It’s likely that this push is intended to help Honeywell win back business from industry leader Garmin International, which was started by former Bendix/King employees and has, in the past 30 years, seized a huge market share in the light GA segment while getting some important wins in the bizjet world, as well. At one point that dominant market presence was Bendix/King, now a Honeywell brand. The gold standard was a Bendix/King panel, and its flight, radio and autoflight products were all leaders, and for good reason. It was and remains great stuff.

Today, Honeywell makes one of the most advanced flight decks in the world, with its Symmetry system in all the latest-generation Gulfstream business jets. Symmetry, which I got to “fly” in Gulfstream’s iron bird a few years back, integrates touch control seamlessly throughout the avionics system, and the UI is world class. The company also makes avionics systems for commercial airliners, a market segment it has a big share of. So, there’s zero doubt that Honeywell has the chops to pull this off. The question is, how long will it be before we start seeing (and flying) the hardware?

Anthem has several cutting-edge approaches to doing the avionics thing. For one, it’s cloud connected, so pilots can upload their flight plans to the flight management system before they show up at the airport. It also features some safety utilities you’ve probably never heard of before, including a landing assist function (which in testing is strikingly effective at helping pilots achieve consistently smooth hand-flown landings), a runway overrun awareness feature, which I can’t wait to see, and extensive 3D features, including airport environment 3D moving maps, something we’d have loved any number of times for arrivals at unfamiliar airports in the dark.

Ed Manning, a Honeywell test pilot, described flying behind Anthem in a video presentation. He said it made flying easier and more fun, in part because, “!we make it smarter, make it suggest things at the right time![make] it look and feel like your mobile phone so somebody can sit down at the flight deck and they go and intuitively touch a button and quickly move through their tasks without an afterthought.”

That Anthem is scalable is the holy grail for flat-panel systems, if indeed Honeywell can pull it off. To be able to field avionics solutions for multiple aircraft in multiple segments by leveraging a mature technology would be a huge win for Honeywell. The company hopes it will help it put Brand H in a lot of new airplanes.

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In the rapidly changing world of aircraft electronics, we keep you up to date with news and flight reports on the hottest new panel mount and portable avionics. Check out what’s new in avionics!

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At AirVenture 2019, BendixKing announced three new retrofit products, including a touchscreen flat panel display that will go into new and existing planes.

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The AeroVue Touch EFIS has earned FAA approval for installation into hundreds of different planes. The display, which has synthetic vision as standard equipment, also has integral charts and more. It can be paired with navigators from the home team, of course, but also from Garmin and Avidyne. We tested it last year on a visit to the company’s Albuquerque, NM, headquarters and loved it.

The company also announced the certification of its KFC235 autopilot it calls AeroCruze. The new autoflight unit is a mostly plug-and-play replacement for older BK autopilots and features a color touchscreen that the user can customize.

Enjoy this slideshow of photos from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019 from photography Jim Koepnick!

Last, but perhaps most importantly from a market standpoint, BK also announced the certification of its KI300 retrofit EFIS, which is a direct replacement for the thousands of existing KI256 and 255 units in the field that provide the vacuum-driven gyro power for autopilots. The new unit has a beautiful color display and features a one-hour backup battery for when things would have otherwise gone dark. Price of the KI300 is $5,300. Bendix King expects to have STC approvals for a long list of planes very soon.

The post BendixKing Announces Certs At EAA AirVenture Oskosh 2019 appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

At the Sun ’n Fun Fly-In in early April, it was like old times. I climbed into a Grumman Tiger, just like one I flew as my regular ride some 20 years ago (and loved a lot). But this wasn’t that Tiger. This particular bird was the best-equipped Grumman Tiger in the world. Ever.

The plane was, of course, Garmin International’s factory avionics testbed and demonstrator, and it was decked out with the latest from Garmin, along with some cool stuff from last season and even before. And it was all lit up and working happily together. If there hadn’t been 40 rows of airplanes and T-shirt tents and golf carts between us and the runway, we could have gone flying right there. That is, after all, how it got there.

The Tiger is one of hundreds of planes in which an owner can install the new hardware, and when I say “new,” I really mean newly approved for use in certificated Part 23 Class 1 and Class 2 light airplanes under 6,000 pounds. You can’t put it in your King Air, nor was it intended for such planes. What you can do is put it in your Cessna 172 or older Cirrus SR22, or your 1973 Piper Warrior. It’s designed to transform these older airplanes into modern marvels, well, at least electronic marvels. And with good avionics, planes become far more useful.

The work is the next phase in Garmin’s drive to create a whole lineup of Experimental to Certified (E2C) avionics that the FAA has in its much-appreciated wisdom seen fit to allow into the cockpits of old planes to replace the creaky analog gauges, something I’ve been urging the agency to do for 20 years now. Last year, Garmin shook the old school foundations with the introduction of its G5 standalone instrument that could be a really cool multifunction attitude indicator or HSI. At less than $2500 for one of the units, an owner of a 172 (or hundreds of other planes) could get cutting edge hardware in the panel for what it would cost them to replace the existing hardware in many cases. In many cases, the G5 is a lot less than that.

The company followed up on that success with the introduction of the GFC 500 retrofit autopilot, which we flew and reviewed last year. With a GFC 500 hooked up to a G5 or two, you could transform a steam gauged bird into a digital IFR cruiser, so long as you could, and this was the rub, pair it with a WAAS navigator. If you happened to have a GNS 430W in the panel (or some comparable model) then you were set. If not, then you needed to get one, and the new ones were $12,000 and up before installation, and used 430W and 530W navigators were fetching a pretty penny on eBay. They still are, though their market just shrunk appreciably.

RELATED READING: ADS-B: Big Problems, and a Bigger Upside

The genesis of this new host of displays and navigators was Garmin’s work developing G3X Touch avionics for homebuilt airplanes. The gear has been out for several years, and I’ve flown it in several LSAs. It’s amazing stuff, and the price point was great. It kind of had to be if Garmin was going to sell it to homebuilders, almost all of whom are trying to keep their costs down. But the truth is, G3X Touch was developed from Garmin’s existing avionics for certified planes but using fewer methods than required under Part 23. So it’s the best of all worlds.

So, yes, the new gear looks and feels very much like Garmin’s existing industry-leading products like its Garmin G1000Nxi suite, except that in some ways, it’s cooler. It’s got touch control, for one, cool symbology developed to be easy to see and use. This is especially true with the new touchscreen navigators—you’ll see— which are small enough that a really smart UX, the industry term for what we used to call :”user interface,” was critical.

The introductions were really three or four blockbusters, depending on how you count. But the big needs, the critical needs, being met are three or four (depending, again on how you count) capabilities that are either required by law (guess which one that is) or have become so common that pilots “need” them in their planes. These include ADS-B, of course, which we’ll all need in our planes in a few months, moving map, satellite-based point-to-point navigation, and solid state attitude systems. Depending on how an owner tailors the system for their plane, they can get all of these things in different ways, so while none of this is free, the price point is revolutionarily low, and the retrofit capabilities are unprecedented in this class of airplane.

Panels: G3X Touch for Single-Engine Airplanes: The G3X Touch for certified planes comes in two sizes. Unlike on the G1000, in which you have two separate displays, one for the PFD and one for the MFD, with G3X Touch, you get one big PFD with MFD features smartly arrayed around it, just like G500. G3X Touch is super customizable, too, something the FAA swore it would never let happen when the first light GA flat panels were coming around. The way Garmin has done it today is, surprise, surprise, smart and easy to use.

G3X Touch has interfaces for nav and communications radios, active traffic, engine instrumentation, full PFD display with synthetic vision, an inset smart-moving map, FMS inset and more. The product comes in two versions, the 10.6-inch model ($9,995), which is about the same size as one G1000 display, or the more compact 7-inch version ($7,995). The system can interface with a variety of other Garmin products, including the G5 standalone instruments (HSI and attitude), the G500 retrofit autopilot and the new ADS-B transponders, detailed below. Deliveries were scheduled to start in April.

New ADS-B Navigators: GPS 175 and GPS 375: For years, the cost of an IFR navigator, which started at better than $7,000 for a used Garmin GNS 430 unit and was typically more like $15,000, has been a major stumbling block for owners looking to upgrade the panel of their modestly valued small plane. With the introduction of the GPS 175 and GPS 375, that has changed. At $4,995 for the GPS 175 and $7,995 for the GPS 375, these two new navigators are game changers, and not just for Garmin products. There are a lot of other products out there—well, not a lot, but a handful or more—that need a certificated IFR navigator to get the most value out of them. These are those.  

The 175 is a standalone IFR navigator with a color touchscreen display and broadcasts ADS-B Out.  You don’t enter flight plan data, like airports or waypoints, with a concentric knob, as you do on most Garmin navigators, but by inputting them using an ingenious popup menu.

The 375 is slightly larger than the 175 and adds a host of features, including ADS-B In. Importantly, both products are the same width as a standard instrument, so no panel surgery should be necessary for their installation, though you might need to add a WAAS antenna if you don’t already have one installed. Of course, both work with the Garmin G5 standalone primary flight instruments, the G500 and G600 autopilots and existing Garmin Mode C or S transponders (remember, you still need one of those), among numerous other Garmin products.

RELATED READING: Four ADS-B Receivers to Consider

These two navigators are the real game changers, as they get the cost of being able to fly IFR flight plans and LPV (and more) approaches down to $4,995, while also adding ADS-B Out, functions that would have cost around $20,000 or more previously.  

So back to that Tiger. It has two G3X Touch displays, a 10.6-inch one and a 7-inch version mounted vertically. In addition, it has a G5 serving as the standby instrument, a second nav/comm, which is really convenient, not to mention a great backup; the GFC 500 autopilot; and the GMA 345 audio panel, all of which can work and play together through the interface of the G3X displays.

And all of it for around $30,000 retail, and that’s for this panel, which, most would agree, is probably overkill. Now, $30,000 is a lot, but if you’ve shopped for this kind of gear before, it’s really not, because what you get is everything you want, in the latest, most sophisticated digital form. Game changers without a doubt.

Look for a full flight report from Plane & Pilot soon, in which we’ll tell you how all this cool stuff works in action, as well as going into different options you might employ when it comes time to pull the trigger.

The post Game-Changing Avionics From Garmin appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Pilots and the aviation community are recognizing the safety benefits of Angle Of Attack (AOA) indicators, which provide a visual display of the AOA, or the angle between the chord of the airfoil and the relative wind. An AOA indicator’s ability to present an incipient stall visually, and a recent spate of accidents AOAs might have helped prevent, led the FAA last year to ease the pathway to certification for AOA products, and several manufacturers have since introduced theirs. Aspen Avionics previewed an AOA display for its Evolution primary flight and multifunction display screens during Sun ‘n Fun this year. Not a moment too soon for James Buck, who formerly flew Beechcraft T-34Cs as a Marine Corp flight instructor. “In the military, AOA in the fixed-wing community is part of normal life,” said Buck, now Aspen’s director of flight operations. “I was shocked when I started flying as a civilian and no one in GA used it.”

We met Buck at Plant City Airport, a few miles west of Lakeland, to see Aspen’s AOA in operation in the company’s Cirrus SR22. Buck explained some of AOA’s features in the Plant City Airport Services offices before the flight. One benefit for Aspen’s customers: No additional hardware or modifications are needed. The Evolution AOA indicator calculates angle of attack from the flight envelope data received from the air data computer and attitude heading reference system (AHRS) integrated in the Evolution 1000 PFD or Evolution 1000 MFD, and a certified GPS; users just update their software. Even more important, said Buck: Aspen’s display shows AOA in both flaps up and flaps down configurations, as do military systems, whereas other units on the GA market show only one value, calculated for either flaps up, down, or somewhere intermediate. The values between clean and landing configurations can differ markedly, so the angle-of-attack indication can’t always be accurate in such systems, Buck noted.

To install the AOA software, an Aspen dealer upgrades the Evolution with an SD card reader. Then, values for the aircraft’s gross weight, empty weight, cruise speed, maneuvering speed and short-field approach speed are fed in on the ground. Finally, a calibration flight in smooth air is performed. After engaging the calibration mode, fly the aircraft straight and level at cruise speed for 45 seconds. Engage the calibration mode again and fly at maneuvering speed for 2.5 minutes. Engage a third time and fly the minimum approach speed for 45 seconds. “It literally takes less than ten minutes on a nice, smooth day,” said Buck. If any errors occur, the system will provide an error message and the flight segment can be repeated.

The software in Aspen’s Cirrus was upgraded, configured and ready to go, so we flew out to open airspace a few miles south. Aspen’s Cirrus is outfitted with an Evolution 2500 multi-display system, consisting of an MFD500 on the left, a PFD1000 in the center, and on the right, an MFD1000 with a reversionary PFD mode. The AOA can be displayed on either one-half or one-third screen windows on the MFD, or as a smaller indicator superimposed on the PFD.

The AOA display appears as two parallel, vertical bars of blue, green, yellow and then red, from bottom to top. (Buck said Aspen is still finalizing the AOA’s graphical presentation.) The bar on the left displays the flaps up AOA, flaps down is on the right. It’s up to you as the pilot to know which one you should be paying attention to, based on the aircraft’s configuration.

Aspen Avionics previewed an AOA display for its Evolution primary flight and multifunction display screens during Sun ‘n Fun this year. One benefit for Aspen’s customers: No additional hardware or modifications are needed.

We flew banks at 30, 45 and 60 degrees, watching the AOA indicators advance higher the steeper the angle. Simply seeing the differences in indications in the two configurations displayed simultaneously, while banking either clean or with flaps, was illuminating. Whenever we got near the red on the indicator for the appropriate configuration, the stall horn sounded. “If you calibrate the aircraft correctly, the stall warning horn and the red/yellow band are kind of coincident,” Buck said.

The message was clear, if not loud: It’s better to see the approaching stall, and lower the nose or reduce the bank, before the stall horn goes off and catches you by surprise.

It’s better to see the approaching stall, and lower the nose or reduce the bank, before the stall horn goes off and catches you by surprise.

The display is pilot selectable and can be turned off when not needed, for example in cruise flight. Additionally, the PFD’s AOA display currently has an off and auto, rather than on, mode; in auto, the display disappears when airspeed exceeds 100 knots.

We did some circuits back at the airport where Buck showcased other benefits: If you’re doing a go around, when is it safe to retract your flaps? Now you definitely know, because you can see the angle of attack for a clean configuration even when the flaps are down. And a finer point: managing lift isn’t just about keeping the aircraft from stalling. If you’re operating out of short fields, you don’t want excess lift when you’re coming over the numbers. An AOA will help you fly slow speeds more precisely as well as more safely. To maximize those benefits, I’d want on AOA indicator that displayed both ends of the configuration envelope.

The software for the Aspen’s Integrated Angle of Attack Indicator is $1,995. Visit aspenavionics.com for more information.

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The VFR PFD is modular and slides into existing three-inch instrument holes in any instrument panel.

Though glass cockpit technology has brought the general aviation piloting experience closer to what’s available on airliners, VFR pilots haven’t been taking advantage of glass in huge numbers. IFR pilots were the first to reallyembrace glass technology, and anybody who has flown IFR using round “steam gauges” and then transitioned to something like a G1000 can precisely place the “aha!” moment when the advantages of a glass panel became more than obvious. However, VFR-only pilots have been slower to embrace glass cockpit technology for a variety of reasons. Aspen Avionics is changing that.

The company announced the industry’s first-ever certified, VFR-only, glass panel primary flight display called the EFD1000 VFR PFD. John Uczekaj, President and CEO of Aspen, gave us a sneak peek into this ingenious retrofit PFD targeted at VFR pilots.

“Our business has a real culture of trying to build products that are affordable,” said Uczekaj. “And we noticed that VFR pilots were not taking advantage of glass technology. So we put our engineers to work to determine what type of product—and at what price point—would attract VFR pilots to the advantages of glass.” Uczekaj said that the driving force behind the decision to create a VFR product was safety and not market share. “We want to contribute to the safety of the VFR pilot by enticing them to take advantage of the benefits of glass technology.”

Aspen has created an elegant, useful and very affordable solution here. The VFR PFD uses the same single-unit footprint as the popular Evolution 1000 Pilot. In fact, it’s the same unit but has been software “limited” to VFR-only capabilities. It allows VFR pilots the convenient option of upgrading to a full-blown EFD1000 PRO (with full IFR capability) only if and when they expand into instrument flying. The upgrade to the IFR-capable PRO model is a simple task, requiring only a software update. Just that easily the VFR PFD becomes a fully capable IFR PFD.

Uczekaj tells us that VFR pilots frequently cite cost as the limiting factor for upgrading to glass. To answer that, Aspen created this unit so it’s inexpensive (in the avionics world) and easy to install. Priced at $4,995, the VFR PFD opens up the glass world to VFR pilots in a realistic way. Like all of Aspen’s Evolution flight displays, the VFR PFD is modular and slides into two existing three-inch instrument holes in any instrument panel. This retrofit technology delivers substantially lower installation costs than other glass solutions. For under $5,000, the VFR pilot gets all the advantages of glass with the capability to upgrade as their skills grow.

Since the introduction of glass technology, the main advantages of switching to it have been increased situational awareness and higher reliability. Traditional rounddial instruments are filled with intricate mechanisms, whirling gyroscopes, tiny air bladders, mechanical links, gears, dials and an assortment of small, vulnerable parts that wear out with time. Glass technology replaces all that with “solid-state” components that rely on sophisticated,nonmoving sensors to provide the same information to the pilot. Second, glass displays combine multiple pieces of information (such as airspeed, vertical speed, attitude and altitude) into a single visual area, placing thedata close together and making the pilot’s visual scan more efficient. Combined with GPS technology, glass PFDs give the pilot more information in a more efficient display and with greater accuracy.

Aspen’s VFR PFD consolidates all the traditional “six-pack” instrument information—plus a course deviation indicator (CDI)—into a single display. It does much more, including displaying winds aloft, OAT, TAS and ground speed. The unit interfaces with all popular panelmounted GPS units, and its navigation display features a 360-degree compass and ARC modes. The display has a flight plan overlay, including flight plan legs and waypoints, curved flight paths and nearby navaids. The unit shares the Evolution series’ Hazard Awareness feature, providing lightning and traffic hazard displays.

On the technical side, the VFR PFD has its own integral Air Data Attitude Heading Reference System (ADAHRS), so no additional units need to be installed into the airplane, saving weight over non-modular glass-panel systems. The unit includes a built-in backup battery and emergency GPS, and has an analog converter unit (ACU) that connects to some existing autopilots for GPS steering. Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADSB) is built into the PFD, as well.

To date, the VFR PFD is the most affordable, upgradable and easily installed Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) available for the GA market. At seven inches high and three-anda-half inches wide, it packs a ton of information into a small space. With an affordable price tag, laughably simple installation and a wealth of information available on its crispcolor display, The Aspen VFR PFD is an enticing lure for VFR pilots to finally take advantage of what IFR pilots have been raving about for years. Contact www.aspenavionics.com.

The post Aspen Avionics EFD1000 VFR PFD appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

“I fly to 25 air shows a year and log about 250 hours on average each year. If I’m scheduled to fly an air show, I have to be there,” says McNeely. “We file IFR, and the Aspen has made IFR flying a dream. It has changed how we fly.” McNeely and the rest of the team use the unit for en route navigation and instrument approaches. “The flight director of the Aspen unit is connected to our Garmin MX20, our MX80 and our S-Tec autopilot,” adds McNeely.

Aspen Avionics has led the retrofit revolution since it began turning out innovative and affordable general aviation cockpit displays from its Albuquerque location in 2005. The company’s flagship product is its Evolution glass cockpit system. For under $6,000, a pilot can replace the “six-pack” flight instruments with a slide-in, modular PFD that increases situational awareness to an amazing degree. Simple software upgrades add new features to the unit, making it future-proof, while the capability of the Evolution series is nothing short of phenomenal.

But the real news is the way Aspen has expanded its display systems to work together in multiunit clusters to provide all the capability of large glass cockpit systems in a more compact footprint. In fact, the new Evolution multiunit displays—featuring the recently certified EFD500 MFD and EFD1000 MFD—offer even more features than some of the “big-box” competitors, all in a more affordable and easily upgradable product. It’s all about modularity.

By combining different slide-in units, a full-spectrum total glass cockpit is within the reach of just about any GA airplane. The units fit into standard three-inch holes in the instrument panel and are designed to work with existing GPS units, autopilots and flight directors. Through the modular units, the system’s basic functionality can be enhanced with features like terrain information, traffic, weather, full IFR capability and a lot more. A convenient and well-placed data port on the front of the unit makes software upgrades a no-headache affair.

Aspen’s Evolution 2500 package is an example of the company’s new multi-unit retrofit approach. The 2500 “system” couples three Evolution units to put a huge display area in front of the pilot, with just about anything imaginable only a few button strokes away. It combines the 1000 Pro PFD (which adds full IFR capability to the basic EFD1000 PFD), the EFD1000 MFD and the 500 MFD to deliver what Aspen calls its “total glass cockpit solution.”

Scott Smith is a regional sales manager for Aspen Avionics and flies his 2002 Cirrus SR22 for both work and fun. He has a “three-display” Evolution setup in his immaculate airplane, and I was fortunate to meet him for some flying fun, also an opportunity to see how the triple-unit combination works in real life. In fact, the gray and gloomy Florida day would be a perfect stage to see what the Aspen system could do.

“One of the main things about this unit,” Smith said as we settled into the cockpit, “is that your whole scan is right there. It’s all in front of you.” Smith added that it eases the workload during IFR operations because it shows everything the pilot needs. “All the information for the approach is on one display,” he said. I noticed that Smith configured his three-unit display slightly different than the Evolution 2500 package. His Cirrus had two EFD1000s (an EFD1000 Pro MFD and EFD1000 MFD) and a single EFD500 MFD. Pilots can mix and match, as they prefer.

During run-up, Smith explained some of the other big draws of the multidisplay idea. “You get dual everything,” he added. With a multidisplay setup, pilots get dual independent AHRS, air-data computers, compass systems and HSIs. Aspen also has an exclusive feature it calls DuoSafe redundancy: If your PFD fails, you simply press the “REV” (revisionary) button on the EFD1000 MFD, and it instantly becomes your PFD and still part of your instrument scan. The feature is designed to eliminate confusion during a unit failure and to make the situation easier to handle.

Aspen’s features are wholly impressive. The basics include airspeed and altitude tapes, an altitude alerter (including a separate alert for approach minimums), an electronic, two-bearing pointer HSI, moving map with curved flight paths, GPS steering with compatible navigators (like Garmin), and a superbright, very readable six-inch, 140-pixel-per-inch LCD screen. Watching the display on takeoff, I found it unusually crisp and easy to read, though I have to admit I found some of the symbols very small and a tad challenging on my not-20/20-anymore eyes. And even when the ambient light changed to sun rays, it didn’t seem to affect the readability of the displays.

But I wanted to get to the heart of what makes Aspen Avionics special. As we climbed into the cloud layer, I asked Smith—who has nearly 1,000 hours of experience with Aspen displays—what his favorite feature is. “That’s easy,” he smiled. “The winds-aloft feature and the slaved directional gyro.” Smith explained that the unit’s built-in air-data computer calculates wind speed and direction in real time, and shows an arrow to help the pilot visualize it. The pilot can set the integrated heading bug and follow the wind-corrected course, all the while seeing true airspeed calculated in real time. The slaved directional gyro means you’ll never have to set your DG to the “whiskey” (magnetic) compass again.

Aspen has really hit the ball out of the park with some of its newest goodies. Synthetic vision will be an optional add-on to the EFD1000 Pro in Q1 2011; it renders a real-time 3D view of terrain, traffic and other hazards. Even at night, synthetic vision renders the scene as if it were daylight, making situational awareness a no-brainer.

Evolution Hazard Awareness displays flight hazards by combining data link weather (via XM aviation products), traffic, terrain and Stormscope lightning, and overlaying it on your primary moving-map navigational display. If your autopilot supports a flight director, the 1000 Pro will give you a single-cue flight director that makes hand flying easier. Charts and georeferenced airport maps can be loaded onto the new MFDs. Aspen also is adding a new engine display module to its MFDs; it’ll be available by the end of this year. All units have a built-in battery backup and emergency GPS.

The skies above this part of Florida are swarmed with traffic of all types, and Smith is showing me all the capabilities of the Aspen units while looking outside, handling ATC and avoiding traffic through the built-in traffic displays. Frankly, it’s a ton of information, though Smith’s practiced fingers make it all look easy. “It doesn’t take long to get very familiar with all this,” Smith assures me. As he sets up for the approach, it’s easy to see the value of the three-display setup.

In approach mode, I see how both lateral and vertical deviation indicators are overlaid on the attitude director indicator on the top half of the PFD. Approach minimums are displayed right in front of the pilot, so your scan stays tight. The PFD is coupled to Smith’s autopilot, so it flies the entire approach, including anticipating turns through its GPS steering coupled with a Garmin GNS 430W. In fact, the Aspen PFDs can be coupled to most autopilots and flight directors. “This can interface with just about anything with a heading bug,” adds Smith.

Pilots can configure these multiunits to show just about anything available. The MFDs, for example, can be split three ways. A pilot could put terrain and traffic on one MFD while viewing weather on another, and then set the PFD to display only a minimum of information. “They can be configured one way for the en route segment, and another way for the approach,” says Smith. The entire visual aspect can be based on how the pilot likes it.” The user interface consists of buttons along the right side of the unit, and two knobs along the bottom.

I have the advantage that our backseat passenger this morning is Kevin Williams, Aspen’s field service engineer. I ask him about the reliability of the units as well as the support. “There are no moving parts in these units so they’re extremely reliable,” says Williams. “We’ve done about 2,500 installations in light aircraft.” Williams adds that the front data port is a huge plus for field upgrades and support. “We can upgrade a customer to all kinds of new capabilities without ever touching the hardware,” he says.

Aspen Avionics is unique because of the affordability and the modularity of its products. The units slide into existing instrument panels and work with existing systems, and installation is easier and costs less than a traditional glass-panel retrofit. Pricing for the Evolution series ranges from the aforementioned $5,995 for the EFD1000 Pilot to $22,895 for the 2500-series, three-display, full-IFR system. All Aspen components can be purchased separately, so pilots can “build” systems as their budgets allow.

Back with the AeroShell T-6s, McNeely and team member and right wingman Mark Henley talk about their EFD1000s. “You’d think the thing is broken, it tracks so well,” laughs Henley. They both agree that the addition of the Aspen Evolution unit allows them to travel to more destinations in all kinds of weather. “The team uses the Aspen all the time,” Henley adds. “Heck, we don’t even turn it off during the air show.” Visit www.aspenavionics.com.

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From front to back, the GPSMAP 696 from Garmin and the Stratomaster Enigma MKII EFIS from MGL Avionics

Once upon a time, intrepid pilots rapped with their oil-stained, gloved knuckles on balky steam gauges; needles quivered unstuck, and all was right across the skies. Then somebody got the bright idea that you could put aviation instrument data on those cool little computer-screen thingies, and the age of the glass cockpit was upon us quicker than you could say “bank loan.”

The page-two part of this story may be how quickly LSA and experimentally built cockpits have taken the lead in the recent migration to (relatively) low-cost, super-whiz-bang electronic gizmos. The prime driver here is that FAA certification isn’t required for LSA, as it is for GA aircraft. That has opened the floodgates to a broad and deep range of sophisticated, compact, affordably exotic instruments from literally scores of companies.

Today’s LSA glass displays cost a fraction of what similar GA instrumentation did just a few years back. It doesn’t take Nostradamus to see that, one day, all-electronic panels will be commonplace in all aircraft: They almost are already!

You know you’ve arrived when you can pop off the tarmac on a balmy day, climb to 5,000 feet, punch in GPS destination, flick on autopilot, dial in satellite or MP3 tunes and kick back. Now that’s big bucks–style cruising on a Big Mac budget—almost. An EFIS panel, GPS and autopilot can purloin your purse of several G-notes in a hummingbird’s heartbeat. Still, many who take delivery of their shiny new LSA with nothing but a handheld radio are soon haunting avionics shops or making computer-mouse skid marks to shop for the hottest of the latest superhot stuff!

Advanced Flight Systems’ AF-4500EF Advanced Deck (left) and Dynon’s FlightDEK-D180 (right)

EFIS Envy
If your buddy has a panel that turns his/her Aerotrekker into a Star Trekker, then you just gotta upgrade, right? Acronym alert: EFIS stands for electronic flight information system. EMS means engine monitoring system. PFD = primary flight display. MFD = multi-function display.

Advanced Flight Systems
AFS offers a variety of EFIS decks, including the new 8.4-inch AF-4500EF Advanced Deck backlit display. Any AFS screen can be configured as an EFIS, EMS or both. System features include moving map, XM weather, GPS and more. All AFS systems have full-featured voice-alert systems. Price: $5,947. Contact: www.advanced-flight-systems.com.

Grand Rapids Technology’s Horizon HX (left) and Sport S200-HS PFD (right)

Dynon Avionics
You’ll see this industry leader’s dual-screen EFIS devices, EFIS-D100 and EMS-D120, in most well-equipped S-LSA. The EFIS-D100’s seven-inch screen shows attitude, airspeed, altimeter, HSI, gyro-stabilized magnetic heading, vertical speed, turn/bank, etc. Price: $2,400.

AvMap’s EKP-IV Pro portable navigation system

The EMS-D120 replaces 16 separate steam gauges (such as rpm, EGT and CHT) and can monitor up to 27 engine sensor points. Price: $2,000.

Limited panel space? The FlightDEK-D180 combines EFIS and EMS into one efficient powerhouse package, and you save a few bucks, too. The seven-inch split screen can be configured in several ways. Price: $3,200.

ATC 4401 Mode C transponder from Becker Avionics

Dynon’s SkyView system for experimentals and LSA is a next-generation offering with two bright, dimmable screen sizes: the 10-inch SV-D1000 and seven-inch SV-D700. SkyView’s comprehensive display has ADAHRS and EMS modules, an autopilot, a GPS receiver/antenna puck, a backup battery, synthetic vision and top-down terrain. Optional moving-map software, NAV/COM and ARINC 429 data bus will be offered soon. The system will offer flexibility in components and remain fully upgradeable as new capabilities are developed. At this writing, prices weren’t available. Dynon will accept trade-ins of earlier-model Dynon EFIS and EMS systems. Contact: www.dynonavionics.com.

Icom’s IC-A210 air-band transceiver

Garmin
Future-tech leader Garmin keeps putting the heat to the competition with its G3X upgrade kit, which integrates the GDU 370 or GDU 375 MFD into a dedicated PFD or PFD/MFD display. Price: $9,995.

A hot MFD that’s popping up in a lot of LSA is the portable, kneeboard-sized (seven-inch) GPSMAP 696 unit that the GDUs above are built around. It includes moving map, HSI, instruments page, terrain alerts and more. Price: $3,595. Contact: www.garmin.com.

PM3000 stereo intercom from PS Engineering

Grand Rapids Technology
Sport S200-HS PFDwith AHRS ($2,800) and S100-HS MFD ($1,800). Both can be outfitted with optional 8.4-inch screens, as well as EIS (engine information system), internal GPS, XM weather and more. If synthetic vision is on your shopping list, then the Horizon HX dual PFD/MFD with engine monitoring deserves a look. Price: $13,350. Contact: www.grtavionics.com.

MGL Avionics
More turf means easier viewing. The horizontal, 5.7-inch Stratomaster Enigma MKII with integrated GPS unit is packed with features: voice terrain warning, nine programmable screens, moving map, engine monitoring, checklists, weight/balance calculator, etc. Price: $2,350. Contact: www.mglavionics.com.

EFIS & EMS Integra TL-6624 from TK Elektronic

TL Elektronic
The EFIS & EMS Integra TL-6624 multifunctional system monitors flight and engine with primary flight and engine instruments, HSI, 3-D terrain mapping, headphone voice alerts and more. Price: $3,190. Contact: www.tl-elektronic.com.

TruTrak Flight Systems
TruTrak’s EFIS SG panel-mount display shows flight instruments such as HSI, airspeed, altimeter, artificial horizon, gyro, heading and altitude bugs, GPS, airspeed warning and more. Upgrade models include built-in single- or dual-axis autopilot and GPS steering. Price: $3,800. Contact: www.trutrakflightsystems.com.

UAV Navigation
Spain-based UAV Navigation offers its EFIS, an integrated PFD and HSI, in a 3.5-inch, panel-mount screen. The PFD screen displays all flight information such as altitude, airspeed, etc. The HSI shows standard two-needle navigation, including GPS-based HSI, ADF, TAS and more. Check this: Everything is touch-screen-controllable! Price: about $5,000. Contact: www.uavnavigation.com Autopilots, Transponders, Radios & More.

The prime driver here is that faa certification isn’t required for lsa… that has opened the floodgates to a broad and deep range of sophisticated, compact, affordably exotic instruments…

TruTrak’s DigiFlight II VSVG autopilot fits standard 2.25-inch round instrument holes and also can be equipped as a panel mount.

AvMap
The EKP-IV Pro portable, moving-map, 12-channel GPS comes with a seven-inch screen, aircraft checklists and aircraft systems integration capability such as autopilot. The device is Jeppesen NavData–capable and offers storage for 15 flight plans of up to 100 legs each. The display has vertical or horizontal orientation, turn-by-turn vocal instructions, aircraft checklists, TAWS and much more. Price: $1,499. Contact: www.avmap.us.

Becker Avionics
This Austrian company’s solid-state ATC 4401 Mode C transponder is a 2.25-inch panel mount that offers VFR/IFR operation up to 15,000 feet. Price: $1,895. Becker’s AR 4201 VHF/AM transceiver also mounts in a 2.25-inch slot. It offers 99-channel memory. Price: $1,295. Contact: www.becker-avionics.com.

Dynon Avionics
Autopilot functions come with every Dynon EFIS or FlightDEK: Just install servos for each control axis ($750 each) and—presto!—you’ve got a full-featured dual-axis autopilot. Having two Dynon EFIS devices provides welcome redundancy, as either can provide autopilot functions. Price: $450 (AP74); $1,500 (AP76). Contact: www.dynonavionics.com.

Garmin
The SL30 packs a 760-channel VHF COM transceiver and a 200-channel VOR/LOC/ GS NAV receiver with DME display into one small space. This is the only panel-mount NAV/COM with a standby frequency monitoring feature, providing the capability of two NAV/COMs in one. Price: $3,729. Contact: www.garmin.com.

Icom
Icom’s IC-A210 is a panel-mounted, air-band transceiver with a large, bright OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display that features enhanced brightness and vividness; a high-contrast, wide viewing angle; and a quicker response time when compared to traditional displays. Additionally, it offers easy channel selection, GPS memory, VOX intercom, and 10 regular and 200 group memory channels. Price: $1,995. Contact: www.icomamerica.com.

MGL Avionics
On a tight budget? The 3.5-inch E1 Engine Management System combines everything you need to monitor your LSA engine in one compact package: EGT, CHT, rpm and more. The E1 display is a high-resolution LCD screen. Price: $250. Contact: www.mglavionics.com.

PS Engineering
Mustn’t forget cockpit chatter: The sophisticated panel-mount PM3000 hi-fi stereo intercom features top-notch VOX and squelch controls, VOX circuitry, adjustable LED power and transmit intensity, a single squelch-control knob for simple and quiet operation, and separate pilot/copilot transmission capability. Price: $493. Contact: www.ps-engineering.com.

Trig
This company claims its TT21 Mode S transponder is the world’s smallest and lightest at around one pound! That’s good news for small LSA panels. Low power consumption and a very small panel footprint make it ideal for space-challenged LSA decks. Price: $1,795. Contact: www.trig-avionics.com.

Trio Avionics
The EZ Pilot solid-state, single-axis autopilot has a lot of features for it’s low price point: pilot command steering, selectable track offset, speed-controlled bank angle, GPS flight-plan tracking and a lot more. Price: $1,770. Contact: www.trioavionics.com.

TruTrak Flight Systems
TruTrak is well known for its autopilots, which are offered as standard equipment on many production S-LSA. The DigiFlight II VSGV comes in two flavors: 2.25-inch round-hole or flat-pack mount. The device has a digital slaved directional gyro, track selector, altitude hold, wheel steering, GPS steering and GPS NAV mode—and it weighs just six pounds including servos! Price: $5,225. Contact: www.trutrakflightsystems.com.

Zaon
The portable, stand-alone PCAS XRX collision-avoidance system sits on the glare shield. It can link to GPS moving-map and EFIS devices and display traffic using TCAS-like symbology. Price: $1,495. Contact: www.zaon.aero.

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The system’s backlit, high-resolution LED screens are certainly dazzling. And the FMS900w Flight Management System is certainly brainy—it can seamlessly calculate and fly a curved transition with wind-corrected roll commands from the en route phase to an ILS intercept, for example. What sets Entegra Release 9 apart, however, is the ease of operation. And then there’s the optional Flight Deck Controller (FDC) with a full QWERTY keyboard that makes data input even easier and gives the panel a big iron look!

The 10-inch screens and bezels are similar in appearance to the Entegra displays in current factory-equipped Cirrus and Piper aircraft and previous aftermarket and OEM installations. The familiar façade fronts a metal chassis with slots for plug-in blades that control the Entegra’s suite of functions. These line-replaceable units (LRUs) can quickly be pulled out and replaced for repairs or upgrades. The blades drive the Integrated Flight Displays (IFDs), as Avidyne calls the screens; any display on one screen can be called up on the other, erasing the distinction between the PFD and the MFD. Another major change: Previous Entegra iterations relied on Garmin’s GNS 430 GPS/NAV/COM to drive the system. Entegra Release 9 utilizes Avidyne’s own WAAS-capable GPS receiver and digital VHF COM/VLOC receiver, enhancing integration and freeing engineers to rethink the user interface (UI) as they developed the upgrade. Throughout the design process, Avidyne brought in pilots and observed their interactions with the work in progress, learning what pilots wanted to do at various phases of flight and how they instinctively expected a system to operate.

Entegra Release 9 has five primary function modes: Primary Flight Display (PFD), Flight Management System (FMS), Maps (MAP), Engine and Flight Systems (SYS) and Checklists (CHKL). Each mode is selected from a corresponding key from an array across the bottom of the bezel. The mode pages, in turn, have associated “tabs” on the bottom of the screen, each representing an alternate or split-screen view of the mode. The mode-select keys also operate as left and right toggles to cycle through the tab views.

The top half of the pilot’s IFD always displays the PFD view, showing power setting, airspeed, attitude, altitude and vertical speed, and also helpful information like speed and direction of headwinds and tailwinds. The PFD currently presents a generic exterior for the widescreen attitude indicator (AI); after initial certification, however, Avidyne plans to certify the system for both synthetic- and enhanced-vision capability in this mode. Any other mode can be viewed simultaneously on the IFD. So, for example, a map of the approach can be viewed on the same screen with the PFD.

Six line select keys (LSKs) on each side of the bezel serve as action keys to control data input and select functions within each mode, depending on the mode and tab being viewed. LSKs select radios, turn the weather overlay on or off, or arm an approach. Though individual LSKs are dormant in many mode views, they illuminate whenever active, making it easy for pilots to direct their eyes where they’re needed. The data and function fields appear adjacent to the controlling LSK and are very clearly labeled. There are no hidden layers beyond this depth.

At the bottom corners of the bezel, two dual-concentric push-button knobs (DCKs) control inputs, dialing in identifiers and frequencies. But not much knob-turning time will likely be spent here for two reasons, as a recent flight in the company’s Entegra Release 9–equipped Cirrus SR22 demonstrated.

First is the aforementioned optional FDC—aka the ACD215 control/display unit (CDU)—with full QWERTY keyboard. A map pointer on the FDC moves a cursor so you can, for example, quickly see the weather ahead and change the map scale by rotating the pointer knob.

The second reason very little knob turning or keyboard inputs are required is the FMS900w FMS. The “context-sensitive” system knows where you are, and nominates frequencies, waypoints and routes when flight planning or flying. Therefore, often all that’s required to input data is a click to confirm a selection the system has suggested. Selecting from a list of approaches is about as complex as it gets.

This is most evident when creating a flight plan in FMS mode. The GeoFill feature predicts and nominates upcoming waypoints on your flight plan based on proximity and route of flight as you type in identifiers or airways.

The system architecture includes a dual-redundant peer-to-peer data bus, ensuring that a single-point failure can’t create a daisy chain of failures that affects other functions.

Avidyne, based in Lincoln, Mass., is introducing Release 9 as an aftermarket upgrade for Cirrus and Piper aircraft equipped with Entegra panels. Certification for Cirrus aftermarket installations is expected in the first half of 2009; in the second half of 2009 for Pipers. Contact Avidyne for exact pricing and availability. For more information, visit www.release9.com.

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Avidyne introduced the glass cockpit to GA in 2003 and has added features and offered several new releases for its Entegra system since then, but Release 9, nearing FAA certification, represents a major advance. The bezels on the faceplates of the 10-inch screens are similar to the Entegra displays in factory-equipped Cirrus and Piper aircraft. But behind the familiar façade is a totally new system, as Mike Ingram, Avidyne’s senior director of engineering, showed me earlier that day at the company’s offices in Melbourne, Fla. The display screen fronts a box with slots for plug-in blades, LRUs (line-replaceable units) that can quickly be pulled out and replaced for repairs or upgrades. The blades drive all screens, and any display on one screen can be called up on the other, erasing the distinction between PFD and MFD screens, hence the “IFD” designation.

Another major change: Previous Entegra iterations relied on Garmin’s GNS 430 GPS/NAV/COM to drive the system. Release 9 uses Avidyne’s own WAAS-capable GPS receiver and digital VHF COM/VLOC receiver, enhancing integration and freeing engineers to rethink the UI (user interface) as they developed the upgrade.

Release 9 also features an optional Flight Deck Controller (FDC), also referred to as a control/display unit (CDU), with a full QWERTY keyboard that further simplifies data entry. A map pointer on the FDC moves a cursor so you can, for example, see the weather ahead or behind you and change the map scale by rotating the pointer knob.

“We spent a lot of time with pilots doing evaluations, and put them through different scenarios,” Ingram said as he introduced me to the new Entegra in a simulator on the ground. “We noticed where they fumbled, and what knobs they grabbed when they wanted to do certain things.”

As I was seeing on my flight with Keirnan, the overall result is an easy-to-learn, intuitive glass-panel system that anticipates what the pilot is going to do and significantly reduces IFR workload. Much of the credit goes to the FMS900w, the brains behind Release 9. The system is “context-sensitive”; it knows where you are, and nominates frequencies, waypoints and routes when flight planning or flying. Thus, often all that’s required to input data is a click to confirm a selection the Entegra has suggested.

The system has five primary function modes: Primary Flight Display (PFD), Flight Management System (FMS), Maps (MAP), Engine and Flight Systems (SYS) and Checklists (CHKL). Each mode is selected from a corresponding key on an array across the bottom of the bezel. The mode pages, in turn, have associated “tabs” on the bottom of the display, each representing an alternate or split-screen view of the mode. The same keys that select the modes also operate as left and right toggles to cycle through on-screen tabs. Tabs on the PFD page, for example, enable flight plan, maps or system information to be displayed on a split screen along with PFD information. Two dual-concentric push-button knobs (DCKs), located at the bottom corners of the bezel, can be used to input data or scroll down and select menu options.

Avidyne introduced the glass cockpit to GA in 2003 and has added new features and offered several new releases for its Entegra system since then, but Release 9, nearing FAA certification, represents a major advance.

We had created a flight plan from Melbourne International (KMLB) to Palm Beach International (KPBI). The system already knew where the flight was originating from, and as soon as I input “KP” on the keypad, the system suggested KPBI as the waypoint I had in mind, thanks to Release 9’s “GeoFill” function, which anticipates what you’re inputting based on proximity and direction of flight. As soon as I confirmed KPBI as the selection, GeoFill populated the flight plan with all the fixes in between and also suggested a waypoint for joining V3, the airway along Florida’s east coast, from our departure point. The FMS also displays the individual legs of the flight plan along with information for each, including course, distance, ETE and crossing altitudes where applicable.

The top half of the pilot’s IFD always displays the PFD view, showing power setting, airspeed, attitude, altitude and vertical speed. (The PFD presents a generic exterior view, but after initial certification, Avidyne plans to add both synthetic- and enhanced-vision display capability to this mode.) On the right screen we had MAP mode displayed, giving a full-screen view of the land below and the flight route we had in the FMS. A simple toggle click split the right screen so we could see the map and the flight plan legs side by side. (The active leg in the flight plan is always magenta, helping direct the eyes to the most important data.) The high-resolution, 1,024×768-pixel, backlit LED display is exceptionally crisp and vivid, even in bright Florida sunshine.

The IFD5000 display also has six line select keys (LSKs) on each side of the bezel that control fields or functions appearing on-screen beside the LSKs, depending on the page and tab being viewed. For example, LSKs are used to select radios, turn the weather overlay on or off, or arm an approach. Though individual LSKs are dormant in many mode views, whenever an LSK is active, it’s illuminated, making it easy to see what to pay attention to and what can be ignored.

If you have a change of plans, you can divert to another airport without reloading a destination. Passing by Vero Beach (KVRB), we decided to shoot the runway 11R VOR approach at the airport. After highlighting the airport on the FMS, I pressed the dedicated procedures button (PROC) on the FDC, and a list of approaches at the airport appeared. I scrolled and pressed the FMS knob to select the desired approach, and the plane turned toward the IAF (initial approach fix). (If I pressed “vectors,” the autopilot would let me choose my own course using the heading bug.) The approach and missed approach procedure were superimposed on the map, and I could put any view of the Jeppesen approach plate I wanted on the screen in front of me.

Release 9 can fly any approach, including procedure turns, enter and fly holds and execute missed approaches, without requiring the operator to master a thick instruction manual. It takes the mystery out of flying a glass panel. As Keirnan had said on the ground, “This does a better job of letting pilots know, ’What have I planned, and what should I expect to happen next?'”

Avidyne is introducing Release 9 as an aftermarket upgrade for Cirrus and Piper aircraft equipped with Entegra panels. Certification for Cirrus aftermarket installations is expected in the first half of 2009; in the second half of 2009 for Pipers. Contact Avidyne for exact pricing and availability.

We finish our flight with the runway 9L GPS approach into Melbourne. But the Entegra isn’t through providing navigational help and situational awareness. I’m not sure where the Avidyne hangar is among the rows of identical buildings. “That turnoff,” Keirnan says. He isn’t pointing outside. His finger is aimed at an upcoming taxiway intersection on the map page, just ahead of the depiction of our taxiing airplane. For more information, visit www.release9.com.

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Garmin’s G600 glass-panel system replaces the typical “six-pack” flight instruments in airplanes such as this early-model Cirrus SR22.

Just a few years ago, state-of-the-art instrument panels for GA aircraft included a traditional “six-pack” of flight instruments connected to a panel-mounted moving-map GPS. Those panels look dated in comparison to modern glass panels, which replace all flight instruments with a single primary flight display (PFD), and provide moving-map and other functions on a companion multi-function display (MFD).

Garmin believes many owners using older systems would like an upgrade to get the benefit of a glass panel in an existing airplane. Its solution is the G600 system, which consists of 6 to 14 line-replaceable units (LRUs), depending on the specific installation, including a GDC 74A air data computer, GRS 77 attitude heading reference system (AHRS), GTP 59 temp probe, GMU 44 magnetometer and at least one WAAS-capable GNS 480, CNX 80, GNS 400W– or GNS 500W–series GPS. (Garmin has no plans to support non-WAAS or non-Garmin GPS hardware.) The most visible component of the system is a GDU 620 display that combines two vertically oriented, 6.5-inch, diagonal LCD units in a single bezel. The display on the left is configured as a PFD, and the one on the right as an MFD. Hard-coded buttons and knobs are available on the lower edge of the bezel, while software-coded buttons are available on the left and right edges.

While I haven’t yet had a chance to fly an airplane with a G600 installed (at this writing, Garmin has it in only a few airplanes), I have been able to spend some time in a G600 simulator at Garmin’s Olathe, Kans., headquarters, read the manuals and interview two pilots who’ve flown with it.

The PFD offers a presentation quite similar to that on a G1000 glass panel; it features a digital attitude indicator on top and an electronic horizontal situation indicator (EHSI) below, and is surrounded by tape-style airspeed, heading and altitude indicators on the left, top and right edges of the display. The EHSI indicates both horizontal and vertical deviations from a primary navigation source (which can be a GPS or VOR/localizer) and bearing pointers for a secondary navigation source (GPS, VOR/localizer or ADF). The G600’s PFD doesn’t provide an inset map like the G1000; because the MFD is right next to the PFD in the same bezel, it really isn’t necessary.

The G600’s GDU 620 display provides a complete PFD and MFD in a single bezel sized to fit most GA panels.

The MFD normally shows a moving map, with user-configurable options for what features (terrain, roads, airways, navaids, etc.) are displayed, but it also can be configured to display terrain and warning system (TAWS) data, instrument procedures (both Jeppesen and NACO charts are available as options), Garmin’s SafeTaxi runway diagrams, XM Satellite Weather (with an optional GDL 69 satellite radio receiver) and traffic (with an optional GTX 300 Mode S transponder). Unlike the higher-end G1000 (which is typically built into new airplanes, though the company also sells it as an upgrade for some Beech King Air models), the G600’s MFD doesn’t display engine-performance data, and there’s no button for a reversionary mode (which puts engine and PFD data on both displays on a G1000).

Operationally, there are some significant differences between the G600 and G1000, most notably NAV/COM tuning and flight-plan/waypoint data entry, all of which is done on the attached GPS. Functionally, the result feels more like Avidyne’s Entegra than the G1000. Users already familiar with the GNS 400/500 series or GPS 480 should have a very short learning curve with the G600.

The G600 supports a variety of autopilots, including most S-TEC, Century, Bendix/King and Rockwell Collins models. The system supports GPS roll steering, either directly or by sending appropriate heading signals to the autopilot. In some cases, altitude preselect and flight director modes will be supported (potential customers should call Garmin to discuss specifics).

According to Garmin’s Jim Alpiser, the installation of a complete G600 system on an airplane that already has at least one compatible GPS installed should require approximately 70 shop hours, though this will vary depending on the autopilot and other installed options. Garmin expects that most owners will choose to retain their existing airspeed and attitude indicators and altimeter as backup instruments, moving them to the side to make room for the GDU 620. In some cases this may require replacing vacuum/pitot tubing when the instruments are moved. The total weight of a basic G600 system is “about 11 pounds,” according to Alpiser, though this can vary from installation to installation. Taking into account the weight of older instruments replaced by the GDU 620, Alpiser says the overall change in weight is usually very small: “In some cases, after taking out older gyros, you may actually wind up weighing less than when you started.”

Garmin is handling certification of the G600 through an STC and approved-model list that currently covers some 785 fixed-wing airplane types, ranging from piston singles through turbine twins. According to Alpiser, helicopters aren’t supported, “though at least one customer is attempting to get a field approval.” Typical electrical power consumption is 55 watts, which Alpiser says may require a larger alternator on some aircraft. There’s no built-in battery backup to provide standby power if the alternator fails.

Planned future options include support for TAWS-B, onboard radar, Honeywell and L-3 Communications traffic display systems, and eventually ADS-B. Alpiser also told us that Garmin is “optimistic” that some form of synthetic vision will eventually be offered on the G600.

Base price for the G600 is $29,995, and keeping the built-in databases up-to-date requires subscriptions that start at $295 and add up quickly for such options as Jeppesen instrument charts and XM Satellite Weather. The hardware is covered by a two-year warranty. According to Alpiser, “More than 600 authorized Garmin service centers are at your service. Most repairs can be handled through single-box repair or swapped out for replacement the next business day. We also have spares strategically located worldwide.” Browse www.garmin.com or call (800) 800-1020.

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