(February 2012) Flat-panel avionics systems for light airplanes, which seemed like the stuff of science fiction just a handful of years ago, have been around long enough to advance to a second generation. As far as Garmin avionics are concerned, that second generation of glass panels takes the form of G2000, a system that makes use of a lot of existing Garmin technology behind the panel but that incorporates an entirely new user interface, one that will change the way we fly.
Just as it sounds, G2000 is the follow-on to the immensely popular G1000 system. In various forms and using various names, G1000 has been installed as standard equipment in around 30 different models of airplanes, from entry-level piston singles to light jets. G1000 is standard fare on Cessna’s lineup of piston singles, from the high-performance Corvalis to the entry-level Skyhawk trainer. As a result, steam gauges are a mystery to many new pilots; to them, G1000 is synonymous with “avionics.”
