OLATHE, Kan. - Garmin in Olathe, Kan. has announced the certification of its G5000 flight deck retrofit for Cessna Citation XLS+ and XLS Gen2 aircraft as part of the company’s avionics upgrade program. The G5000 system, which has already been installed on Citation Excel and XLS models, brings a range of modernized cockpit features designed to enhance situational awareness.
The G5000 flight deck for the XLS+ and XLS Gen2 includes three landscape-oriented displays with split-screen capability, allowing pilots to view maps, flight plans, weather data, and more simultaneously. The system features two touchscreen controllers for easy operation, as well as two GI 275 electronic flight instruments for use as standby attitude indicators.
The upgrade also includes a fully digital Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS), offering performance and speed management throughout the aircraft's flight envelope. Emergency Descent Mode (EDM) is standard, allowing the aircraft to automatically descend to a preset altitude if cabin pressurization is lost. Other features include underspeed protection (USP) and fully coupled go-arounds, which help reduce pilot workload. The G5000 is also certified for Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP) 0.3, enabling advanced approach capabilities at more airports globally.
Related: Garmin expands StormOptix weather radar tech to thousands of more displays
Among the enhancements is Garmin’s Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT), which now includes a 3D view of airport environments, with details such as hangars, terminals, and taxiways to help pilots avoid runway incursions. A new Taxiway Routing feature allows the flight crew to enter taxi instructions into the touchscreen controller, displaying the route on 2D or 3D maps. SurfaceWatch technology further assists with runway monitoring, providing alerts to help avoid wrong runway takeoffs and landings.
The upgrade also includes an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system, which is compliant with current global mandates. ADS-B In traffic data, analyzed by Garmin’s Runway Occupancy Awareness (ROA) technology, provides alerts for potential runway incursions. Additional weather and traffic data are provided through the GWX 8000 StormOptix weather radar system, which includes predictive windshear warnings, hail, and lightning detection.
