Garmin Still King Overall, But the Av8orace is Impressive

Weve put most of the current portable GPS offerings through the ringer with an eye to how they support instrument flying. Some are compact and capable, like the basic AV8OR from Honeywell or Anywhere Travel Companion (ATC) from Control Vision. Some are so big they are more like portable MFDs: Trueflights FL 210 or most of the EFBs that run on tablets fall into this group. In the end, we liked the aera and 296 through 496 Garmins the best, with a possible exception for the Honeywell AV8OR Ace.

Key Takeaways:

• Garmin's aera and x96 series are identified as the top choice for portable GPS in instrument flying due to their ease of use, intuitive data integration, and reliable functionality, despite higher data update costs.
• The Honeywell AV8OR Ace is recognized as a powerful IFR alternative, offering display on en route charts and approach plates along with more affordable data updates, though its interface is less intuitive and the screen can be small for full charts.
• The article highlights a trade-off between Garmin's superior user experience and Honeywell's lower update costs and specific IFR features, with other brands like Control Vision noted for a steeper learning curve or less capable hardware.

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