GPS for PPLs
 

Hi all,

Having recently got my PPL, I am starting to think about longer trips and perhaps getting a GPS unit. I have deliberately ignored GPS during my training so that I could concentrate on the DR I needed for the skills test.

I would need a handheld that I can take from plane to plane. Any thoughts about whether it's worth splashing out for the fancy colour ones, or is something more basic OK?

I would rather spend more money and get something useful, than try to save a few quid and end up with something that doesn't really do the job. Once in the air you want things as easy as possible.

Any thoughts or experiences would be very welcome.

How much money ya got?:D

As yet I haven't used my GPS III which I use for sailing in an aircraft yet but unless you are desperate for a shiny new toy that makes the tea as well, I'd keep it simple so that you can use it for other activities.

Mine is fairly simple, you put in the waypoints and use it conventionally with features such as MOB (Man Overboard, crap on an aircraft but useful on a boat:D ) etc but I also use it for long walks with the dogs in an area I'm unsure of.

Raging debates on the merits of GPS on this board will show you where people stand but my only reservation with using a GPS with a moving map in an aircraft, is that it's possible to pay it too much attention and not enough of your map, aviating etc.

A wonderful tool but personally I'd keep it simple as it could become too distracting. At the end of the day all you want a GPS to do is tell you where you are and how to get to your next point - so keep it simple!:)

GPS = 'girl's positioning system':D

I decided on a pilot 111, momochrome, a couple of years ago and I am still happy with it.
I would love to have a panel mounted 430 or 530, but price and a moving regulatory scene make me quite happy to continue with the pilot 3.

GPS Pilot III -- it's the Dog's.

QDM

Yeah, yeah, yeah and if man was meant to fly he'd have been born with wings. :)

Look, I picked up my plane with a man who'd been flying for over fifty years in the forces, airlines and in GA. I wanted to appear earnest and sincere about things, about my desire to navigate properly without all this newfangled garbage and I said I wouldn't be bringing my GPS. He looked at me like I was insane and said 'Well, I bloody well will be!'

Anyway, old debate.

Yours girlishly,

QDM

Buy a GPS. Turn it on.
Take your maps with you. Keep looking outside.

Vancouv, unless you intend mucking about with GPS approaches then throw away all the marketing blurb and get yourself down the highstreet. I use a Garmin eTrek which cost me about £100 and it has a barometric altimeter with it. Its a 12 sat GPS so accuracy isnt a problem. This gives you all the basic info you need including a crude moving map showing waypoints. If I want to get really flashy then I plug it into my laptop and run Navbox Pro which cost me £70, this has full colour, blah, blah, blah and still works out cheaper and a much better display than quite a few I have seen on the market.

ditto :)

ditto x2

I have a cheapy Magellan. I doesn't tell me where I am, (thats why I have maps), but it does tell me how to get to where I want to go.

Very good for situational awareness.

I use the garmin e-trex with the compass and altimeter.
It can also be connecter to a palm pilot with snazzy software from Flight buddy, there are also moving map progs etc etc available fom other sources.
If you already own a PDA then this is a very cheap way to get a decent size display. It depends if you want all the wire and associated cr@p dangling all over the place.
Regards
CC

Pilot 111 does it for me...... Great bit of kit.

SSD

Yeah, but that new Garmin 196 looks a natty piece of kit :D

GPS 92 as a back up - gives you the equivalent of an HSI in an old Pup and adds DME too.

Non Radio - shall we go back to the good old days? Ricketts, Polio, Hitler????

:D :D :D :D

I'm tempted by the eTrek/PDA idea.

My only concern reading about the eTrek is that it doesn't seem to have an external aerial port. How is the reception from inside an aircraft with the inbuilt aerial?

Also, is the barometric Altimeter any good?

F3G: professionally - GPS great (most of the time); Privately - NO, nor a radio nor nothin'!! Improves one's lookout, too;)

F3G: professionally, great!; privately , No, no,no, no radio no nothin'....

just thought it needed emphasising:D

Never really had any problem with the etrek, I usually leave it on the back seat on top of my flight bag next to the window and that does the trick. The altimeter is pretty good for showing how you altitude holding was if you download it afterwards.

Garmin Pilot III. Accept no substitute.

My Building society decided to de mutualise so I went for the Garmin GPS 295.

Over GBP1000 admittedly but it's basically a portable Garmin430: same screen, glorious colour and with 12 satellites it never drops out.

Got me to the south of France and back no sweat last week. (of course I did look out of the winder now and again.)

Basic model has enough roads to get around but for more bobs you can get full road map facility. (waste of dosh IMHO)

Chews batteries though so if you haven't got a fag lighter socket in your a/c forget it.

Happy flying.