Garmin Reaches a Flight Deck Milestone

Since 2003, the avionics giant has delivered more than 25,000 systems. What does this mean for pilots?

Julie Boatman

Friday, June 17, 2022 at 04:54 PM ET

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The standard G3000 avionics suite in a Cessna Citation M2. [Photo: Julie Boatman]

Key Takeaways:

Garmin has achieved widespread dominance in general aviation, celebrating the delivery of over 25,000 integrated flight decks since the G1000's initial launch in 2003.
The foundational design, initially conceived by co-founder Gary Burrell, provides pilots with a consistent interface across diverse aircraft, but transitioning pilots must still be aware of the nuanced differences between various Garmin system installations.

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Over the course of two weeks this month, I will have flown in three different general aviation airplanes with Garmin’s (NASDAQ: GRMN) integrated flight decks installed in the panel:

A Cessna 182 with the G1000 Nxi factory-installed—a piston single that represents the next generation of Garmin’s first OEM installations in the 2004 Skylane.

A Cessna Citation M2 with the standard G3000 avionics suite—a light jet with a flight deck optimized for single-pilot operation.

A Beechcraft King Air 350 with a G1000 Nxi aftermarket installation—a workhorse turboprop twin taking on a new life.

You could count a fourth airplane too—a SOCATA TB-30 Epsilon that I regularly get to fly, that hosts a Garmin G3X Touch in an experimental/exhibition application, turning a French military trainer into a solid IFR traveling machine.