Most of us don’t think a lot about the aging antennas on our planes, but we should. They live hard lives parked out in the elements, they build and shed inflight ice and sustain airframe vibration. Plus, their health is directly proportional to system performance. If not during an avionics upgrade, a new paint job is an opportunity to replace antennas since they might have to be removed and reinstalled anyway. Regardless, do you really want to keep beat-up antennas on your high-dollar new paint job?
A new product line that caught our attention is the Shadow series antennas from Michigan-based RAMI (R.A. Miller Industries), a common OEM antenna supplier and a popular choice for kitplane applications. As long as we can remember, fiberglass aircraft antennas came in one color—white—and it hasn’t really been a problem, unless you think they look unfinished on a spiffy paint scheme. So in addition to gloss white, RAMI now offers its line of antennas in a glass black finish, and it’s a way to better complement a complex paint scheme. The antennas, no matter the finish, are TSO’d and have a limited lifetime warranty.
Like the original RAMI antennas, the Shadow line includes most common antennas including VHF, L-band transponder/traffic/DME, GPS, marker beacon, and ELT. The Shadow line doesn’t come at a price premium over the white one. As a couple of examples, the model AV-17 bent VHF comm antenna (for mounting on the aircraft’s belly) is typically priced at $259, the AV-74 transponder/DME antenna is $179, and the AV-801 WAAS GPS antenna is $395. The RAMI line is available at a variety of aircraft parts supplier, including Aircraft Spruce and Chief Aircraft.
Even if you don’t care about antenna aesthetics, make antenna inspection a part of every preflight—they’re among the most neglected systems on an aircraft.
No one removes and installs antennas for a paint job! Shops carefully mask the antenna and paint around it. They then come back after the paint has cured and carefully seal around the base of the antenna. Also, as long as there is no metallic pigment in the paint, you can lightly “touch up” the finish on a fiberglass antenna without degrading performance.
I wouldn’t say no one. Yes, historically the process has been masking (and unfortunately, painting over, existing antennas). But more than one painter told us they remove antennas when they suspect corrosion, while giving the owner the option of installing replacement antennas during major projects.
It’s time for a paint shop survey, where we’ll certainly learn more.
Antennas combine a lot of different technologies. I have the misfortune of having lots of background in both electronics and composite materials. If 90% of avionics problems are caused by improper shielding and improper grounding, then antennas give you plenty of opportunities for both!