Pilots looking for the hardest-core portable nav unit available tend to flock to Garmin's GPSMAP 696 these days, but there's a problem: the big, bulky tablet doesn't do much good once you're wheels-down and you've got to find your way to the hotel. Enter the new aera series, which you can sorta think of as "
nuvi for pilots" with 4.3-inch touchscreens, user-friendly prompts, and dedicated car modes across the board that'll keep casual observers from realizing that your little buddy doubles as a $2,000 beast capable of safely guiding you cross-country at flight level 250. The 696 is still being regarded as Garmin's premier aviation portable, while the four aera models -- the 500, 510, 550, and 560 -- are called "entry or mid-level" with prices ranging from $799 to $1,999 and should finally sunset the aging lower-end GPSMAP models that look like they're straight out of Garmin's GPS III days. The 510 and 560 throw in XM WX weather support while the 550 and 560 feature Garmin's SafeTaxi interactive airport diagrams, integrated AOPA Airport Directory, and high-end car features pulled from the nuvi line like lane assist and speed limit data. All four models are technically launching on the 5th, but appear to be in stock with online retailers now if you're in a rush.
GPS,
posted Nov 2nd 2009 4:27PM
This is for the birds!
or the next person/man/boy/child that allegedly gets trapped in a balloon, which drifts away..
Or for those flying cars I was promised... :(
That screen looks real busy, is that the preferred UI for a pilot?
Nah, to a pilot it makes perfect sense. And there's a declutter function too, where you can gradually hide certain layers. I love it. My other GPS unit is a G1000, but it's far less portable :-)))
Generally, yeah -- there's a lot of information that you need to be able to glance at once, particularly in congested areas. You learn to differentiate pretty quickly by color and location on the screen.
I have over 25 hours of flight time in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and I can tell you it's pretty normal.
Most of the time, all you need to know is what is ahead of you (and a few degrees on the sides) on your heading.. the things beside you are superfluous.
I'm glad they figured ou how to beat google, at least. Until their next software update, which also adds walking directions! Imagine it:
"get off your ass, take a left out the front door in ten feet"
"get in your car and drive 5 miles to the airport"
"board plane,. Fly x miles.."
you can try the walking directions whit any nokia phone whit gps(free if H.A.C.K.E.D.?#")
Actually the GPS on an android phone will give you directions via walking or via public transportation. Things like walk to the bus stop, take bus #123 to the train station, take the red line and get off at stop 16th&Market, take bus #456 until such and such intersection, get off and walk to your destination.
are they flying over a native american reservation?
haha, I was thinking the exact same thing...
Flight Level 250 would be 250 Thousand feet. These will not work at that altitude.
Why not? GPS in space even.
No, no it wouldn't.
Incorrect. add 2 0s to the end of the FL to get the MSL.. 250= 25000 feet.
Flight Level 250 == 25,000 feet.
northwest pilots need not apply
If I put in an address, will it direct me to the nearest airport, then give me road directions from there? that would be pretty cool, actually. Especially if you could include the plane type to adjust for flight speed variance among different planes... since they are not speed limit based.. but rather aerodynamically challenged or whatever...
this is going to be cool when i have one of those car-that-converts-to-plane deals...
No thanks. My iPhone 3gs is faster.
i'm an apple fanboi but i have to say that i doubt your claim very much
I'd love to see you fly under bravo airspace with just a 3GS.. If you even know what that means.
Sir you must turn off all electronics when the seatbelt sign is on. I'm just trying to see where we are.
I'll keep my Bendix/King AV8OR... cheaper and dual purpose auto/air just like this one.
def a bigger fan of the Bendix/King AV8OR too. no need to pay more for a name!
*takeoff
*fly straight 1000 miles
*land
It would be great if ATC let them do that.
Soon, my friend... ADS-B within the next 10 years...
Yummy yummy! Something new on the Christmas list!
That is one place google hasn't reached yet. LOL