Bob - S50 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 I agree with Marauder. For our plane with a GTN 650 we bought just the NavData update. Mountains don't move. They don't build tall obstacles all that quickly and if you fly the approach as published it should keep you clear of all obstacles. We don't care about SafeTaxi because we can get the airport diagram on our tablets. I then buy the annual subscription to Naviator for $35 to get all the approach plates, sectionals (including Grand Canyon), Terminal Area charts, and low altitude charts I want. I could also get the highs for no extra charge but I don't fly that high. Good luck, Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M016576 Posted December 25, 2013 Report Share Posted December 25, 2013 The Pilot Pak contains more than is required for IFR. It comes with Safe Taxi, terrain, obstacle and the base map updates in additon to the Nav data. On the 750, you will also pay for the charts as part of the package. The Nav data is required for the unit to be IFR legal. The rest is not. The Nav data contains all of the updates for the enroute and approaches (including SIDS & STARS). If you want the cheapest way to be legal, here is what I would do. Buy the $475/yr Nav data for the 750 or a Nav only Pilot Pak for the 750/Aera and buy the full package ForeFlight for your iPad. For the $150 per year you will get all sectionals, Safe Taxi, charts, Nav, terrain and obstacle updates. If you are a paranoid person (like me), but a second iPad and load your second free copy of ForeFlight on it. Technically, the NavData is not required to be "updated" to be IFR legal. Your old NavData fixes that you are using just needs to be verified for accuracy. If you have current paper charts (or digital) with you in the cockpit, and you verify that the point you're going direct to is still valid (ie, identical) in your NavData, then you're good to go. It is easier in many cases to just update the NavData, but technically, it's not required. Where it gets tricky is when you get a terminal area swap, runway change, approach change... And now you don't know if the point in your GPS is the same as your chart. If you fly the chart though, you are still legal. The one place where NavData must be current is if you intend on shooting any of the LP type GPS approaches. You'll need current NavData for those- but not the non-LP GPS approaches so long as you verify the fixes using an up to date source vs. your database. Edit: a "poor man's solution" is to verify your points, then plan on shooting an ILS..., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted December 25, 2013 Report Share Posted December 25, 2013 Technically, the NavData is not required to be "updated" to be IFR legal. Your old NavData fixes that you are using just needs to be verified for accuracy. If you have current paper charts (or digital) with you in the cockpit, and you verify that the point you're going direct to is still valid (ie, identical) in your NavData, then you're good to go. It is easier in many cases to just update the NavData, but technically, it's not required. Where it gets tricky is when you get a terminal area swap, runway change, approach change... And now you don't know if the point in your GPS is the same as your chart. If you fly the chart though, you are still legal. The one place where NavData must be current is if you intend on shooting any of the LP type GPS approaches. You'll need current NavData for those- but not the non-LP GPS approaches so long as you verify the fixes using an up to date source vs. your database. Edit: a "poor man's solution" is to verify your points, then plan on shooting an ILS..., You are technically correct, but why go through the trouble after you spent that much money getting the state of the art navigator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M016576 Posted December 25, 2013 Report Share Posted December 25, 2013 You are technically correct, but why go through the trouble after you spent that much money getting the state of the art navigator? Good point! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsavage3 Posted December 26, 2013 Report Share Posted December 26, 2013 Based on your feedback and my understanding of what I think I need/want, I will likely go with the nav data subscription for the 750 and Foreflight for the charts. Although it is capable, I don't think I will need the charts up on the 750. I will likely update either the 750 or the 560 once a year or so for the terrain/obstacles/safe taxi/etc. Any techniques out there for using the SD chips to upload the new nav data base each time a new one comes along? Two chips and one is always left in the plane while the spare goes home for the update when it shows up? Does the chip need to stay in the 750 for it to work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted December 26, 2013 Report Share Posted December 26, 2013 Based on your feedback and my understanding of what I think I need/want, I will likely go with the nav data subscription for the 750 and Foreflight for the charts. Although it is capable, I don't think I will need the charts up on the 750. I will likely update either the 750 or the 560 once a year or so for the terrain/obstacles/safe taxi/etc. Any techniques out there for using the SD chips to upload the new nav data base each time a new one comes along? Two chips and one is always left in the plane while the spare goes home for the update when it shows up? Does the chip need to stay in the 750 for it to work? That's the routine. I use Jepp JSUM to download the new data to the SD for both the Aspen and GTN. I keep 4 containers. I go out to the airport with two containers labeled "Future" and two empty ones labeled "Current". I take the current SD card out of the navigator and stick in the empty "current" case. I then install the "future" SD in the navigator. Experience has shown me to once in a while to mix them up and need to reboot the unit with the correct card in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsavage3 Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Based on your feedback and my understanding of what I think I need/want, I will likely go with the nav data subscription for the 750 and Foreflight for the charts. Upon further review (and learning!), I'm leaning heavily towards Garmin Pilot for my charts rather than Foreflight. 30-days for free while you 'check it out' is a great sales tool... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Dave Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Upon further review (and learning!), I'm leaning heavily towards Garmin Pilot for my charts rather than Foreflight. 30-days for free while you 'check it out' is a great sales tool... Foreflight has the same deal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Upon further review (and learning!), I'm leaning heavily towards Garmin Pilot for my charts rather than Foreflight. 30-days for free while you 'check it out' is a great sales tool... I believe you also get 30 days free with Foreflight so I would check them both out before you make up your mind. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsavage3 Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Any personal preferences between Foreflight and Garmin Pilot that anyone would care to share? Your preference and why, please -- thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M016576 Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Any personal preferences between Foreflight and Garmin Pilot that anyone would care to share? Your preference and why, please -- thanks! if you're just going to use the app for charts, I highly recomment "skycharts pro". It's a one time purchase of 19.99, and it contains all the charts (high IFR, low IFR, sectionals, etc). They are updated every cycle (no additional cost). If you double click on an airport, you can bring up any of the current approach plates, departures, or relevant pages of the IFR / VFR supplements. It does display your GPS position on the chart, as you go, and has a VERY BASIC routing function, so it's not really a flight planner or a "moving map" like foreflight / Garmin, but you can't beat the value at a one time $20 buck charge, particularly if you've already got a moving map (aera 560) and a panel WAAS GPS (GTN 750). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Any personal preferences between Foreflight and Garmin Pilot that anyone would care to share? Your preference and why, please -- thanks! I have been flying with both ForeFlight and Pilot for 18 months. Also tossed in the WingX, Wingman and FlyQ free 30 day trials as well to compare. I'm just not crazy about the ForeFlight GUI. There are some features in ForeFlight I do like. I think the route planner is a little better than Pilot but now that Brett has turned me onto fltplan.com, I am using it to figure out the routing. The differentiation for me to select Pilot were a few things. 1) It looks and functions like my GTN. Makes for quick access because you are using the same mental approach to getting the information. 2) Dynamic maps. I fly with two iPads. The Mini I have mounted on the yoke running Pilot VFR or IFR in dynamic map mode with traffic down below on the split screen. The other iPad is set to the regular VFR or IFR maps with traffic running below in congested areas. 3) ForeFlight won't run on Android platforms. For a year I was using a Nexus 7 and with Pilot only able to run on it, I got more comfortable with it. ForeFlight is integrated with the Aspen hardware I have and if the new BK 770 integrates as well, bye bye Pilot. Being able to download my flight plans into the plane's navigators is of interest to me. As is the sharing of information between my Aspen and the navigator (like traffic, weather, etc.). Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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