maintenance · piston-aircraft · lycoming · continental · avionics · repair-station · rwas
Recent Dispatches
Electroair Electronic Ignition Installations Now Available Through RWAS
RWAS is working with Electroair to support electronic ignition installations for piston aircraft owners who want modern spark timing, smoother operation, and a cleaner path from product selection to logbook signoff.
New D2 Mach 2 Aviator Smartwatch Promotion
Customers can save $150 on Garmin D2 Mach 2 aviator smartwatches through June 29, 2026.
Build Your Garmin Panel Concept with the New RWAS Panel Planner
A new customer-facing planning tool lets aircraft owners sketch avionics layouts, preview panel finishes, and send concepts to RWAS for professional review.
Mandatory Service Bulletins: Are They Really Mandatory?
The regulatory, safety, and financial truth every aircraft owner needs to know.
Repair Station vs. A&P Mechanic — What Aircraft Owners Should Know
Why FAA Part 145 oversight changes the quality system, accountability, and long-term value behind aircraft maintenance.
More From The Desk
product update
New D2 Mach 2 Aviator Smartwatch Promotion
Garmin is running a limited-time D2 Mach 2 aviator smartwatch promotion: customers can save $150 on qualifying D2 Mach 2 and D2 Mach 2 Pro models through June 29, 2026.
product update
Build Your Garmin Panel Concept with the New RWAS Panel Planner
Roger Wilco Aviation Services has launched a customer-facing Panel Planner that gives aircraft owners a simple way to sketch a Garmin avionics panel concept before the formal design and quote process begins.
service bulletin
Mandatory Service Bulletins: Are They Really Mandatory?
If you own or operate an aircraft, you have almost certainly received a service bulletin from the manufacturer labeled mandatory. The word carries weight. But is a manufacturers mandatory service bulletin actually mandatory? The answer depends on who you are, how you operate, and what lens you are looking through: regulatory, safety, or financial.
regulatory
Repair Station vs. A&P Mechanic — What Aircraft Owners Should Know
Aircraft owners often hear about A&P mechanics, IAs, and repair stations as if they all mean the same thing. They do not. This article explains what a Part 145 Repair Station adds above ordinary maintenance authority, and why that extra structure matters for quality control, avionics work, documentation, and long-term ownership value.
product update
Auto Flight Logging Now Available for G3X Touch
Garmin has expanded automatic flight log integrations for G3X Touch, giving owners a cleaner path to wireless data capture, cloud storage on flyGarmin.com, and analysis through partners including FlySto, Savvy Aviation, Navi AI, Jet-Care, and Brazos Safety Systems.
memo
Garmin Pilot Promotion Adds Value for New Subscribers
A newly released Garmin dealer memo highlights a limited-time Garmin Pilot promotion for new subscribers, paired with a Right Seat Rewards offer available during the same campaign window. The promotion is aimed at helping pilots adopt Garmin Pilot with added subscription value while supporting spring and summer flying activity.
product update
Roger Wilco Aviation Services Launches New Website — and Introduces Captain Jerry, Your On-Call AI Avionics Expert
Roger Wilco Aviation Services has launched a completely redesigned website at rogerwilcoaviation.com — built in the style of a classic newspaper broadsheet, with a focus on substance over flash. And riding right seat on every page is Captain Jerry, the shop's AI avionics expert, ready to help aircraft owners think through Garmin upgrades, maintenance questions, Papa-Alpha rigging tools, and next steps with real technical grounding behind every answer.
product update
Garmin Offers GMA 350c Audio Panel for Cirrus Perspective+ Flight Deck Upgrades
Garmin has announced a new option to upgrade to the GMA 350c audio panel when performing the Perspective+ Flight Deck Upgrade on Cirrus SR22T, SR22, and SR20 G3 and G5 series aircraft equipped with the original Cirrus Perspective system. The GMA 350c (P/N 010-00871-41) is the only approved audio panel version for this upgrade path, listed at $2,995.
press release
Garmin Expands GFC 500 Autopilot STC Coverage to Additional Airframes
Garmin International has announced expanded STC coverage for its popular GFC 500 digital autopilot system, adding approved installations for the Beechcraft Bonanza 33/35/36 series and Mooney M20J/M20K aircraft. The expansion brings Garmin's modern autopilot technology to a broader range of the general aviation fleet.
product update
Garmin G3X Touch Software Version 8.20 Released with Enhanced Engine Monitoring
Garmin has released software version 8.20 for the G3X Touch flight display system, delivering improvements to the engine information system (EIS) pages, lean-assist functionality, and fuel flow totalizer accuracy. The update is available as a free download for all G3X Touch installations.
memo
Garmin Spring 2026 Pricing Now in Effect Across All Aviation Product Lines
Garmin's spring 2026 pricing is now active across all aviation product lines. As an authorized Garmin dealer, Roger Wilco Aviation Services has updated its pricing to reflect the new manufacturer schedules. Operators planning panel upgrades or new installations should review current pricing as part of their project planning.
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