Story ID: 
Garmin Adds EASA Approval of GTN Features
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: The new approvals add Connext cockpit connectivity, customized holds, search patterns and more to the GTN navigators.
Word Count: 315
Garmin has received EASA approval for a number of new features on its GTN 650/750 touchscreen navigators. EASA also gave the nod to Garmin’s Connext cockpit connectivity system, which allows transfer of flight plans wirelessly between the iOS version of the Garmin Pilot app and GTN navigators using Garmin’s Flight Stream 210 wireless gateway. This installation also allows GPS information from the GTNs to drive the moving-map and attitude information from the Flight Stream 210 to support the attitude indicator in Garmin Pilot’s synthetic vision display.

Other GTN 650/750 features covered by the recent EASA approval include the ability to build customized holds over a fix in the database or a user-defined waypoint. Pilots can also add an expect further clearance time as a reminder to depart the hold or contact ATC.

New navigation capabilities include radius-to-fix (RF) leg support for approaches that offer RF legs (although the aircraft must also be equipped with a digital HSI). Pilots can also load a secondary approach to prepare for flight to an alternate airport after a missed approach. Garmin has added its fuel range ring overlay on the GTN moving-map showing range that can be flown (total endurance and until operating on reserve fuel). VFR Manual Charts (formerly known as Bottlang charts) can now be purchased from Jeppesen for display on the GTN 650/750, either on the moving-map or dedicated chart page.

Also, the GTNs can display more metric and imperial units, additional fixed-wing aircraft icons and airspace altitude overlay on the moving-map, as well as support LP+V approaches, GMA 35c Bluetooth audio and pairing, custom checklists with the Garmin Checklist Editor and WireAware wire-strike avoidance technology. An optional feature is generating flight plans using four search patterns (parallel line search, expanding square, orbit or sector search), all of which can be flown by a compatible autopilot, according to Garmin.