GTN Essentials Training

Frank Bowlin

Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 12:20 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Garmin's $125 GTN Essentials CBT course offers comprehensive online training for GTN navigators and related devices, utilizing video lessons, animations, and an integral PC-based avionics trainer.
The course effectively covers a wide range of operations, from basic functions and flight planning to advanced en-route activities and terminal procedures, supported by guided flight scenarios.
While praised for providing necessary knowledge and "buttonology," the review emphasizes that extensive personal practice with the included trainer is crucial for users to develop instinctive operational skills.
Despite minor critiques like initial navigation cumbersome and a lack of unguided practice scenarios, the course is highly recommended as a valuable and cost-effective training tool for GTN users.

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Years ago, I attended Garmin’s combined G500 and GTN classroom training. This got me comfortable with my new avionics. However, not everyone is able to attend in-person training. To meet the needs of its customers, Garmin also now offers some computer based training (CBT).

A number of courses are offered, but to sample Garmin’s CBT, I selected the $125 GTN Essentials (Version 2.0) course. This was a good choice for my purposes. First, I am familiar with the GTN, so I can gauge the usefulness and thoroughness of the training, and, well, I could use the refresher.