Garmin Flight Stream

Like many active pilots, Ive enthusiastically embraced the transition to digital technology in the cockpit. The panel in our V35B Bonanza is well equipped for instrument flight, with Garmin navigators and an Aspen Evolution EFD1000 Pro primary flight display. But, I also wanted to add ADS-B traffic and weather information, and a way to carry instrument charts electronically without compromising safety.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The author embraced digital cockpit technology, initially adopting a portable ADS-B receiver and an iPad with Garmin Pilot for enhanced situational awareness and electronic charts.
Integrating this tablet setup with existing panel avionics via a Flight Stream 210 presented unexpected challenges, including required firmware updates for navigators, a new data subscription for waypoint consistency, and a hardware upgrade for the SiriusXM weather receiver.
A two-tablet strategy was adopted to simultaneously manage connections (one to Flight Stream, one to ADS-B In) and provide critical redundancy for charts, weather, and traffic data.
Ultimately, the integrated digital system streamlined pre-flight preparation, automated flight plan synchronization, and eliminated the need for paper charts, proving to be a highly effective and redundant solution.

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Like many active pilots, I’ve enthusiastically embraced the transition to digital technology in the cockpit. The panel in our V35B Bonanza is well equipped for instrument flight, with Garmin navigators and an Aspen Evolution EFD1000 Pro primary flight display. But, I also wanted to add ADS-B traffic and weather information, and a way to carry instrument charts electronically without compromising safety.

I now carry two tablets. (No, I don’t wear suspenders with my belt, but I’ve thought about it.) Both have Garmin Pilot and all the current instrument charts I need. One tablet connects to the navigators through a Flight Stream 210, and both use a Garmin GDL 39 ADS-B receiver to get traffic, weather and flight information.