A new wave of affordable portable ADS-B/EFIS devices for tablets offers impressive cockpit displays, including attitude reference, weather data, and limited traffic information.
Despite their capabilities, these tablet-based systems are not considered reliable enough for primary instrumentation or dependable backup due to inherent app instability and sensor vulnerability.
Their practical use is best limited to supplemental reference or basic weather planning, with manufacturers and the article advising against over-reliance on them for critical flight information.
Last spring, Garmin made a declaration of sorts. It introduced an aggressive new line of inexpensive avionics for experimental aircraft. This said, in effect, even 800-pound gorillas have to compete in a new market where avionics prices are dropping, due in part, to pressure from tablet computers and ever-more-capable apps.
Within two weeks of Garmin’s anno
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