Aspen Avionics, Albuquerque, N.M., delayed the launch of its Evolution EFD1000 Electronic Flight Display system, citing delays in the certification process. In a customer letter sent this week, Doug Cayne, Aspen Avionics vice president of marketing, said the company was not going to make its original Fall 2007 delivery date. “The later stages of FAA certification — whether for new avionics or for new airframes — are highly variable and hard to predict with accuracy. Until you’re close to the end of the process, it’s hard to tell where you’ll find issues in testing. In the end, we should have allowed more time for the unexpected. We believe our new schedule does,” Cayne said. The system is now slated for certification in the first quarter of 2008. Cayne said the system “has come together beautifully” and the company will post periodic program updates on its website. When the system was unveiled in July, Aspen called the system the most innovative and affordable glass cockpit system for general aviation aircraft. At the Experimental Aviation Association convention in Oshkosh, Wis., the company said it received more than $1.5 million in new orders for the system during the first week it was available for sale.