Okay Okay - here is a photo.
I thought long and hard about "pimping out" our 81 Cessna 414A, but at long last, I decided when it was all said and done, I would still have a 414.
Pimping out the Commander is waaaay more fun, and when I am done pimping the Commander - I have got an incredible machine for traveling.
On any given trip, I spend less money on fuel in the Commander than I did with the 414, sooooo with all that money I am saving I am putting the money into the panel of the Commander!!!
On the trip to Maine from Florida (non stop in under 4 hours), the GTN 750 lets me fly waypoints and airways - this is super helpful in the North East. The GTN 530 that I flew, did not have that capability. The satellite weather is absolutely the bees knees. Traffic, Graphic turbulence forecast (I have learned - this is a big deal above 19,000 in the Commander), winds, destination weather, xm rain composites . . . . as well as about a million other features available in the cockpit.
Digital radar available on the G600 txi or the 750 - a nice feature when I want to see everything. We have to deal with thunderstorms almost everyday here in FL in the summer. In general having multiple screens is very very wonderful, other than radar and xm, when doing approaches I can display the approach waypoints during the approach in flight plan mode (matrix style) so I can see distances and times to each fix all the way to the runway, and still show the map view with the synthetic window on another screen.
Oh, and here is a big big huge benefit; On a long multi-leg trip like my trip to Maine - I don't have to lift up my big fat heavy arm, and and turn the OBS knob to the next waypoint anymore. The GPSS and the G600 automatically fly the route because the OBS updates automatically. The steam gauges and my old GPSS didn't do that. (Actually my old GPSS didn't even work). If I didn't have to talk to ATC all the time I could nap!! (That is a joke!).
I haven't figured everything out with the G600 yet. Lots and lots and lots of options, but I truly believe I have increased my single pilot IFR safety.
Yes, it all costs a lot of $$$$. Is it worth it? How can I say. I used to figure, all in, the Cessna 414 was costing us about $85,000 per year to fly 125 ish hours per year. That is allowing for every cost related to the airplane, engine replacement, avionics upgrades, new paint some day, fuel, insurance, down to washing the outside and air freshener. I estimate the Commander at about $130,000 per year give or take long term. If you amortize the costs of upgrades over the total ownership cost - it sort of averages out. At least that is how I have been convincing myself it is worth it.
It is a business expense #1, and #2, my two sons are now in the business, and they both fly. In fact they just got their initial training in the Commander last month.! (Talk about scary!!!!). But I digress, I want them to be as safe as possible - not to mention I want that for myself. I truly believe all this technology makes our flying safer. So that is my story, and I am sticking to it.