Garmin has announced some updates to its popular Garmin Pilot application for Apple and Android devices. With this Garmin Pilot update, users now have more worldwide options available to them for flight planning and for international travel. Additionally, this update includes a slew of new features for navigating European airspace, better global navigation features for Android devices, and the ability to wirelessly transfer Jeppesen charts.
If you already have the app on your tablet or other device, it should automatically update on its own. However, if you’re new to Garmin Pilot or you don’t have the device set to automatically update, you can download the updates manually from the Google Play or Apple App Store.
We’ll break down some of the more notable updates below:
Wireless Transfer of Jeppesen charts
Users that have a GTN 650/750 touchscreen navigator, or the newer G1000 NXi integrated flight deck with Flight Stream 510 will now be able to wirelessly transfer Jeppesen charts from their device. This is made possible, obviously, by Garmin’s Flight Stream 510, which allows for two-way flight plan transfer and the transmission of a variety of other useful information including weather, GPS information, back-up altitude, traffic, and more.
European IFR flight plan filing and autorouting
Thanks to this update, pilots can now easily file flight plans when navigating the complex European airspace. Autorouting features have been added to the trip planning pace, and pilots can easily select departure/destination airport pairs and areas to avoid during the planning process. Pilots can view the route on a map, browse alternate routes, and more. All routes are validated by Eurocontrol and presented based on the pilot’s criteria, making planning and navigating a breeze.
Android Updates
And to save the best for last, easily the biggest update was to Android devices. Garmin Pilot for Android now can operate as a full-featured global navigation app with the following features:
- Flight planning
- Global weather information including METARs, TAFs, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, NOTAMs, and winds aloft displays
- VFR flight plan filing
- Interactive, highly-configurable maps
- Worldwide coverage with Jeppesen NavData
- Radial on-screen menu for in-flight and ground tasks
- Track-up or North-up orientation options
Garmin Pilot is one of the most trusted and most used navigation apps for both professional and private pilots. The app is available for free from Google Play or the Apple App Store, but after 30 days, a paid subscription (starting at $74.99) is required to continue use. To learn more about the features of Garmin Pilot, click here.
