garmin Q' (lots of em)

[Adrian Lewer]

ok guy's, not knowing much about air nav i have decided i might go the gps way after obtaining my X country.(yes the basics will still live with me when i fly) i have been doing some reacarch and decided on the garmin 296 in the future. but (once again) have 50 q' for you all ?

 

#1. what does online jepesen nav data, waas , and blue chart mean ?

 

i was taliking to a couple of people on friday (sorry forgot your names) from ballarat and they where using this great thing called AIRNAV Premium... what a great thing, you just plot stuff on the computer programme and it spits out maps, where to change channels ECT... i was stoked... but to top it off you could use the information you programmed into the computer for the flight and printing WAC's and actualy upload the flight plan to the Garmin 296 WHAT A GREAT TOOL now obviousely you can make your way around controlled airspace by plotting on the map. (refer to #3)

 

#2. can you buy DATA.. how do i explain... like a database of all the airfields in australia so if i wanted to fly in flight without AIRNAV i could hop in after checking the weather turn on the gps and take off from ballarat and push lets say tooradin and off we go.. follow the yellow brick road..

 

#3. on the subject will the garmin (or can you make it) without the aid of AIRNAV, make you aware of restricted airspace, different classes of airspace, so on my flight from ballarat to tooradin will it (or can i ask it or make it) make me fly around controlled airspace/restricted areas ?

 

cheers.

 

 

[Matt]

Morning Ferret,

 

Answers and then some advice:

 

#1a: Jeppesen is a company which produces aviation charts, GPS databases amongst a heap of other stuff - check out http://www.jeppesen.com/wlcs/index.jsp

 

#1b: WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation System and is a supplemental system to GPS to improve accuracy and availability. Currently a US only capability but it is being developed by European, Asian and other aviation navigation providers.

 

#2: Most/all GPS's can be updated with databases available from Jeppesen or a few other providers (although Jeppesen is the primary provider). Their data contains all airspace details for Australia for example - control steps, restricted etc. It contains all major airfields/airports but generally doesn't contain the smaller country / private strips. You can create these yourself though using the software that comes with the GPS.

 

#3: I'm not aware of the 296 specific capabilities, but the 196 will alert you to controlled airspace (nearby/above/in it), it won't differentiate between airspace types i.e. C, G, A etc. - it's either controlled or not. Unless you manually create a route to go from Tooradin to Ballarat to navigate around controlled airspace or any other obstacles or terrain to be avoided, the GPS will take you on a direct path from A to B - it will tell you that you're approaching / in controlled airpsace but won't direct you around it.

 

Now for some advice - don't go out and buy a GPS, AIRNAV or any other "computer assisting" aid until you've got your nav endorsement and fully understand the fundamental skills required for aerial navigation. Under the Visual Flight Rules, you are not legally allowed to use a GPS for primary/only means of navigation, you must carry current maps/charts/ERSA, stopwatch, compass etc. and navigate using these means. Hopefully your instructor will give you the same advice.

 

PS> Good to see you back at work :thumb_up:

 

Cheers,

 

Matt.

 

 

[Adrian Lewer]

hi matt thanks for the detailed reply. yep you are right, and i will be using the maps compass ect for nav but like the BLING of the GPS. i had a discussion with the guy's yesterday and said i would always have the maps ect with me after i have passed my nav and fully understand how to use them but like most think i would prefer the gps method for a bit of ease, especially doing 100kts on a 25-30Nm trip.... no time to play with maps...

 

i will only buy a gps when i buy my own aircraft (in dash mount). if i fly someone elses aircraft everything will be kept to the letter but will do the experimenting with different things in my own aircraft.

 

and as for work, yeah its good. i start the new job on tuesday, now i have to catch up on no pay for 1 week i_dunno . but its better than nothing.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

If you're in the market have a look at the new Garmin 495. Just like the 296 but faster updating, better screen and a few other gimmics apparently. I was fiddling with one at Moorabbin today and the guy in the shop was harping on about how much better it is, but he said the screen was much the same.

 

 

[Adrian Lewer]

will certainly have a look at it when the time comes. this is exactly why i have been putting posts up to get this sort of great feed back.

 

cant wait to buy an aircraft (whatever that might be at the moment J160) but realy cant wait to have a fly around the place and meet all you guy's.

 

 

[Guest Pioneer200]

GPS is great but just like the engine it can STOP!!! You need to have a fulled prepared flight plan if you go to far from home or one day you will drift into controlled airspace or get lost when your GPS quits

 

Both can have dire consequences!

 

 

[Mazda]

There's some good advice above. I'm a big fan of GPS and I'd say yes, go for it. It is the best nav tool we have and it adds to safety.

 

Now, the warnings. As people have said above, you DO need to plan the trip, not just jump in and hit "Direct to" your destination. The direct GPS route could take you straight through restricted areas etc unless you plan around them. It should show the airspace so you'll know it is there, but planning is the best thing to do.

 

There are some pretty strict requirements on using GPS as either sole means of navigation, or primary means of navigation. For instance, the GPS needs to be of a certain standard and you need to have passed a GPS course. So legally you MUST navigate using your charts, standard navaids etc but you can certainly use GPS as well.

 

AirNav is a good thing too. (Matt, it's just flight planning software like the Champagne PC one, but it prints out the route on official Airservices charts). I use AirNav, just the standard one. You can choose an area and you get all the maps for there. The Premium version I think includes all the VFR charts for Australia, and the IFR includes all IFR and VFR charts for Australia. It depends how far you want to fly. I think you can add extra map packs though if you get the standard one. I don't have the GPS capability with mine, so I just print out the charts with my track on it, and if I'm using GPS I'll enter the route manually.

 

We should have WAAS here but we don't. Current GPS here will pick up on WAAS at times but it is not approved. Instead Australia is looking at a ground based system not used anywhere else. Seems crazy to me! Anyway, forget WAAS capabile GPS as being an advantage here (unfortunately). Blue chart is a card adding extra data. I've used it for marine GPS, it gives better detail. I returned the card though as the coverage was not as advertised. American's don't seem to think we matter much and it is difficult to get detailed data for such as small market as Australia.

 

Have a look at GPS to suit your needs (colour, black & white, size, cost etc). I bought a Lowrance AirMap as it had most of the features of the Garmin at a lower price, with a bigger screen, and with a mounting bracket that is perfect for a canopy aircraft with a stick. Everyone loves Garmin though, they've become almost an industry standard.

 

 

[Adrian Lewer]

thanks for the info mazda. i always intended to have charts and basic flight plan in place to take but will use the gps to fly with. if it fails i can revert back to my trusty paper.

 

 

[rong]

Ferret, have you got a portable car-nav? PocketFMS is about to release a version of the program that runs on your PC and car-nav's like NavMan.

 

Ron

 

 

[bushpilot]

If you're in the market have a look at the new Garmin 495. Just like the 296 but faster updating, better screen and a few other gimmics apparently. I was fiddling with one at Moorabbin today and the guy in the shop was harping on about how much better it is, but he said the screen was much the same.

I've just bought a Garmin 495. Still trawling thru the book ; will post impressions in time...

 

 

[Adrian Lewer]

hi all, i like the idea of the AirNav so the navman will be the go. i do have co-pilot for my windows based palm pilot but, it works but i like the idea of the

 

airNav system

 

cheers.

 

 

[Ultralights]

just a quick note, apparently in the not to distant future, VOR and NDB,s in OZ will be decommissioned, leaving only GPS as the Primary source of non map navigation.... shouldn't navigation by GPS be tough in nav training? and not to be used as "backup" only??

 

 

[Mazda]

Don't hold your breath about shutting down NDBs and VORs in the near future. We have a lot of NDBs and not all airports have GNSS instrument approaches yet. Remember it isn't about us, it is about flights under the IFR. VFR flight is by reference to ground and no navaids are required at all.

 

The GPS must be of a certain standard for IFR, and even then there are different standards for "primary means" and "sole means" use.

 

I do agree it is a good idea though to learn how to use any navaids available to you, including GPS!

 

 

[Guest brentc]

You're right, they have been saying that they will be shut down for as long as I can remember but it still hasn't happened.

 

Generally GPS IS in the training syllabus for GA, especially if you're doing your NVFR rating but not required for RA-Aus though.