Garmin GFC 500 AP for C, D, E Mooneys

[JimB]

On 9/1/2020 at 10:25 PM, Jim Peace said:

Is like when people say they got there privates...LOL....Then you just correct them and say oh you got a private pilot license...

But....is it a license or certificate? 

[Jim Peace]

55 minutes ago, JimB said:

But....is it a license or certificate? 

I would say both.....leaning more towards certificate

on the FAA website it refers to it either way:

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/become/

[JimB]

16 minutes ago, Jim Peace said:

I would say both.....leaning more towards certificate

on the FAA website it refers to it either way:

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/become/

It does and they have been used interchangeably for a long time now. I was just trying to have some fun and add more fuel to the word fire.  

[brndiar]

I considere upgrade with G5+ GFC 500 Autopilot. 

Which Navigation Panel would you recommend? GTN 650?

Any recommendations?

How much  would be approximately  upgrade  cost (hardware + labor)? 

P.S. 1977 M20C with Engine after TBO + New Prop (ca 50 Hours)

 

thanks,

m.

[ArtVandelay]

If a new install, I’d go with GTN.

A rough guess is GTN,dual Gs, GFC combo will be 35+ AMUs.

[Chris Briley]

I think it depends if you need a nav/com with the GPS.  If you don't, there's a much cheaper alternative with the GPS 175, which retails for $5,000 in the US.  A GTN 650xi is $12,500 and the GTN 625xi is $10,500.   Quite a difference.

I put the GNX 375 in mine because I needed the ADS-B upgrade.  I'm very pleased with it.

[Skates97]

If you don't need ADS-B out then you can always put in the GNC355 to have GPS/COM (no NAV) and replace an old radio in the stack.

[donkaye]

If you want VNAV with the GFC 500, then you'll need a GTN, either the 750 or 650.

[brndiar]

Wrote to Garmin, didnt get response.

Does have someone Info, when will be Certifikation for C Modell finished?

One more Question - PFD 2xG5 vs. Aspen Evolution 1000 -what is your oppinion (pros/contras)?

 

Thanks,

LG,

milos

[alexz]

23 hours ago, Chris Briley said:

I think it depends if you need a nav/com with the GPS.  If you don't, there's a much cheaper alternative with the GPS 175, which retails for $5,000 in the US.  A GTN 650xi is $12,500 and the GTN 625xi is $10,500.   Quite a difference.

I put the GNX 375 in mine because I needed the ADS-B upgrade.  I'm very pleased with it.

Do you get VNAV with gnx 375 ?

[Chris Briley]

My understanding is that the GNX 375 doesn't provide VNAV enroute but it does support VNAV in approach mode on the GFC 500.

Edited September 23, 2020 by Chris Briley

[donkaye]

15 minutes ago, Chris Briley said:

My understanding is that the GNX 375 doesn't provide VNAV enroute but it does support VNAV in approach mode on the GFC 500.

What does that mean?  The GFC 500 doesn't support VNAV past one waypoint before the FAF even with the GTNs.  The 375 will couple to the GFC 500 for LPV Approaches.

[Greg Ellis]

23 hours ago, donkaye said:

If you want VNAV with the GFC 500, then you'll need a GTN, either the 750 or 650.

Question from someone who does not have an autopilot, when you say the GFC 500 needs a 750 or a 650 for VNAV, does that mean it will not capture and fly a glideslope on an ILS or the glideslope on a LNAV approach unless you have a 750 or 650?  Or are you just talking about the VNAV guidance I program in the 530W to tell me when to begin my descent to cross a certain fix at a certain altitude, etc....  Sorry it is a basic question but I am new to autopilots, never having flown with one in 27 years of flying.

[Chris Briley]

Don, 

I did a poor job of making my point.   My understanding is the GFC500 will couple the approaches with the GXN 375 and fly the glideslope.   It will not automatically fly the step downs before the FAF.    

Question, can you rebug your ALT to the next step down and then click VNAV along with setting VS to have the AP fly the step downs? 

I got my IFR cert in a SR-20 with the Garmin Perspective, and that's how I used the AP to fly the approaches.

Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks,
Chris

[donkaye]

12 minutes ago, Chris Briley said:

Don, 

I did a poor job of making my point.   My understanding is the GFC500 will couple the approaches with the GXN 375 and fly the glideslope.   It will not automatically fly the step downs before the FAF.    

Question, can you rebug your ALT to the next step down and then click VNAV along with setting VS to have the AP fly the step downs? 

I got my IFR cert in a SR-20 with the Garmin Perspective, and that's how I used the AP to fly the approaches.

Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks,
Chris

The VNAV function will do nothing.  Of course you could be a "sort of" VNAV function by continually preselecting an altitude and using V/S to control your rate, but that isn't necessarily going to give you the various slopes for various step downs.

[donkaye]

36 minutes ago, Greg Ellis said:

Question from someone who does not have an autopilot, when you say the GFC 500 needs a 750 or a 650 for VNAV, does that mean it will not capture and fly a glideslope on an ILS or the glideslope on a LNAV approach unless you have a 750 or 650?  Or are you just talking about the VNAV guidance I program in the 530W to tell me when to begin my descent to cross a certain fix at a certain altitude, etc....  Sorry it is a basic question but I am new to autopilots, never having flown with one in 27 years of flying.

It will fly all approaches with vertical guidance, just not multiple step-downs during the enroute phase of flight (STARS).  VNAV with multiple step-downs is not  the same as a single VNAV on the GNS 530 or 430.

[Greg Ellis]

1 minute ago, donkaye said:

It will fly all approaches with vertical guidance, just not multiple step-downs during the enroute phase of flight (STARS).  VNAV with multiple step-downs is not  the same as a single VNAV on the GNS 530 or 430.

Thanks Don.

[Skates97]

6 hours ago, brndiar said:

Wrote to Garmin, didnt get response.

Does have someone Info, when will be Certifikation for C Modell finished?

One more Question - PFD 2xG5 vs. Aspen Evolution 1000 -what is your oppinion (pros/contras)?

 

Thanks,

LG,

milos

What I have read is the GFC500 needs a G5. If you have the Aspen you would also need to add a G5.

[donkaye]

1 hour ago, Skates97 said:

What I have read is the GFC500 needs a G5. If you have the Aspen you would also need to add a G5.

You would need a G5 or GI 275.  The Aspen doesn't interface with the GFC 500.

[alexz]

2 hours ago, donkaye said:

It will fly all approaches with vertical guidance, just not multiple step-downs during the enroute phase of flight (STARS).  VNAV with multiple step-downs is not  the same as a single VNAV on the GNS 530 or 430.

So my understanding it will fly step downs with gtn750 but not with gnx 375. Trying to figure what exactly is lost with gnx 375 vs gtn 750

[donkaye]

1 hour ago, alexz said:

So my understanding it will fly step downs with gtn750 but not with gnx 375. Trying to figure what exactly is lost with gnx 375 vs gtn 750

That's my understanding at present, but you can check in with Garmin Support to confirm.

[alexz]

15 hours ago, donkaye said:

That's my understanding at present, but you can check in with Garmin Support to confirm.

Yes. You are correct, confirmed that VNAV is not available with GNX375

[wcb]

On 8/25/2020 at 7:07 PM, kpaul said:

The date slipped a bit.  Apparently, there is a bigger difference between the F and J than the Garmin engineers anticipated.  They had to re-engineer the mounting brackets and then had to go back to the drawing board after the original brackets showed early signs of fatigue in ground testing.  It appears to be going well now, they have had the plane in the air 7 times in a week.  It is due back in my hands the first week of October. 

@kpaul

By chance any updates from your end? 

[kpaul]

29 minutes ago, wcb said:

@kpaul

By chance any updates from your end? 

Enroute to New Century as we speak.  Sitting in Denver with a layover.  I pick up the plane tomorrow morning. According to Garmin the certification paperwork was completed on the 16th.

More to follow!

[StevenL757]

On 6/18/2020 at 6:38 PM, MBDiagMan said:

Now we get to wait a few years for this one like we are with the Trutrak.

I would strongly suggest that you make no plans or purchase decisions based on this.

Not exactly true.  I track Garmin's certification efforts closely.  They haven't demonstrated this kind of "straggling" behavior when it comes to bringing this product to market like other vendors.  This is especially true with the GFC600 and GFC500 products.