GTN 650/750 Tips and Tricks

[Bob - S50]

I’m one that always likes to see if I can get more out of my equipment so I thought I’d start this thread.

For you GTN650/750 users out there, do you have any tips or tricks that help you get the most out of it?

I’ll start with two or my own:

1.  Let’s say I’m flying from KHIO near Portland to KTIW in Tacoma, WA and have to fly IFR due to weather (what a shocker in the Pacific Northwest).  I’ll assume that this day TIW is landing to the North so I’ll want to fly the RNAV 35 approach.  I could file over OLM (Olympia) and direct to KTIW.  However, if I do that and then load the RNAV 35, the GTN will show a route of flight from OLM to TIW and back to FESAS (the IAF) for the approach.  If I do that, I’ll have no idea how far I am from FESAS while enroute and have no idea when I should start down.  If instead I filed OLM FESAS KTIW and then load the approach, the GTN will show a route from OLM to FESAS to KTIW and back to FESAS for the approach.  Doing it that way will let ATC know I’m probably going to want the RNAV 35 approach and also let me know exactly how far I am from the IAF while enroute for descent planning.

2.  Let’s say ATC gives me a crossing restriction way down the road.  Let’s say it is 30 West of GEG at 5000’ on my current inbound course of 104.  I don’t want to forget it and miss it.  I can create a “Temporary” waypoint at the GEG 284/30 and name it “AT 5000”.  It will show up on the moving map and if I touch it, the name will appear reminding me of the altitude.  While I’d hesitate to do so, if it appears the waypoint lies exactly on the magenta line, I could even insert it into my route of flight.  I could use a similar technique for marking a top of descent point on my route and name it “TOD”.

Anybody else got any useful tips or tricks?

Bob

[Jeff_S]

I don't have a GTN series navigator, but I've got the next (I might say "the first") best thing in my GNS480.  Garmin finally added some of the superior routing and flight planning features of the 480 into the GTN series. In your #1 scenario, I'm not familiar with that locale or those airports, but if I had created the flight plan as you did  with the IAF as a waypoint in the original plan, when I go to load the approach I can specify that IAF as the starting point and it will redraw the route accordingly without showing me "doubling back" to the IAF.

 

Here's a question for those who now have the GTNs: have you had occasion to use the Victor-route routing feature when entering or amending plans as provided by ATC? Isn't that the slickest thing? Sorry for gloating, but that, too, is a standard feature of the 480.

[chrisk]

 

Here's a question for those who now have the GTNs: have you had occasion to use the Victor-route routing feature when entering or amending plans as provided by ATC? Isn't that the slickest thing? Sorry for gloating, but that, too, is a standard feature of the 480.

 

I do like the way victor airway routing works.  As I recall, you have to have a point on the airway as part of your flight plan, then you just need to indicate where you exit the airway. 

[flyboy0681]

I do like the way victor airway routing works.  As I recall, you have to have a point on the airway as part of your flight plan, then you just need to indicate where you exit the airway. 

 

In order to enter an airway on the 750 you need to have at least two VOR's in the flight plan so it can determine which airway's are available. For example, my airport (KBCT) is directly under Victor 3 and the closest VOR is PBI to the north. I can't enter PBI as a waypoint and tell it to use V3 from KBCT. I have to enter the VOR that's behind me (FLL) from which V3 originates so it can draw the line.

[flyboy0681]

I’m one that always likes to see if I can get more out of my equipment so I thought I’d start this thread.

1.  Let’s say I’m flying from KHIO near Portland to KTIW in Tacoma, WA and have to fly IFR due to weather (what a shocker in the Pacific Northwest).  I’ll assume that this day TIW is landing to the North so I’ll want to fly the RNAV 35 approach.  I could file over OLM (Olympia) and direct to KTIW.  However, if I do that and then load the RNAV 35, the GTN will show a route of flight from OLM to TIW and back to FESAS (the IAF) for the approach.  If I do that, I’ll have no idea how far I am from FESAS while enroute and have no idea when I should start down.  If instead I filed OLM FESAS KTIW and then load the approach, the GTN will show a route from OLM to FESAS to KTIW and back to FESAS for the approach.  Doing it that way will let ATC know I’m probably going to want the RNAV 35 approach and also let me know exactly how far I am from the IAF while enroute for descent planning.

Bob

 

I was confused by what you were saying but I entered this scenario into the desktop simulator and see exactly what you mean. Good tip.

 

I don't have any tips other than entering the alternate as the last entry in the flight plan list, under the approach. This way if you go missed and decide to head for the alternate, it's already there and all you need to do is hit ACTIVATE. The alternative to this is fumbling around during a high stress time entering the new destination while dealing with a dozen other things. This feature is not unique to the GTN series however.

[Jeff_S]

In order to enter an airway on the 750 you need to have at least two VOR's in the flight plan so it can determine which airway's are available. For example, my airport (KBCT) is directly under Victor 3 and the closest VOR is PBI to the north. I can't enter PBI as a waypoint and tell it to use V3 from KBCT. I have to enter the VOR that's behind me (FLL) from which V3 originates so it can draw the line.

 

Seriously? I didn't remember that from the demo unit I saw. I wonder why they did it that way. They own the code that allows you to enter a single point on an airway and then select the airway from that...it's in the 480.  Good point to remember, though.

[Bob - S50]

In order to enter an airway on the 750 you need to have at least two VOR's in the flight plan so it can determine which airway's are available. For example, my airport (KBCT) is directly under Victor 3 and the closest VOR is PBI to the north. I can't enter PBI as a waypoint and tell it to use V3 from KBCT. I have to enter the VOR that's behind me (FLL) from which V3 originates so it can draw the line.

Not true.  You can enter and exit an airway at an intersection too.  Just look on the low chart, find the first named intersection on the airway that is in the direction you want to go and enter it into your flight plan.  When you select it from the flight plan you can use 'load airway' to find the airway.  Once you've done that you can select any named intersection or VOR as an exit point, so just find the last (or most conveniently located) point on the airway that gets you close to your destination.

 

Bob

[flyboy0681]

Not true.  You can enter and exit an airway at an intersection too.  Just look on the low chart, find the first named intersection on the airway that is in the direction you want to go and enter it into your flight plan.  When you select it from the flight plan you can use 'load airway' to find the airway.  Once you've done that you can select any named intersection or VOR as an exit point, so just find the last (or most conveniently located) point on the airway that gets you close to your destination.

 

Bob

 

I guess I didn't express myself clearly. I should have phrased it as users can't pick up an airway on the fly and that it needs to be from a fix of some type. In my example, I still can't tell the unit to use V3 to get to PBI from my point of departure unless there is a fix I can head towards -or- have the VOR behind me plugged-in in which the airway is defined.

[Houman]

I just got a GTN 650 installed on my M20K Rocket, it is still in the importation process, so I have not played with the GTN yet, I did download the Garmin GTN 650 simulator on my iPad, but it seemed pretty non-functional during the 30 days eval period, or maybe I needed to pay the 25$ to get it working properly. I would really like to get used to the interface on a sim before using it in the air.

Thanks !

[flyboy0681]

I just got a GTN 650 installed on my M20K Rocket, it is still in the importation process, so I have not played with the GTN yet, I did download the Garmin GTN 650 simulator on my iPad, but it seemed pretty non-functional during the 30 days eval period, or maybe I needed to pay the 25$ to get it working properly. I would really like to get used to the interface on a sim before using it in the air.

Thanks !

 

I too had downloaded the GTN during the trial period and it functioned identically to the real unit.

[slowflyin]

My ipad trainer locked up after the free trial as well. I paid the 25 then found the free software that came with my gtn650. Still nice to have on the IPAD.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Marauder]

I guess I didn't express myself clearly. I should have phrased it as users can't pick up an airway on the fly and that it needs to be from a fix of some type. In my example, I still can't tell the unit to use V3 to get to PBI from my point of departure unless there is a fix I can head towards -or- have the VOR behind me plugged-in in which the airway is defined.

I do as Bob suggests and pick up an intersection on the airway. If I was worried about the distance to the nearest intersection and I plan on using the airway a lot, I would create a user waypoint on the airway to act as my intercept. Since the airways are defined by the VOR, just select a point on the airway (before the changeover point). You can specific that waypoint by selecting PBI, the radial and the distance out.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Marauder]

My ipad trainer locked up after the free trial as well. I paid the 25 then found the free software that came with my gtn650. Still nice to have on the IPAD.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It was nice of them to give us the free CD with the simulator but I would have liked to have the option to download the app version instead of the PC based one. Much easier to practice it whenever and wherever I want.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Marauder]

I guess I didn't express myself clearly. I should have phrased it as users can't pick up an airway on the fly and that it needs to be from a fix of some type. In my example, I still can't tell the unit to use V3 to get to PBI from my point of departure unless there is a fix I can head towards -or- have the VOR behind me plugged-in in which the airway is defined.

I have another way that I have worked around this. In your example, I would select PBI in the flight plan and then the rest of the route. I would then do an OBS for the radial that defined V3. It would draw the course line for the airway and I would intercept it to proceed to PBI. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[flyboy0681]

It was nice of them to give us the free CD with the simulator but I would have liked to have the option to download the app version instead of the PC based one. Much easier to practice it whenever and wherever I want.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I agree. I'm somewhat disappointed that they haven't come out with an upgrade to the desktop version. The one I have, and they still offer for free, still contains the initial software release.

[Bob - S50]

I guess I didn't express myself clearly. I should have phrased it as users can't pick up an airway on the fly and that it needs to be from a fix of some type. In my example, I still can't tell the unit to use V3 to get to PBI from my point of departure unless there is a fix I can head towards -or- have the VOR behind me plugged-in in which the airway is defined.

That's true, you do have to find a fix.  In your case it is less than 20 miles to PBI.  I find that in most cases there is almost always a fix within 30 miles of my point of departure or destination that I can use.

 

Bob