Portable GPS for recreational flying

[watchyourspeed]

Need some recommendations on a decent portable handheld GPS unit for flying.

I'm leading towards the Garmin Aera 510. It's decent at $599 USD and has the basics.

Any other recommendations? have people used the 510? is it outdated, useful etc...

what do others use?

Thanks

[Transsonic2000]

Can't really give you any advise regarding the Garmin Area 510, assume you already did some research yourself and if that's the one you like best or suits your needs best then go for it. Alternatively you could go and ask your/a CFI for advise, or maybe the fellow pilots at your local flying club. Personally I preferred teaching my students "old school" navigation (e.g. pilotage and use of radio nav, especially VORs) before using GPS. It's also a very good idea to always have a navigation backup in case you "lose" the GPS (e.g. batteries go dead, screen goes black etc) and always have a current chart with you!

Perhaps the following links might be useful/interesting for you:

http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&q=GPS

iPad, iPhone, Android - from Sporty's Pilot Shop (http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/ipad-iphone-android.html)

Always happy landings :ok:

[Piltdown Man]

I must have missed something. When I first got my PPL I thought one of the attractions was being able to pitch up at the airfield, do the minimum if planning and then bugger off in the plane. Twirling knobs and buttons, whacking courses and other such guff into bits of silicon is not my idea of fun. Pen, chart, watch and a good look out the window. Brilliant! The best GPS? The one that's left in the shop when you leave.

PM

[Straighten Up]

Have you considered using a separate GPS eg Dual Electronice XGPS along with an Ipad running Sky Demon or Foreflight?. The GPS unit is around $150 and I've been happy with the accuracy of mine.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I use a Garmin Aera 500.

It is a really superb piece of kit, needs an hour or two with the manual to learn your way around the finer functions, but once that's done really useful. It has saved me from severe embarrassement several times.

The 510 is a version with better resolution terrain mapping and in the USA (where I don't fly very often) things like weather downloads - I am sure it's better than the one I already like.

Downsides:-

- You're limited to an hour or two if you haven't arranged to plug it into an aircraft power supply.
- The map updates are expensive.
- A little difficult to use the touch screen in turbulence or whilst wearing gloves.
- The initial airspace warning settings aren't necessarily what you want, and working out how to change them can be a mild faff.


And it's still no substitute for maintaining a proper plog and nav regime.

G

[LPVL]

I would recommend to pick an Ipad mini and install the Skydemon app!
Much better :)

[Geosync]

IPad mini with Foreflight is all you need if you want to stay simple. Our company aircraft has a Bendix/king stack with a nice display and a Garmin 496 but I tend to use Foreflight more than either of those.

[fujii]

I use an App called Oz runways which seems similar to Skydemon and others available. It costs me $79 Australian per year for the VFR package and is updated with the AIRAC cycle.

I also have an Aera 500 purchased before Oz runways. As mentioned it is expensive to update. Because the updates cover a larger area than where I fly there may not be anything relevant in their frequent updates so I haven't updated for ages. Cities and airports don't move. It sits above my instrument panel and provides the usual magenta line for quick reference whereas my iPad is on my knee.

The Aera 500 also has the strange non aviation Garmin maps. Oz runways has all the aviation format charts, shows rain radar and frequencies, calculates plans and can submit them as well plus a whole lot more on a large screen.

In my opinion, don't waste time and money with the Aera.

[vector4fun]

I've been using the iFly 720 for a couple years now. $109/yr for the IFR/VFR updates subscription, and $69/yr for the VFR only subscription. Updates also include new features to the operating system. Only nit is no internal battery, it's sold separately. No issue to me as I can plug it into the plane's 12v power.

https://ifly.adventurepilot.com/HOME.aspx

[L'aviateur]

I must have missed something. When I first got my PPL I thought one of the attractions was being able to pitch up at the airfield, do the minimum if planning and then bugger off in the plane. Twirling knobs and buttons, whacking courses and other such guff into bits of silicon is not my idea of fun. Pen, chart, watch and a good look out the window. Brilliant! The best GPS? The one that's left in the shop when you leave.

PM

I think most of us enjoy the freedom, however once you move further afield from local bacon butty flights it's certainly reassuring to have a GPS, and worth every penny for the situational awareness and cheaper then the fines imposed for infringements...

[Pittsextra]

Get a skydemon subscription and use your tablet/smart phone. Its a lovely solution and the company is nimble enough and active in its development to enhance things regularly. Plus importantly it is super reliable.

As an aside what is it with the stopwatch and track crowd? In the UK, unless you fly minimal hours, its small enough to actually look out of the window and actually know where you are. Now whilst there is no excuse to not plan appropriately are some seriously saying that they sit at home, plan, make a pilot log for every local VFR flight that we all might do on summer evenings? Really??

No wonder GA is almost dead. Flying straight lines at 2000ft..... what about if you want to go... over there... no over there... no no lets have a look over there... Come on guys why all this stuffiness when it comes to GPS?

[Mach Jump]

Come on guys why all this stuffiness when it comes to GPS?

Only last week I heard a locally based pilot, on the RT, en-route to another, often visited airfield, barely 10nm away, declare that his GPS had stopped working and that he was unable to continue. Then a few seconds later admit that he didn't know where he was! :uhoh:


MJ:ok:

[Pittsextra]

dear, oh dear... that is pretty depressing... although perhaps he doesn't fly that much??? to be fair if he hasn't grasped looking out of the window I'd be surprised if his working knowledge of stopwatch and a track is going to be much use to him!! :ok:

[piperboy84]

Only last week I heard a locally based pilot, on the RT, en-route to another, often visited airfield, barely 10nm away, declare that his GPS had stopped working and that he was unable to continue. Then a few seconds later admit that he didn't know where he was

Yeah thats pretty lame, even with all the deflector shields completely knackered on the USS Enterprise, Captain Kirk admonished Scottie to just keep going regardless :ok:

[Genghis the Engineer]

Only last week I heard a locally based pilot, on the RT, en-route to another, often visited airfield, barely 10nm away, declare that his GPS had stopped working and that he was unable to continue. Then a few seconds later admit that he didn't know where he was! :uhoh:


MJ:ok:

I have had exactly the same instructing somebody for their syndicate checkout, from his existing home airfield.

I've nothing against GPS - my Aera has got me out of a hole without having to ask for outside help a couple of times, ditto MemoryMap + CAA charts on my phone, and both de-stressed numerous flights. But I really try hard not to rely upon it.

G

[TheOddOne]

Garmin 96. Fits in my headset bag. 2 x AA last all day. Recently updated database, about £40 I think. The 96C has shorter cell life. What I like about it is that even when clipped to the yoke mount, it doesn't obscure any of the instruments, unlike most of the bigger bits of kit. I particularly don't approve of anything on the coaming that obstructs the view out of the window.

I've programmed in waypoints for the thresholds of our local ILS runways and it works as a DME accurate to .1NM. Cheaper than replacing the duff DME in the 172. It's a very useful distance to go for anywhere you like and it's really easy of that place is an airfield with an ICAO code.

TOO

[sharpend]

iPad mini with GPS & SkyDemon

[thing]

iPhone 5 with skydemon.

Only last week I heard a locally based pilot, on the RT, en-route to another, often visited airfield, barely 10nm away, declare that his GPS had stopped working and that he was unable to continue. Then a few seconds later admit that he didn't know where he was!

Time he hung up his flying boots then. My GPS went out of the window literally in May. Grabbed the map (marked up) off the back seat and carried on to destination. Had meal with companion at local pub and flew back home with map and stopwatch, no issues at all. GPS is great but it isnt a substitute for basic navigation skills.

[dublinpilot]

Guys, the original poster is in the USA. In all likelihood if he wants a tablet based solution, he will get Foreflight.

[thing]

Read that as Foreskin. :) Sorry, just an old perv. I'll sit in a corner now.

[rans6andrew]

I would go with the Aera 510 (I have a 500 in the UK) in preference to any tablet based solution. I have yet to find a tablet which feels as well engineered and as robust as the dedicated aviation units.

The robustness of the software is another concern, all of the tablet and phone OS's insist upon updating themselves, at the least convenient moment, with various degrees of success.

Would you want to rely on any of them?

Rans6.........

[Mach Jump]

Much as I regard the increasing reliance on electronic toys as the sole means of navigation on a par with hill walkers who have to be rescued after setting off into remote areas with just a mobile phone for guidance, I must admit that I've recently had the opportunity to fly with Sky Demon on a Mini Ipad, and I love it!

Like Genghis though, I only see it as the icing on my 'navigation cake'.


MJ:ok:

[FREDAcheck]

Not sure why people are recommending an iPad with an external GPS.

With all the tablets and phones I've used (mainly but not exclusively Android rather than Apple) the built-in GPS has been fine.

An Android tablet and an Aviation nav package such as SkyDemon is likely to be as good as any aviation GPS for VFR navigation, only much cheaper.

[Whopity]

Any Google device with Sky Demon, why waste money on expensive Apple stuff that is less capable!

[flyme273]

I use a Garmin 296.
A bit old fashioned. Map is a bit small by today's standard. I set the route up in auto mode, then leave it on nav. page. No input required during flight.
Flyme.

[WhiskeyPapa]

When I got a Garmin 696 several years ago, I thought it was amazing. Still is, but my recommendation now would be Skydemon on an IPad mini with GPS. The updates for the 696 cost me near $500/yr.

[ChrisDS]

If the GPS is for use in the USA then SkyDemon would not be the best choice. The US charts are really not good enough as they miss a lot of essential sectional detail. In the USA Foreflight is the best choice for a PC/Tablet/IPad/etc. solution at the moment.


If you are considering a dedicated portable GPS unit then I prefer the Garmin 696 over the 796 as I find the touch screen of the 796 a hindrance in any type of turbulence. The Aera 560 is nice if a smaller device is more suitable. If you go the Garmin route make sure you get an XM Weather capable unit.