AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2014 - 91

Out (through a Trig transponder), so the
GDL 39 receives both ADS-B traffic and
weather. (Without ADS-B Out, it would get
only partial traffic and full-time weather.)
Once airborne, a few of the syn-vis
limitations became apparent. First, in a
10-degree climb, the unit wrongly thinks
it's level. In level flight, it erroneously
believes it's in a 10-degree descent. The
reason for this is that the GDL is programmed to believe it is level on the
ground-and that works fine in most nosewheel airplanes, but not with tailwheel
airplanes like an RV-4. A quick tap of the
reset button in level flight quickly recalibrates the unit and it remains accurate the
rest of the flight.
The syn-vis display is exceptionally
good at showing traffic. Other aircraft
appear as tiny white diamonds, then grow
into white dots, and finally large yellow
spheres as they get closer.
Airports appear as billboards with their
four-letter identifiers spelled out. As you fly
closer, the runways show up in their proper
orientation, and runway numbers appear on
the thresholds as they do in real life.
Transparent tapes show GPS-derived
altitude, groundspeed, and ground track
in the traditional glass-cockpit locations,
along with an HSI and magenta trend indicators. Unlike the G1000, however, the
syn-vis for tablets doesn't include a flight
path marker (green dot) or highway-inthe-sky boxes to fly through. This version
of syn-vis also must be viewed full screen.
There's no split screen to allow a moving
map or traffic on one screen and syn-vis on
the other.
In sum, Garmin's syn-vis for tablet
computers makes a game-changing technology much more widely available at a
tiny fraction of the cost of FAA-certified,
panel-mount systems. And while these
portable units aren't nearly as robust as
the certified variety, pilots who become
accustomed to flying with syn-vis and the
situational awareness and comfort it brings
won't want to do without it.
And what looked like a gimmick at first
will quickly be regarded as essential to an
ever-larger portion of GA pilots.
AOPA
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

Touchscreen avionics
Garmin introduces the G3X Touch
B Y D AV E H I R S C H M A N

GARMIN'S NEW G3X TOUCH is an all-inone touchscreen avionics suite for Experimental and light sport aircraft that
includes synthetic vision with highwayin-the-sky guidance, a color moving map
with terrain warnings, weather and traffic, a digital autopilot, a graphic engine
monitor, communications radio, and transponder with ADS-B Out.
The 10.6-inch display uses infrared
technology to activate the sunlight-readable screen, as well as four traditional
buttons and two knobs for common commands such as direct-to, radio tuning, and
setting headings and altitudes.
"Our dedicated experimental engineering team, better known as 'Team X,'
continues to raise the bar with the introduction of the G3X Touch," said Carl Wolf,
Garmin vice president of aviation sales.
"Team X listened to the requests of our
customers and as builders themselves-
designing products for the activity they
love-have delivered a large, intuitive
touchscreen flight display, which offers a
number of enhanced capabilities that give
our amateur-built and light sport customers what they asked for, and more."
Aircraft owners can install up to three
G3X Touch displays in their panel. The
touchscreen provides a user interface that

uses the same logic and commands as other
Garmin products. The G3X Touch also has
a split-screen function that allows pilots to
divide the display between primary flight
display, multifunction display, engine monitor, and IFR and VFR charts.
Weather and satellite radio are available
via SiriusXM, and subscription-free weather
and traffic can be displayed using a GDL 39
ADS-B receiver. Pilots have the option of
controlling Garmin's Experimental autopilot
through a touchscreen interface or a standalone control panel.
A new, 10-watt, remote communication radio with "3D audio" can be operated
through the G3X Touch. Angle of attack
indications can be viewed on the PFD
screen or Garmin's new GI 260, which can
be placed in the pilot's primary field of view.
A single-screen G3X Touch with synthetic vision, video input, a built-in WAAS
GPS receiver, air data attitude and heading
reference system, magnetometer, outside
air temperature probe, interactive mapping, and more has a retail price of $5,499.
With an engine information system, the
price is $6,099. The GTR 20 remote com
transceiver sells for $995, and the GI 260
AOA indicator is $250.
AOPA
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2014

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