Originally published at: Garmin Reinvents Procedural Charts with SmartCharts - AVweb
Garmin has introduced SmartCharts, an electronic library of aeronautical procedural charts along with geo-referenced positioning.
Great concept. Wonder whether it will follow RF legs.
I guess we’ve all become used to charts that were designed for paper, then adapted digitally for display on a mobile device, and now this re-think of chart design created specifically for an interactive digital device. I’m looking forward to learning more about it, from what I see here it seems to reduce pilot workload. I’m a Foreflight user, but will take a look at the Garmin charts.
I just downloaded the update on my iPad (I’m a long-time Garmin Pilot user). This is a GAME CHANGER. This makes approaches, SIDs and STARs so much easier to comprehend, brief and perform. I can’t wait to go give it a try.
I just checked - I looked at the ILS Z at PAKT, and it definitely follows the RF leg between MUSUE and PITUY.
This is a standout innovation. SmartCharts marks a real leap in usability and safety, exactly the kind of advancement pilots need. Thanks again to Larry for managing the presentation and giving us the context behind it all. This is what AVweb does best.
Is this FAA approved? Is FAA approval actually required?
I think it’s a terrific idea, but I got soured on Garmin Pilot when it stopped in flight over the desert with a message that my subscription had expired! To the minute! It couldn’t even wait until I landed and there was no warning before takeoff. I won’t go back to Garmin, they compromised my and my wife’s safety.
FlyQ+ EFB with a lifetime subscription subscription works fine for me. Maybe Seattle Avionics will come up with a similar new chart design.
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The graphic at the top of this article has an IAP where the minimums can change based on the mast height of ships. Is that sort of detail included in the fancy Garmin presentation?
It is! They show that in the video demo, in fact.
I used Garmin Pilot for ten years but put in an Avidyne for a navigator and was forced to go to Foreflight to interface with the IFD’s. It was brutal initially of a learning curve but I normalized after a couple years of use. Now I see the new pilot change and trying to figure out a workaround to use it with Avidyne but haven’t done a deep dive yet. Too much going on. If anyone has an idea sing out. Foreflight isn’t dumb and will probably code up this same functionality eventually.