Metro Aviation has received FAA STC avionics approval for installation of the Garmin GTN 650/750 Xi, which is certified for single-pilot IFR, in the Airbus EC145 light-twin helicopter. The avionics—which Metro has installed in a helicopter operated by Pennsylvania’s Geisinger Life Flight—allows pilots to visualize the entire flight plan, including holds and approaches, on a high-resolution touchscreen.
Garmin's GTN 650/750 Xi multifunction display supports multiple inputs and can show moving maps, terrain, traffic, weather, and airport diagrams. The new STC was designed to be used either as a complete installation or for eventual upgrades to the nearly 100 in-service EC145s. It also includes the Garmin GTX345R, GDL 69H, TAS605A, GWX75H, HTAWS, and ADS-B. This new STC includes features not previously available in the GNS series of equipment. Metro has received a second STC for the Garmin GTN 650/750 on the Airbus EC135.
The GTN650/750 Xi installation in Geisinger’s helicopter was part of a larger refurbishment performed by Metro that included the installation of a complete medical interior that can accommodate three medical providers and up to two patients and can securely hold ventilators, IV pumps, and multifunctional monitors. Geisinger, which employs 150 people, has been in business for 40 years and flown more than 75,000 transports. It operates nine helicopters—a BK117-C1 and eight Airbus EC145s—that fly more than 3,600 patients per year from bases in central and northeastern Pennsylvania.