AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2017 - 36

PILOT BRIEFING
PILOT PRODUCTS |

Climbing the learning curve
Flight Training Apps teach the basics, shortcuts
B Y J I L L W. TA L L M A N
THE AOPA SWEEPSTAKES 172 is outfitted with a Garmin GTN 650 nav/
com. It's a beautiful setup with lots
of functionality-but if you've never
flown with a 650 or similar Garmin
product, you're in for a slight learning curve.
Flight Training Apps has released
a new app to guide you through the
basics, and the many shortcuts and
features that the nav/com offers.
Apps such as Flying the Garmin
GTN 650/750 are a practical, costeffective way to really get to know
these systems. Yes, you could take the
user manual, hook up the airplane
to an external power source, and
sit for an hour tapping on the 650's
touch screen. Or you could download
the app, study each concise unit,
and keep the touch screen that
much cleaner. The app also is a
great tool for times when weather,
maintenance, or other issues keep
you away from the airport.
Much as a user manual does,
Flying the Garmin GTN 650/750
breaks down basic setup, the map,
main menu, the flight plan menu
options, waypoint options, and flight
planning and utilities. What's even

more useful is how Flight Training
Apps' Dave Simpson walks you
through a VFR flight from Gillespie
Field to Catalina Island in California,
demonstrating how to plan it out on
the ground with a big-picture look
at the route, and then edit it on the
screen to skirt Class B airspace. In
the air, he demonstrates how the
unit readily offers up information
on the destination airport so that
you can effectively plan your arrival.
Similarly, an IFR-focused segment
shows you how to set up a STAR or a
SID. A 10-question quiz rounds out
additional resources.
The app doesn't show your progression through the units, and I
would like to have seen a more indepth quiz, or one that presented a
different set of questions on a second
try. But those are minor quibbles with
an otherwise solid learning platform.
Flying the Garmin GTN650/750
is available for iOS devices running
version 9.0 or newer.
PRICE: $39.99
CONTACT: www.flighttrainingapps.
com
EMAIL jill.tallman@aopa.org

HEADLINES THAT AFFECT YOU

Recent news from the aviation world

KIRBY CHAMBLISS WINS RED BULL RACE
IN BUDAPEST
Two-time Red Bull Air Race titleholder
Kirby Chambliss put his 2017 season on
track with a win at the race in Budapest
July 2. Canada's Pete McLeod came in
second, while Japan's Yoshihide Muroya
retained the head of the overall standings by clinching third.
-General Aviation News

36 | AOPA PILOT September 2017

FAA CONTINUES UAS MAP ROLLOUT
The FAA continues to release new
unmanned aircraft system facility maps
that will be the foundation of a much
more automated and efficient system
to request and receive authorization for
drone flights near airports. More than
330 airport area maps have now been
published, and the FAA hopes to complete the process by October.
-AOPA Online

MARINE CORPS AIRCRAFT DOWN,
16 KILLED
A Marine Corps KC-130 refueling tanker
and transport aircraft went down in
LeFlore County, Mississippi, on July 10,
claiming the lives of 16 service members.
The flight originated from Marine Corps
Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.
The incident is under investigation.
-ABC News
http://www.flighttrainingapps.com http://www.flighttrainingapps.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2017
