Aera 500
I have a 500 and it’s great for what I need. The 495/6 units are a bit like a house brick but the slim 500 made mounting easy. The yoke mount is cumbersome, puts the unit too close and of course moves with the control column. The actual clamp was also too large for my column and slipped. I made a simple T bracket and put the mounting unit from the yoke clamp on the bracket. The lot now sits on my instrument panel shade, slightly below my straight ahead line of sight and easily included in my scan.
If you have a suitable fixed or portable intercom with an audio or “recorder in” function there is provision to run the alerts to headphones. The MP3 player also allows you to play your favourite music on long trips but is automatically suppressed if through an intercom.
Some touch areas can be tricky in turbulence but having it mounted above the instrument panel allows you to steady your hand rather than chasing the control column.
The simulator mode is great for previewing a plan and practicing the menus which quickly become intuitive.