Stay In Touch with GTN: Expanded Features and Enhancements

The Garmin GTN 650/750 Touchscreen Series is more capable than ever. The latest major update will incorporate user-defined holds, an expanded navigation library, animated NEXRAD radar, optional fuel range ring, search and rescue flight patterns and many more customer-requested features. You spoke and we listened!

GTN users will have the flexibility to quickly build user-defined holding patterns. These holds may be created over an existing fix in the navigation database, over a user-defined waypoint and inserted into a flight plan or via direct-to navigation. When creating a hold, pilots can easily input inbound or outbound course guidance, select left or right turns and specify leg length in time or distance. Pilots may also input an Expect Further Clearance (EFC) time, which populated a message on the display of the GTN as a reminder to depart the hold or contact ATC. Unpublished holds or those assigned by air traffic control are easily created and displayed on the GTN 650/750 to further simplifying the process of flying a holding pattern. 

Expanded navigation features built-in to the GTN 650/750 will allow pilots to fly radius-to-fix (RF) leg types, which are sometimes found in complex Instrument Approach Procedures (IAPs). Additional instrument approach enhancements include the option to load a secondary approach during the missed approach segment, so pilots can have ample time to prepare for the next approach sequence. For added situational awareness, waypoints prior to the final approach fix (FAF) are also displayed when selecting a vectors-to-final (VTF) transition. Additionally, smoother flight plan mapping takes aircraft speed into consideration, resulting in newly designed curved flight plan segments, as opposed to rigid, point-to-point flight plan connections. These new curved segments allow pilots to better anticipate turns based on airspeed. 

Pilots can collect and interpret radar information easier from a variety of NEXRAD radar sources. The GTN will animate up to six NEXRAD frames from several weather sources, including Flight Information Service-Broadcast (FIS-B) Regional and CONUS radar imagery from the GDL 88 ADS-B datalink. Additional weather sources include SiriusXM US and Canada NEXRAD radar information received from the GDL 69 SXM receiver, as well as precipitation imagery received from the GSR 56 Iridium datalink transceiver.

A popular feature among Garmin’s Integrated Flight Deck product line, the GTN series will overlay an optional fuel range ring overtop the moving map. Two rings display total endurance range and range until operating on reserve fuel and times are configurable so they can be tailored to each particular flight or operation. The addition of a fuel flow sensor is required to display fuel range ring data.

For operators conducting search and rescue missions, the GTN 650/750 will automatically generate flight plans for four search patterns: Parallel Line Search, Expanding Square, Orbit or Sector Search patterns. These search patterns may be inserted directly into the flight plan or via direct-to navigation. search and rescue is available as an option and aids in crew situational awareness during these missions by streamlining the process of entering and managing search patterns. The search and rescue package is a priced enablement.

Customers also have the following options for their GTN series avionics:

• Metric and Imperial unit display options
• Added ownship icon options to include seven different fixed-wing aircraft
• Marker beacon annunciation display from GMA 350
• GTN COM/NAV control from G3X Touch display

Availability of this software is expected in 4Q of this year. For additional information, contact us at aviation.support@garmin.com, or check out our GTN and G500/600 Pilot Training Seminar for a hands-on scenario-based approach to learning the GTN & G500/600 in a classroom environment.

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