Lots Of New Features For Garmin Pilot App
Integrates with New ADS-B Transponders, and much more
One of the big edges Garmin has over its avionics rivals is that many of its slick panel-mount electronics can talk with the app you just pulled up on your iPad. Whether that's using your knee-board mounted tablet to fill in your flight plan on your GNS750 or going in the other direction and using the ADS-B feed from your panel-mount receiver to display ADS-B traffic and weather on your tablet, it's all very cool and convenient. Garmin believes so much in the concept that it even forged an alliance with otherwise arch rival ForeFlight to allow the two companies' technology to talk back and forth, which makes sense, as ForeFlight is the undisputed industry leader in aviation apps and Garmin can claim that distinction for panel-mount hardware (among a number of other things).
With the introduction a couple of weeks ago of its latest transponders, affordable ADS-B boxes that have WAAS (a requirement for ADS-B) built in, Garmin has turned up the heat in the race to make ADS-B more affordable and easier for shops to install (which also makes it more affordable). Now Garmin Pilot communicates with the new transponders, which brings a lot of new capability to your iOS tablet running the app, including weather and traffic, as well as backup attitude information.
The new version of Pilot also comes with a really cool profile view, with wind barbs and other weather data, terrain and obstacles. There's also improved airspace altitude limit labels, to make it easier to know just how high you need to be to overfly that Class D airspace. And the flight planning utility is greatly enhanced, with a guide to alternate and their current weather conditions automatically enabled for IFR flights.
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