Flying Visual Approaches? Synthetic Vision Pathways Can Help

Try this Garmin feature and see if it doesn’t bring you out exactly on the visual glidepath to the airport.

Max Trescott

Tuesday, June 03, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

While working with new Vision Jet pilots, the author found that they typically struggle in two areas. One is flying arrivals, and the other is flying visual approaches. [Courtesy: Max Trescott]

Key Takeaways:

Garmin's Synthetic Vision "Pathways," a series of moving guidance rectangles on the PFD, are often perceived by pilots as distracting or increasing workload, despite their original purpose for precision.
Pilots, especially those flying jets, frequently encounter difficulties accurately flying visual approaches and determining the correct glideslope without complex calculations.
A novel use for Pathways simplifies visual approaches: load any approach with vertical guidance, activate "vectors to final," and then aim the Flight Path Marker (FPM) at the displayed Pathways boxes, providing a clear visual glideslope guide that eliminates calculations and works for various runway lengths and approach points.

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If you’ve flown in a Garmin glass cockpit with synthetic vision, then you may have seen the “Pathways” feature, a series of constantly moving rectangles on the primary flight display (PFD). Candidly, I’ve never liked Pathways, so I was delighted to recently find a good use for them. Best of all, this tip works in any Garmin glass cockpit with Synthetic Vision Pathways technology, so you can use it in anything from a G1000-equipped Cessna 172, up through Cessna business jets with the G3000 and G5000.

The following comes from my Max Trescott’s G1000 and Perspective Glass Cockpit Handbook: