Avionics News January 2012 - 38

TOUCHSCREEN AVIONICS
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avionics product manager, on this topic. He told me the OSR was actually a result of Garmin’s decision to use an approved model list rather than requesting type-specific supplemental type certificates for the GTN-series in different aircraft: “During the STC project, we identified a fairly sizable list of type-rated Part 23 aircraft we wanted to include. If it were a make and model STC, we would have to have FSB approval for each aircraft before it could be granted. For our AML STC, that would have involved something like 35 aircraft. Instead, we requested an OSR… Since the OSR has not been published, we’ve removed all type-rated aircraft from our STC.” He expects type-rated aircraft to be added once the OSR is published. In the meantime, “An alternative to STC approval at this point would be for individual operators to seek field approval – by aircraft serial number – or a type specific STC.” Based on past experience with Garmin’s other avionics, Stone doesn’t anticipate a requirement for anything beyond computer-based training for GTN operators, though over time he expects GTNs will be added to flight simulators at organizations that offer recurrent training. He did not expect insurance companies to follow the FAA’s lead and require GTN-specific training in light twins and complex singles, “since this equipment offers more safety than some of the older systems flying around and because it’s intuitive and discoverable.” Still, we spoke before the FAA released its second OSR, requiring GTN
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training for operators of aircraft that don’t require a type rating. Since that OSR (based on flight testing in both an A-36 Bonanza and a C-90 King Air) specifically refers to flight instructors and other training providers, it seems to suggest that a flight school adding GTNs to its aircraft, or a sim center offering recurrent training to pilots of GTNequipped aircraft, would be required to provide the same computer-based training as type-specific operators. When I asked Stone what responsibility avionics shops have to advise owners/operators about the training requirement, he told us: “Operators of type-rated aircraft should understand (the requirement), so it’s an owneroperator responsibility. That said and type-rating aside, we all have a responsibility to point out the need for familiarization, whether it’s self-study or computer-based training. You need to get familiar with this kind of equipment in daylight visual conditions before trying to use it in actual instrument conditions. That’s why we produce computer-based training and a course syllabus.” He added that shops should “at least recommend to the operator that he get comfortable with the equipment” when installing GTN-series navigators in private aircraft. For a better sense of why the GTN is so different that the FAA requires specific training, I spent several hours experimenting with Garmin’s GTN simulator software, which the FAA specifies as acceptable for initial training. As a co-owner and operator of an aircraft equipped with a Garmin GNS-530 (and long-time user of Garmin handhelds), I was curious to see just how different the GTN was operationally. After viewing Garmin’s training video and

several hours with the simulator, I am convinced the FAA requirements are spot-on. While I agree that the new touchscreen interface is generally intuitive, I found some of the new functions are not obvious. This is particularly true of the smaller GTN-650 series units, which have limited screen real estate and sometimes hide functions. One obvious example is nav tuning: On start up, only comm frequencies are shown on the 650 display. To see and tune nav frequencies, it’s necessary to press the center of the multifunction knob/button control on the lower right of the unit. On both the GTN 650 and larger 750 series units, I found loading instrument procedures, while easy once it’s understood, can be initially confusing. On earlier units, once a destination airport is set in a flight plan or using the direct-to key, pressing the PROC button immediately brings up a list of available procedures. The equivalent on the GTN series is to press the on-screen procedures icon from the home screen. This brings up a procedures page with separate departure, arrival and approach fields. Touching any of these brings up a selector in which you enter the ICAO designator for the airport in question, and then select the procedure. It’s not difficult, but it is noticeably different from how this is done on earlier units. One of the major new features offered by the GTN-series is “rubberband routing,” and a flight plan can be modified by dragging the course line to a waypoint or airway. Again, this is a simple, intuitive procedure once you’ve seen it demonstrated and practiced it a few times. For example, if you start with a simple flight plan from one airport to another, then edit it to in-

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Avionics News January 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News January 2012