While not all pilots are gadget geeks, drooling over the newest cool stuff, few among us don’t pine for the latest EFIS, navigator or portable. Garmin’s D2 introduction—possibly the ultimate pilot “Gadget Geek” watch yet—left us begging for a sample.
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Key Takeaways:
- The Garmin D2 is a $450 aviation GPS wrist watch that integrates a chronograph, altimeter, compass, and thermometer, providing basic nearest-airport navigation and density altitude calculations.
- While it can import flight plans created in the Garmin Pilot app for waypoint-by-waypoint navigation, its internal WAAS GPS notably does not provide location data back to the app for in-flight use, requiring a separate GPS for the tablet.
- Despite a limited built-in aviation database, a small monochrome display with sometimes difficult-to-read fonts, and about a day's battery life with GPS running, the D2 is valued for its "gee whiz" factor, solid engineering, and potential as an auxiliary or emergency navigation device.
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