Mayday Avionics Inc.

Aspen Avionics has received its Approved Model List - Supplemental Type Certificate (AML-STC) for the EFD500 MFD, EFD1000 MFD, and the EWR50 XM Weather Receiver.  This allows for the installation of Aspen's MFD and weather receivers into the majority of single-engine and light twin aircraft.

The EFD1000 MFD includes a moving map display with the ability to show optional datalink weather and traffic, a built-in terrain awareness database, and flight information pages.  The EFD1000 MFD incorporates a duplicate ADAHRS and can become a backup PFD if the primary should fail.

The EFD500 MFD provides the same features as the EFD1000 MFD at a lower price by eliminating the ADAHRS sensor and the ability to be a PFD backup.

G600 Retrofit Flight Display System to include Synthetic Vision Capability and GAD 43 Autopilot Interface Adapter

Garmin has announced major enhancements to the G600 Flight Display System!  The G600 now includes Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) and the new GAD 43 Autopilot Adaptor as standard.

Garmin's SVT synthetic vision uses sophisticated graphics modeling to create a virtual topographic landscape from the G600's terrain-alerting database.  This enables the PFD to display a clear 3-D depiction of ground and water features, airports, obstacles, and traffic - all shown in relative proximity to your aircraft.

Garmin's GAD 43 adapter offers enhanced autopilot interface that allows the GRS 77 AHRS to drive the autopilot in place of an attitude direction indicator (ADI).  The GAD 43 can emulate many existing gyro interfaces, using far more reliable AHRS data to provide the required attitude, heading, yaw input, baro correction, and alerting information to the autopilot.  This typically enables the systems costly ADI to be replaced by a more affordable attitude indicator as a backup instrument.  The GAD 43 has been approved to replace the King KI 256 and the Collins 332D-11, with more gyros in the evaluation phase.

Existing G600 owners benefit too!  Existing G600 operators may upgrade their units with SVT at no additional cost from Garmin; plus, operators may purchase the GAD 43 at a reduced price.  Offer valid until December 31, 2009.

Garmin Introduces the G500 Flight Display Glass Cockpit

Garmin introduces the affordable G500 Glass Cockpit for owners of Part 23, Class I & II aircraft.  The G500 is a new avionics suite designed specifically for single and twin-engine aircraft less than 6,000 pounds.  The G500 is similar in design to the Garmin G600 and incorporates two individual displays (PFD & MFD).  System availability is planned for mid-August.

The G500 system displays critical flight data in a digital format on dual 6.5-inch LCD displays.  The system is designed to take the space that is currently occupied by the instrument six-pack (attitude, airspeed, altitude, vertical speed, turn coordinator, and directional gyro).

As an option, the system can be upgraded to display Garmin's SVT synthetic vision and incorporate the GAD 43 autopilot interface adaptor.

The AV80R ACE is an easy to use, seven inch touch screen handheld GPS.  The ACE includes all of the same capability found in the AV80R handheld, including a WAAS-GPS, automotive navigation, regional databases, airport information services, and interface capability for optional traffic or weather.

The ACE also provides geo-referenced FAA charts, eliminating the need for general aviation pilots to carry paper charts.  The AV80R ACE is able to display your airplane directly on High/Low Enroute Charts, Approach Plates, and Airport Diagrams to increase situational awareness.  Digital charts and approach plates are available from Seattle Avionics Software.

I.       Garmin is now offering reduced pricing on the GPSMAP 495/496 portables effective immediately.

• GPSMAP 496, Americas: now $1,999.00
• GPSMAP 495, Americas: now $1,299.00

II.     Holiday Special!  $300 mail-in rebate for the GPSMAP 695/696 Portable units.

Garmin is now offering a $300 mail-in rebate for the GPSMAP 695/696 portable units.  The rebate offer begins October 7, 2009 and expires December 31, 2009.

III.    Coming Soon!  Geo-Referenced Approach Charts on the GPSMAP 695/696 units.

Garmin has announced that geo-referenced U.S. approach chart capability on the 695/696 units is projected to be available by Summer 2010.  Geo-referenced charts present a real-time depiction of aircraft position on the plane-view section of the selected approach chart.  The approach charts will be available through a future software upgrade requiring no additional hardware.

GTS 800 TAS - GTS 820 TAS - GTS 850 TCAS I

The GTS 800 and GTS 820 are traffic advisory systems (TAS) and the GTS 850 is a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS I).  These systems combine active and passive surveillance data to pinpoint specific traffic threats.  Each model creates a 360-degree zone of detection around the aircraft so that pilots can see and identify targets in their airspace that may pose a collision hazard. 

The GTS 800 TAS is a lower-cost system, offering 40 watts of transmit power and a range of up to 12 nautical miles.  The GTS 820 TAS delivers 250 watts of transmit power and up to 40 nautical miles of interrogation range.  The GTS 850 TCAS I features the same 250 watt performance as the GTS 820 and also meets the FAA's TCAS I certification criteria.  The GTS 820 and 850 are installed in conjunction with a Garmin Mode S Transponder.  Expected delivery of the traffic systems is expected to begin in the 4^th quarter of 2009.