Garmin has begun shipping the initial orders of the GDL 84, the latest addition to Garmin’s
lineup of certified ADS-B solutions.
The GDL 84 provides an all-inclusive option for owners looking to satisfy the requirements of the 2020 ADS-B mandate, according to Garmin officials.
For $3,995, the GDL 84 comes with an integrated WAAS GPS, installation kit, configuration module, GPS antenna, and the Flight Stream Bluetooth wireless gateway.
The GDL 84 wirelessly transmits weather and traffic information via Flight Stream 110/210 to a mobile device with Garmin Pilot, instead of an installed multifunction display in the cockpit. This means an aircraft owner’s existing panel configuration remains intact, company officials noted.
Garmin’s patented self-interrogation feature allows the GDL 84 to wirelessly communicate and interface with a wide range of general aviation transponders to synchronize squawk code and ident. This enables the ADS-B Out source to broadcast the same code as the transponder, simplifying the installation and eliminating the need to install an additional ADS-B control panel, Garmin officials said.
The GDL 84 has received the FAA’s Approved Model List Supplemental Type Certification (AML STC) for hundreds of aircraft makes and models.
The only problem is that Garmin has apparently still not received the STC approvals it claims to have received. I’ve had a GDL-84 on order for 6 months and the dealer shop tells me the reason it has not shipped is that there is still no STC approval available from Garmin. Looks like the Marketing people jumped the gun with this announcement..
Garmin International has been the company that perfected GPS navigation initially and is still the company which is tirelessly working the needs of the aviation industry. This GDL-84 is great. Hope the price can stabilize at a lower level so that the 99% can afford it. In order for GA to increase, prices will have to decrease.