How Garmins 696 Can Save Your Bacon

We have a love-hate relationship with cockpit gadgets. On one hand, were strongly in favor of anything that simplifies aviating, navigating and communicating. On the other hand, weve too often seen people get caught up trying to make the gadget work while ignoring the airplane. In the end, we (and our wallets) always have yearned for some kind of inexpensive all-in-one magic box to simplify cockpit chores. Garmins latest GPS portable, the GPSMAP 696, comes about as close as weve seen. Its not perfect, its definitely not cheap and it occupies a lot of space in what might be cramped quarters, but the sheer volume of features and the ease with which they can be accessed pretty much demand anyone shopping for a portable GPS navigator take a close look at the 696. Moreover, having one of these in the cockpit might save what otherwise could be a very bad day. Lets look at what those safety features are and how they work.

Key Takeaways:

• The Garmin GPSMAP 696 is a highly comprehensive portable GPS navigator, praised for consolidating advanced avionics features previously found in expensive panel-mounted units into a single device, significantly simplifying cockpit tasks and enhancing safety.
• Key safety features include an improved virtual instrument panel that can be viewed concurrently with other data like moving maps and weather, an enhanced SafeTaxi function for safer ground navigation that highlights high-risk areas, and the first-time inclusion of IFR approach and en route charts in a dedicated portable GPS.
• Its large display overcomes previous screen size limitations, allowing simultaneous viewing of critical information and effectively functioning as an electronic flight bag, making sophisticated capabilities accessible to a wider range of aircraft.

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