Garmin has added new features to the Garmin Pilot app on iPads or iPhones, including the ability to generate a graphical weather briefing from Leidos Flight Service, plus graphical NAVAID NOTAMs to depict when a NAVAID has limitations or is out of service.
Other recent enhancements include new NOTAM filtering options and a VFR trip briefing for subscribers in Europe, according to company officials.
Leidos Flight Service weather briefing
Pilots in the United States and Canada can now access the Leidos graphical weather briefings within the Garmin Pilot app, providing advanced and up-to-date information before a flight, Garmin officials report.
“This next generation weather briefing contains aeronautic information and meteorological data similar to what is provided by a specialist at 1-800-WX-BRIEF, including adverse weather conditions, forecast weather, and more in a printable PDF format,” officials said.
Graphical NAVAID NOTAMs
Also included with this update are NAVAID NOTAMs that graphically depict the active status of a NAVAID. When a NAVAID is out of service, withdrawn, or unusable, Garmin Pilot depicts the NAVAID symbol in red to alert the pilot. A NAVAID depicted in orange indicates the NAVAID has limitations, such as VOR/DME that is not maintained.
For access to additional information, pilots may position the radial menu over these NOTAMs. NAVAID NOTAMs are also available in split screen mode using the NOTAM widget.
Airspace and NOTAM filters
The new airspace and NOTAM filters make it easier to declutter airspaces and NOTAMs on the dynamics map, allowing pilots to better focus on airspaces and NOTAMs relevant to their flights, according to company officials.
To enable these new decluttering options, select Filters from the Map Layer icon on the Map page. Filters include:
- Hide airspace above active FPL altitude: Suppresses airspace and NOTAMs above the active flight plan altitude, which may be customized in increments from 500 to 5,000 feet
- Dynamic airspace rendering: Pilots can de-emphasize airspace and NOTAMs 1,000 feet above and below their current altitude
- Hide airspace above: Suppresses all airspace and NOTAMs above a specified altitude selected by the pilot
Once enabled, a new active filter will appear on the top left-hand corner of the map. Pilots can tap the Filter icon to view the details of the active airspace and NOTAM filter and can also select the Settings icon to access the filter settings. If for any reason pilots choose to climb above the altitude configured with an airspace and NOTAM filter enabled, the filter will automatically be overridden and the airspace will reappear. Garmin officials explained.
With this update, pilots can filter the NOTAMs overlay based on the active flight plan to only include items that will be active during a particular flight. Using the departure date and time of an active flight plan, as well as the estimated time enroute (ETE) plus a three-hour margin, Garmin Pilot will display only the relevant NOTAMs for that flight on the map or widget view in split screen mode.
Upcoming NOTAMs visibility
Graphical NOTAMs have been enhanced to allow pilots to configure the visibility timeframe for upcoming NOTAMs, which currently default to 24 hours. Pilots can elect to display NOTAMs on the map page and widget view from three to 48 hours in the future.
VFR briefing pack for Europe
Garmin Pilot subscribers in Europe can generate a VFR briefing pack that includes weather, NOTAMs, and airspace use plan. This briefing pack is formatted as a PDF that can be easily printed for reference in the cockpit if desired.
The newest release of Garmin Pilot on iOS mobile devices, version 10.4, is available immediately. For new customers, Garmin Pilot is available in the Apple App Store as a free download for the first 30 days. After the 30-day trial period, customers can purchase an annual subscription starting at $79.99.