Avidyne Announces Certification of Vantage 12 for Cirrus
Melbourne, FL. – July 24, 2025 – Avidyne Corporation, a leading provider of integrated avionics systems announced Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification of the Vantage 12 Flight Display System for retrofit in Cirrus aircraft. The Vantage 12 upgrade is initially targeted for retrofit in the more than 4,000 Entegra-equipped and pre-Entegra Cirrus SR20/22 Series aircraft.
"We are delighted to announce that Vantage 12 is now certified and initial deliveries and customer installations are in process,” said Dan Schwinn, Avidyne’s CEO. “While modernizing their flight deck with great new features, current Entegra users will find the Vantage 12 system very familiar to operate in terms of ease of use, with a minimal transition learning curve.”
"Avidyne was first to bring large-format, wide-horizon displays to the light GA market with Entegra, and now Vantage 12 delivers next-generation technology for owners of these earlier Cirrus aircraft,” said Avidyne President Fabrice Kunzi. “Vantage 12 provides an easy and cost-effective upgrade to industry-leading 12-inch diagonal touch screens, 3D Synthetic Vision, dual Attitude Reference Systems (ARS) that provide full redundancy, plus many more great features that make flying easier and more enjoyable."
Vantage 12 is designed as a modular upgrade for existing Cirrus aircraft, allowing customers to upgrade in stages—first to DFC90 autopilot, then adding IFDs, and then Vantage displays—or all at once, giving customers the flexibility to meet their budgetary requirements. Many Cirrus owners have already upgraded their autopilot and legacy navigators to DFC90 and IFDs in preparation for Vantage 12. Avidyne’s EZ Install Kit makes the change from Entegra to Vantage12 displays minimally invasive, with significantly reduced aircraft downtime for installation.
About Vantage 12
Vantage 12 features large 12-inch LCD touchscreen displays for Primary Flight Display (PFD) and Multifunction Display (MFD) that provide significant improvements in display size, brightness, and processor performance over legacy systems, while retaining the ease of use synonymous with the Avidyne brand. Vantage 12 includes Synthetic Vision with 3D display of nearby terrain, traffic, obstacles, airports, and flight plan overlay, plus a hybrid touch user interface that enables pilots to control the system with touchscreen or dedicated knobs and buttons.
Each Vantage 12 display features an integrated Attitude Reference Sensor (ARS), providing dual-redundant input to the DFC90 digital autopilot for enhanced safety and reliability—allowing the MFD to mimic PFD functionality and for the autopilot to continue to fly the aircraft in the unlikely event of a PFD failure.
The Vantage 12 MFD offers full and split-screen displays of maps, as well as convenient entry of flight plans right on the large touchscreen display. Jeppesen Approach Charts and Airport Diagrams, plus unique implementation of digital VFR Charts as a base map are also selectable, providing additional situational awareness. Vantage 12’s multiple user configurations, editable data blocks, and checklists share much of the same operational user interface as the popular IFD Series FMS/GPS/NAV/COM systems. Vantage 12 interfaces with existing engine instruments for both SIU and DAU configured aircraft. Panels and overlays are serial-number specific to accommodate various configurations of the Cirrus fleet, and the larger Vantage 12 displays fit in the existing instrument panel area, such that the glare shield does not have to be raised, providing better forward visibility than 12” display options in later-production Cirrus aircraft.
The Vantage 12 system for Cirrus leverages dual Avidyne IFDs and a DFC90 digital autopilot. For optimal utility, Avidyne recommends that Vantage 12 systems be configured with an IFD540 for FMS/NAV/COM#1, IFD440 for FMS/NAV/COM#2, a DFC90 digital autopilot, and a remote-mounted AXP322 Mode S transponder, SkyTrax200 ADS-B In receiver, plus an AMX240 audio panel, sold separately.
2 days ago