Garmin has started shipping its Flight Stream 110 and 210 Bluetooth wireless gateway units, allowing for connectivity in the cockpit through the company’s Connext system. The units allow information from panel-mounted avionics to be streamed to a portable tablet or smartphone through the Garmin Pilot app.
The Flight Stream 110 connects with Garmin’s GDL 88 ADS-B or GDL 69 SiriusXM datalink units to stream GPS, weather and traffic data to up to two portable tablets or smartphones. You can also stream SiriusXM audio data to the portable unit, allowing you or one of your passengers to choose to listen to uninterrupted music, news or other offerings from a long list of channels while you focus on ATC transmissions. The passengers would listen to the music through their aviation headsets, but most audiopanels allow you to isolate their audio from yours. The Flight Stream 110 costs $549.
At $999, the Flight Stream 210 adds additional capabilities. It connects to the GDL 88 and 69 units just like the 110, but you can can also stream information to and from Garmin’s GTN 650/750 and GNS 430W/530W navigators. What this means is the unit can transfer highly accurate AHRS information to the portable units. Even better, flight planning data can be transferred between the panel-mounts and portables, allowing you to create a flight plan at home and load it directly from your tablet or phone into the panel mounted navigator. Garmin claims the sync between the units is as simple as a couple of screen taps, and changes to the flight plan in flight can be transferred between units just as easily.
Garmin includes a free software update for the GNS 430W/530W with the installation of the Flight Stream 210. The company claims the installation of the boxes is simple, but the cost will vary depending on dealer pricing.
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