Stick your head in a 2012 Cirrus SR22 and you’ll see the typical Garmin Perspective setup: the big, 12-inch displays, the Garmin Autopilot, and the 5 seats (4.5 really since you can only fit 2 kids and 1 adult in the back). Look a little closer and you’ll see something new on the ’12 SR22. It’s the Garmin GMA 350 Audio Panel, the audio panel modernized. What’s this 3-D audio, you ask? Don’t worry, we’re here to help.
Avidyne has done many things well with their venture into the glass cockpit arena (brief side note: I find it humorous that even Avidyne still uses Garmin’s GPS. As usual, I digress). On the PFD, there are eight bezel keys, four on each side, each with it’s own function. On the bottom of the display are two knobs, one on each side, that are used to input information into each of the different fields next to the bezel keys.
New Cirrus aircraft equipped with the Garmin Perspective avionics suite are a pilot’s dream. All parties involved got this one right. Gone are the days when general aviation pilots have to twist knobs to select an airport identifier. In comes the Garmin Control Unit (GCU) with a complete keyboard which saves time and frustration. Most of the knobs are gone off the MFD, now repositioned on the GCU for easier access. Even the avionics panel is streamlined. I’m getting ahead of myself, though. Let us start with the PFD and analyze the whole setup.
Walk into any pilot’s lounge at any airport, ask a few corporate pilots what the best instrument approach plates are, and you will get a pretty even cut down the middle of who prefers which plates. A lot of times, the Jepp guys are Jepp guys because their bosses pay for it. General aviation pilots, on the other hand, largely do not want to pay the high subscription fee, so they choose NACO. Well, I am here to present a breakdown of each, a few pros and cons, and a few opinions. I have used both extensively in my flying career, so I have grown familiar with both publications.
Technology is constantly changing the way that people access information. The same is true of pilots in the cockpit. Modern avionics systems often work with data subscriptions that are capable of providing weather information as well as terminal procedures charts…
Have you been considering a new headset? The new Bose A20 Aviation Headset is top-notch quality with several excellent features. Based on the previous Bose Aviation X, Bose took a great headset and made it even better. I just picked mine up at Oshkosh last weekend and have flown with it every day for the past week…
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