FAA STCs Garmin Height Advisor for Certified Aircraft

The FAA has approved a supplemental type certificate for installation of Garmin’s GHA 15 height advisor in a variety of Class I and II aircraft. The height advisor was previously available only for experimental aircraft.

Priced at $2,695, the GHA 15 is not lidar-based like similar devices that give pilots advisory messages about height above ground but uses radio waves. By processing hundreds of measurements per second, the GHA 15 uses digital filters to maintain continuous readings, according to Garmin, “even over water or in challenging terrain environments.”

Above-ground measurements are displayed up to 500 feet on the GI 275 electronic flight instrument and G3X Touch primary flight displays. While descending, the GI 275 provides audible altitude callouts down to 1 foot agl to aid pilots in knowing the exact height during landing. The audible advisories work with any standard audio panel. This “can be helpful to pilots during landings and flying in areas where limited barometric altimeter setting information is available—such as backcountry flying,” Garmin said.

Weighing less than a pound, the GHA 15 is enclosed in a single module and designed to be mounted to the bottom of the aircraft.