Garmin upgrades Pilot app with weather, datalink traffic, split-screen

OLATHE, Kan., 30 July 2012.Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) and a provider of satellite navigation, announced new features and capabilities for the Garmin Pilotapp for AppleiOS and Android.

The features new to Garmin Pilot include support for the GDL 39 portable ADS-B receiver. When paired with a GDL 39, Garmin Pilot can display subscription-free weather and ADS-B datalink traffic information to deliver greater situational awareness in flight. The GDL 39, which combines a dual-link ADS-B receiver and a GPS receiver into a single product, wirelessly streams ADS-B traffic and weather information to the Garmin Pilot-compatible mobile device via a built-in Bluetooth connection.

Subscription-free weather information is broadcast using the FAA’s 978 MHz UAT uplink. Weather services include access to NEXRAD imagery, METARs, TAFs, winds and temperatures aloft, PIREPs, and NOTAMs.

Pilots can also receive ADS-B traffic information and alerts to help identify potential traffic conflicts. In addition to the ability to receive traffic data from TIS-B ground stations, the dual-link GDL 39 offers direct air-to-air ADS-B reception on both ADS-B frequencies (1090 ES and 978 UAT) to provide a more comprehensive view of potential flight path conflicts.

Garmin Pilot is the first Garmin product to support the display of advanced traffic awareness features like TargetTrend relative motion technology. TargetTrend helps the pilot visualize the trend of the traffic threats as it relates to his/her aircraft to allow an instantaneous view of the traffic picture without any interpretation, resulting in faster decision making and reduced pilot workload in dense traffic environments.

The iOS version of the Garmin Pilot also now includes split-screen capability, enabling the pilot to split the display in half and view the moving map simultaneously with charts, SafeTaxi, the Panel Page, weather widgets, or active navlog. With this feature, the pilot gains access to more information without the need to switch between displays.

“ADS-B weather and traffic, high-integrity GPS position information and capabilities like split-screen have all been integrated to provide the best picture of the pilot’s operational environment–from the time the flight plan is filed to the time the aircraft lands and everywhere in between,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing.

Garmin Pilot for Android also offers the ability to graphically edit flight plans on the moving map page and support for the Baron MobileLink for XM weather reception (sold separately, subscription required).

Garmin Pilot is available in the App Store and Google Play as a free download for the first 30 days, after which it is offered for a limited-time price of $49.99 per year (regularly $99.99). Pilots can upgrade the standard FliteCharts to geo-referenced FliteCharts for an additional $49.99 annually, and geo-referenced SafeTaxi diagrams are available for an additional $29.99 annually.