system
Flew with Southwest last week and got a hell of a “dill”, brought my own picklefork.
Flew with Southwest last week and got a hell of a “dill”, brought my own picklefork.
In the era of the iPad and EFB apps, this $1,600 price-point device must rank as one of the most ill-conceived products ever to be deployed by Garmin.
It doesn’t appear to offer any meaningful features over a Foreflight/Garmin Pilot equipped iPad Pro — or the pilot-preferred iPad — to warrant a place in the GA cockpit.
Even the Aera 660 was a niche product and a “hard sell”, and I simply cannot fathom how a successor product that doubles the 660’s price can be remotely be considered “moving the (avionics) ball forward.” Clearly a minimum amount of development costs were invested in the 760. Other than “super-sizing” the case, it differs little from the 660.
Consumers will find their hard-earned cash better spent elsewhere.
Nice unit BUT high price point, Garmin compatible ADSB only and fairly expensive updates.
This “new” area does not offer much that my Aera 796 that I bought in 2012 does’nt. Same size screen and presumably the same reasonably priced database subscription. I have been very happy with my 796 though have never subscribed to XM weather though it is capable as received with antenna and all. I use the GDL 39 3D for ADS-B in and attitude and synthetic vision. I guess the WiFi function is a nice addition, but I don’t need it.
I just hope that I can continue to get updates for my 796. Garmin is famous for obsoleting equipment while it still functions perfectly. Since I have two planes and can only fly one at a time my Aera 796 fits my needs perfectly.
I have always refused to buy any overpriced Apple products which really are not designed for aviation use.
I am sure the Aera 660 is a nice unit but see no need to replace my Aera 796 which came with an external antenna and the other capabilities and has had software updates to keep it up to date.
I forgot to mention that in 2017 I replaced both my aging Narco AT50 transponders with the Garmin GTX 335 which gives me ADS-B out in both planes at a reasonable price considering I needed to replace both the Narcos anyway.
Larry
I too am happy with my 796. Would love to see some info on what the. new unit offers that we don’t already have. Frankly, the price doesn’t seem too out of line to me for what it seems to offer. Can’t remember for sure but I think I aid more for the 796 years ago and it has proven rock solid.