Rick Junkin

That's the second update to correct fairly significant issues in about two weeks. Makes me wonder, what's going on at Garmin with the GP team? Anybody have any insight?

Here's an old thread with more details on a similar situation. The gist of it is it may be better to let someone who knows what they're doing take care of it for you.

Someone smarter than me will need to answer that. It adjusted the A/P steering to center the HSI, so I have to assume the same adjustment affects where it steers in heading mode. But that's an assumption so not worth much.

The production line flight schools don't appear to be spending much time on teaching general situational awareness. Their focus is more on building what they see as better instrument/commercial/ATP pilots by establishing instrument flight habit patterns from the get go. Unfortunately this can, and obviously does, establish a mindset that if they are flying on an IFR clearance then it's everyone else's responsibility to get/stay out of their way. Of course that isn't the case, especially at a non-towered airport (yeah, I drank some of the Koolaide, we know them as uncontrolled airports). And the guy turning inside your base? That's just poor airmanship, plain and simple, due to lack of situation awareness. It's appropriate to correct/reprimand that on the spot with a clear, concise radio call. Keep it as friendly as you can, but firm. They can't learn if they don't know they made a mistake. Does anyone here have an "in" at ATP or one of the other big players? The best way I can think of to effect any change is talk to the folks in charge of the syllabus and convince them to emphasize proper operations at the non-towered practice fields they use.

@PT20J Hey Skip, thanks for this info! Is there any documentation on how to generate the PDF? Is it a fairly intuitive option when in config mode on the GTN Xi? I've got a hand-generated config profile but outputting a PDF for verification would be a good thing.

The G3X appears to be an exception. Garmin provides the downloadable s/w updates on this page that anyone can access. There is a separate page for the experimental software version update. https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=14567)

No, I didn’t have the oscillations. This just adjusts the the steering to center the CDI.

This is easily adjusted with a flat jeweler's screwdriver through a hole in the faceplate. I was able to get mine centered up by taking a buddy up with me to adjust it while tracking a GPS course. Not a great picture, but the green circle shows you where the adjustment access is.

@Bigdaddie any resolution on the cause of the missing fuel?

Thanks Mark, that helps me. I tried to find something on the internet that would tell me the benefit of using FltPlan.com vs Leidos in GP and didn’t find anything that was as illuminating as what you just shared. I think creating an account in FltPlan.com and linking it to GP caused me grief because of my lack of understanding of how they were supposed to work together. I think I would have been better off just using the internal GP features and Leidos. My GP subscription goes through May so I might make another run at it. But for now I’m reverting to Foreflight Fan Boy

There are a LOT of things about GP that I really like. SmartCharts and the way NOTAMS are presented top the list, along with seamless integration and operation with my panel. But the show stopper was the lack of reliable, consistent performance of the app I experienced. There may be a way to overcome this, but after a month and a half I've run out of patience trying to find it. I went "cold turkey" on Foreflight the first of the year and used only Garmin Pilot since then, up until a couple of days ago. This gave me the opportunity to make myself learn how to get everything I needed out of Garmin Pilot for both planning and flight. I ran into a number of things that I was able to overcome and either make work or accept and get used to the Garmin way. But the thing that finally turned me away was the inconsistency of the app performance between my iPhone and two iPads. This was on top of excessive nav data download times and several instances of the app freezing on me, along with the way GP had to be monitored before shutdown to verify it captured recorded flight data from my panel. I had to build a performance profile for my Bravo in Garmin Pilot and that took a considerable effort. Once I had it built I was able to validate it against the Foreflight profile I have been using for years. The problem I had was the performance profile wouldn't stay synced between the three devices I use. I was able to get them all synced once, but then when I went back to use each device one of them would have lost the profile. I had to go through gyrations of sending the profile from another device to get it to sync, only to have it lose it again. That uncertainty is not acceptable to me. The GP interface with fltplan.com was also a bit of an enigma for me and may have been the source of some of my problems, I don't really know. Even when two of the devices were synced, the flight planning output data was not equivalent. The ETEs would differ by a few minutes and fuel required would vary. Not by a lot, but why would they be different at all? I tried disabling the link to fltplan.com with no observable change. The concept of jumping between GP and fltplan.com for detailed info is kind of clunky. If Garmin was able to transparently pull the data from fltplan.com into GP and present it within the GP app it would be an improvement. I'm not ruling out user error. I did my best to resolve the issues I experienced and reached the point where I was done trying. I know there are folks who are using GP with great success, and I was trying hard to be one of them. I contacted Garmin Support and asked if they would create an organic profile for the M20M and sent the POH as they requested. If that comes to be, I may give it another try. As for logbooks, my outlook is pragmatic to my use case. I log flights and events to meet regulatory requirements as a PIC and a CFI. That's all I need an electronic logbook to do, along with being able to generate periodic backups. I like the new(er) Foreflight logbook feature that automatically generates a PDF of the entire logbook every month. Garmin Pilot allows you to do something similar, but I don't think it's automatic. I used MyFlightBook for a number of years and found I didn't need or use most of the features it offered. The good news is that just about every electronic logbook allows you to export a CSV file you can import into most other contemporary logbook apps/programs or simply open in a spreadsheet. So selection of a logbook tool isn't a permanent commitment. From my perspective, the simplest tool (to use and reference) that meets my needs is the best tool. Both the Foreflight and Garmin Pilot logbooks fit that requirement, and then some.

I'm sure Darren is constrained by his contract (originally 3 years, and he's still held up as an advisor to AOPA) with what he's able to discuss/divulge to remain associated with AOPA and receive his contractual compensation. Jeff even said this interview was originally scheduled as a year in review and a look at what to expect from AOPA in 2026. All things considered, this has been a very good interview and the discussions have been open and candid. Darren even highlighted and encouraged listening to the folks in social media who are able to report the information they're getting from other sources at or associated with AOPA that Darren isn't at liberty to discuss. Kind of an, "I can't talk about that but you can get all the info here". Can't ask for much more than that.

Download Garmin Pilot v26.2, released today, and the problem goes away. This afternoon I received an email response to my issue report to Garmin support this weekend telling me about the new release. Considering it was a holiday weekend, that was a pretty timely response.

FWIW I executed the "nuclear option" on my iPad with no improvement. Deleting and reinstalling the app didn't make any difference. Hopefully that saves one of you the trouble of trying that.

Can someone using Garmin Pilot take a look at your weather imagery and see if the Surface Analysis 00hr chart is still showing 12 Feb? Mine won't update to show the current charts. I did an online chat with Garmin tech support yesterday and they told me they "opened a ticket" to see if the issue is on their side. I haven't heard anything back. Foreflight shows the current surface analysis so the data is available. And yes, I've done all of the troubleshooting steps of closing the app, powering of all three devices I'm using, everything short of deleting and reinstalling the app.

TLDR: I've been an AOPA member for 41 years and will continue my membership and Pilot Protection Services subscription at least through my current membership term. I've paused my additional monthly contribution to the AOPA Foundation, as have a number of other Hat in the Ring Society donors, and may resume them at a later date depending on what direction the trustees decide to go moving forward. They have a monumental task ahead of them to gain my trust. Out of curiosity I took a look at my membership history and discovered I've been supporting the organization since 1985. I've been a Hat in the Ring donor for a number of years as well. I was inactive in GA for a period of 15-20 years but maintained my membership solely for the small contribution my dues made to the lobbying efforts. In more recent decades I've made great use of the educational resources on the AOPA website and have been assisted greatly by the legal and medical guidance benefits of the Pilot Protection Services. I practice continuous self-guided proficiency and recurrent training and AOPA provides great resources to support me in this. My perspective has been one of not looking only for what I tangibly receive from the organization but also for what would not be happening if the organization didn't exist. Politics is, from my perspective, a filthy business in which AOPA is able to engage to our benefit in ways that aren't always visible to us. And most things don't happen quickly in our bureaucracy so it makes the effects of long term lobbying efforts even less apparent. But it's one of the things AOPA does at a level and scale most other aviation organizations can't or don't. EAA has been very effective in focusing on singular issues and contributing to successful enactment of things like MOSAIC and BasicMed, and I'm a Lifetime Member. But EAA doesn't have the lobbying power (yet) that AOPA is afforded by the associations of its members and donors in positions of influence outside the organization. These are the intangibles that only exist because of membership. Now, folks say AOPA doesn't need their money to pay exorbitant salaries, and they cancel their memberships. I can't argue with that. At the same time I'll ask if there's an alternative organization with the broad reach and impact of AOPA? Again from my perspective, it's a matter of picking my poison. I don't like that past compensation has been extreme, but I DO like that the folks doing the grunt work of AOPA are competent people doing good work and have been very helpful to me personally when I needed assistance. Others here have had a different experience, and perhaps that's to be expected for a number of reasons. So I'm maintaining my membership and PPS subscription for now. I've paused my Hat in the Ring donations to help contribute in a small way to put financial pressure on the organization as a message to the trustees that their behavior is hurting AOPA. It remains to be seen what impact any of this will have.

I stand corrected!!! We CAN assign our proxy to someone other than a board member. It will be a large effort, but if the membership community could identify a few like-minded proxy voters who can attend the membership meeting, there would be opportunity to have a majority vote block separate from the board. The key would be identifying the people who would hold the proxies. Perhaps Darren Pleasance? Although that could be problematic in a conflict of interest and recusal in voting to reinstate him. Anyway, putting this out there for all to noodle on. Here’s the response I received from member services regarding my question about assigning proxies to someone other than a board member. Melinda Brown (AOPA) Feb 12, 2026, 9:47 AM EST Mr. Junkin, We sincerely appreciate your kind words. To assign your proxy to someone else, you will need to reply back with the information below and cc: Charles Lehman (charles.lehman@aopa.org). Member Name Member ID Number Member Email Address (that is associated with membership record) In the email you must state clearly that you are revoking your proxy and designating [individual's name] as your proxy. Please do not hesitate to contact me again with any additional questions. Thank you for flying with AOPA! Melinda Brown AOPA Member Services http://www.aopa.org/-/media/Images/AOPA/Assets/aopalogo2_100x61.png

Yes, individual members can vote, but only if they attend the meeting in person. The rub is the board, as of the minutes from the 2024 Members' Meeting, has over 40,000 proxies. And board members are the only ones who can hold proxies according to the bylaws. I fully expect that number was lower at the 2025 meeting, and will definitely be lower at the 2026 meeting. But it still remains that based on the 2024 number of 40,000 proxies, over 20,000+ members would have to participate in person at AOPA HQ to sway a vote on anything. And the fact that the only board candidates we could vote on are those nominated by the board itself (actually the nomination committee) means we only get to approve or deny the candidates they want in the first place. I guess it would be a start, if we can get 20,000 members to show up in person.

For those who don't subscribe to Russ Niles' avbrief.com, here's the latest piece of info he's discovered. Darren sent a letter (confirmed to be authentic by Darren himself) to the board on the 9th of January candidly reflecting on 2025 and looking forward to continuing improvements. He was dismissed on February 4th. The full text of the letter with minor redactions is in the article. https://avbrief.com/letter-to-board-led-to-pleasances-departure-sources/?utm_source=newsletter-130&utm_medium=email

Thanks for the clarifying info. I'm embarrassed for not having done the research on this myself. So the only "vote" we have as members is to maintain or cancel our membership and continue or cease additional donations. No wonder all of the noise we're making is falling on deaf ears. I have been a Hat in the Ring Society donor for a number of years and still really want to support the AOPA Foundation programs, but I presumed the only thing that will carry any weight with the board is a loss of revenue. So I terminated my monthly donations yesterday. I just renewed my membership in December so will ride the year out as @Scott Ashton said and see where we are going into next year. I agree, the political sway is needed and has value.

FWIW, this is the exact theme of my email communications with AOPA. There was a post on the AOPA Facebook page from AOPA about the Buckeye Air Fair this coming weekend and AOPA's participation with that event. I had planned to fly over but decided against it after this past week's happenings. I posted that I had changed my plans due to the situation. AOPA responded. I'm only one person, perhaps others will act similarly.

Actually Mike, AOPA has many very good programs and resources available to members. Everything from rusty pilot seminars that help folks get back in the air to a database of medication that is acceptable/unacceptable to the FAA, and most everything in between. These resources may not be valuable to you, but they are valuable to those who need and use them. And again for people who need or want them, the Pilot Protection Services is extremely valuable for consultation and recommendations regarding medical and legal issues. They were a great help when I received my first cancer diagnosis, and provided great counsel when I needed to speak with the FSDO after an inflight emergency. These things are worth supporting. I won’t argue the compensation issues are questionable at best. But I also won’t throw the baby out with the bath water when it comes to the value I receive for my dues. Having said that, this situation the board has created with Darren is unacceptable and must be addressed directly by the membership. Determining the best way to do that is the first step toward influencing any change.

I think it might be the "make your vote count" marketing psychology employed by many organizations, along with laziness and apathy. A lot of people won't take the time to review the issues coming before the board and membership for a vote and figure the board knows best. I have been guilty of this. That's how we end up with a board like the one AOPA has now. It's a monumental task to encourage people to participate, but perhaps this issue is vital enough that folks will respond.

Thanks @kortopates, I posted this link on AOPA's Facebook page too. Let's see how long it lasts there.

I'm curious to know how many AOPA members we have on Mooneyspace. I'm exploring ways to organize a meaningful response campaign to the AOPA Board of Trustees. If you're interested please send me a PM. I've already responded directly to Jim Hauslein's dismissive "Open letter to members" on the AOPA website and have maintained contact with AOPA's Donor Relations Manager. I'd like to do more than just trade communications. One avenue I want to pursue is reclaiming the proxies the Board has amassed. This takes individual member action so may be a long shot but still worth taking a run at. The email address for Jim Hauslein, chairman of the board of trustees, is jim@hauslein.com