Elliott Aviation completes 10th Garmin cockpit upgrade on Citation CJ1 and CJ2 jets

Elliott Aviation announced on 4 November 2026 in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, that it has completed its tenth installation of the Garmin G600 TXi flight display and Garmin GFC 600 digital autopilot on Cessna Citation CJ1 and CJ2 jets. The United States company works in avionics, maintenance, paint and interiors, and parts. It was founded in 1936 and marks 90 years in 2026.

What was installed

The G600 TXi is a touchscreen flight display that replaces older cockpit screens and instruments. The GFC 600 is a digital autopilot. Both are made by Garmin, whose aviation business is based in Olathe, Kansas. Together they give an older jet a current cockpit without changing the aircraft.

Elliott Aviation lists support for ADS-B, WAAS, LPV approaches and RNAV. The autopilot adds protection against flying too slow or too fast. Packages come as Silver, Gold and Platinum, with 10.6 inch or 12.1 inch displays.

After the install, Elliott Aviation tests the new cockpit and provides pilot ground training.

Why it matters

The Citation CJ1 and CJ2 are light business jets from Cessna, a brand of Textron Aviation. According to Elliott Aviation, many of these jets still fly with their original avionics, and some of that gear is no longer supported. As it ages, parts can be harder to find and repairs can cost more, which can keep an aircraft on the ground longer.

Greg Lambert, General Manager of Elliott Aviation's Eden Prairie facility, said the tenth install shows that CJ1 and CJ2 operators see value in updating these jets. He said: "These are proven aircraft with a lot of useful life remaining."

On 12 October 2026 the company said it had completed its 100th Garmin G5000 flight deck retrofit on a Citation XLS. Elliott Aviation says it has performed more Garmin G5000 retrofits than any other dealer in the world.

On The Flying Engineer

The Flying Engineer has profiles of Elliott Aviation, Garmin Aviation and Cessna. More companies are on the avionics companies and aircraft maintenance companies pages. Elliott Aviation and Garmin were both on the exhibitor list for NBAA-BACE 2026 in Las Vegas in October. The next NBAA-BACE is 19 to 21 October 2027 in Las Vegas.

Source: Elliott Aviation