Definition
Avionics units installed in the aircraft's instrument panel that provide navigation guidance (such as VOR, GPS, or ILS receivers) and two-way radio communication (such as VHF comm radios and transponders). In the context of preventive maintenance, this phrase refers specifically to the physical replaceable units mounted in the panel, where a pilot-owner is permitted to remove and reinstall the unit itself, provided the work does not require disassembly of the device or any testing other than operational checks.
Plain English
The radios and navigation boxes built into the dashboard of the airplane that help the pilot talk to controllers and find the way. A pilot who owns the aircraft is allowed to slide these units out and put them back in as part of basic upkeep, but cannot open them up or repair their internal parts.
Context Anchor
Seen in the preventive maintenance section when deciding what equipment a pilot-owner may legally remove or replace without it becoming a larger maintenance job.
Why Pilots Care
These units must remain serviceable for legal flight and safe contact with air traffic control.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as “any electronic device used for navigation or communication.” Here it means equipment installed in the aircraft’s instrument panel, and the preventive maintenance permission applies only within the FAA’s specific limits.
Example Sentence 1
Before the flight, the owner pulled the GPS receiver from the panel to send it in for an upgrade, logging the removal and reinstallation as preventive maintenance on instrument panel-mounted navigation and communication devices.
Example Sentence 2
A pilot may replace a defective instrument panel-mounted navigation and communication device as preventive maintenance when the work meets regulatory limits.