Using Ozrunways & Garmin 660

[James_4870]

I use Ozrunways on an iPad primarily for planning and use the Garmin Aera 660 for inflight navigation assistance (heavens forbid we should use it for actual navigation).

 

 

 

After a lot of frustration and an inability to find any documentation on the subject I’ve done a heap of testing using an SD Card and thought I’d report my findings here, it might help someone else.

 

 

 

The first part is the same:

 

• Format SD card - I used SD from eater free app for the mac. I am using a tiny ancient 8Gb card as the garmin files are very small so don’t go spending a fortune on a card.
  
• Create flight plan in Ozrunways.
  
• From within the flight plan screen select the share button and you are presented with 2 Garmin options (.FPL or .GPX), differences explained below.
  
• Save the file to the root directory of the SD Card.
  
• Remove card from iPad card reader and pop it into the Garmin.
  

 

 

What happens next depends on whether you selected GPX or FPL format and the results are different once you put the SD Card into the Garmin.

 

 

 

Here are the differences I have discovered between the 2 formats

 

 

 

GPX Format

 

• Once you insert the card in the Garmin it will automatically import any .GPX files it finds that it has not already imported and put that flight plan in the list.
  
• The flight plan will remain in the list even if the card is removed.
  
• If you delete the flight plan and re-insert the card IT WILL NOT re-import the flight plan. You have to re-save the flight plan from Ozrunways or you can open the files app on the iPad and duplicate the file of the flight plan and then it will re-import it.
  
• Any waypoint included in the plan but not on the Garmin will show on the Garmin as a ‘point’. I don’t know what that means but it is NOT a user waypoint and will only last as long as the flight plan is in the Garmin. If the flight plan is deleted the ‘point’ will be deleted with it.
  
• The waypoints In the plans have nice upper and lower case plain english names
  

 

 

FPL Format

 

• Flight plans are not automatically imported. When you insert the SD card in the Garmin go to flight plan list -> menu there is an option to import. This will bring up a basic file browser to allow you to select the required flight plan. The import is non-destructive, that is you can import the flight plan multiple times (it will just create a duplicates on the Garmin)
  
• Imported plans remain on the Garmin when the card is removed.
  
• If plans are deleted from the Garmin they can be re-imported from the card
  
• Any waypoints not in the Garmin will be added to the database as a User Waypoint and will remain if the Plan is deleted.
  
• The waypoint names are truncated to 5 characters all uppercase
  

 

 

I hope that helps someone.

 

 

 

As a side note, if you want to get some waypoints out of Ozrunways and into the Garmin you can simply create a flight plan with the waypoints in, USE FPL format above and then once imported delete the plan and voila.

[James_4870]

update.

I’ve just discovered another complication. If the waypoint exists as part of the standard database on ozrunways but not on the Garmin (eg a helipad) it is dealt with differently with each of the formats. FPL format will completely omit the waypoint completely when it’s imported, GPX format will import the waypoint as a ‘point’.

[old fart]

Thanks for this info.

Like you I use a 660 and Ozrunways with the 660 coupled to a TruTrak for occasional assistance assistance.

Previously I have manually entered my waypoints. From now on it is .FPL for me.

 

The .FPL omission of Helipad may be a good thing. They are not always where they say they are.

An example of this is if you are navigating the Univat VFR route west of Brisbane and wish to stay in the centre of the corridor. You will need to track close to the Wesley Hospital. The Wesley Hospital Helipad is on the VTC and in Ozrunways but placed .6 mile west of the Hospital in residential Toowong. Not a lot generally but the corridor is only 2 wide so at your best you are only 1 OCTA.

 

The method I now use to accurately set a Waypoint is to have the cursor enabled in Ozrunways settings, set the map to Apple/hybrid and with the crosshairs on the required visible ground feature create the waypoint.

You can change the ID if you wish the first 5 characters to mean something to you.

 

O F

[corowaflying]

Thanks James for the info. Works a treat. It would be nice if we could use garmin context or bluetooth to import plans instead of the sd card.

[Flightrite]

Gotta luv OzRwys, don't know how we ever found our way many years ago!??