Garmin announces EASA approval of the G5 electronic flight instrument

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today announced European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval of the G5 electronic flight instrument for installation in select certified fixed-wing general aviation aircraft in Europe. The G5 electronic flight instrument boasts state-of-the-art reliability and enhanced safety benefits over failure-prone, mechanical gyro-driven instruments as a standalone primary source of aircraft attitude or turn coordination information. Installation approval is accomplished via supplemental type certificate (STC) with a comprehensive approved model list (AML) containing hundreds of individual aircraft models. This STC is representative of EASA’s initiative to better support the certification efforts of general aviation aircraft, while also authorizing specific aircraft upgrades that enhance safety among the general aviation fleet in Europe.

“We are grateful for EASA’s recent efforts and their dedication to implement simpler, scalable regulations that are economical and allow aircraft owners to more easily install modern flight instrumentation, which ultimately improves safety among many aircraft under 2,700 kg. throughout Europe,” said Phil Straub, Garmin executive vice president, managing director of aviation. “This swift approval is a significant milestone that revolutionizes the general aviation industry in Europe and demonstrates Garmin’s industry-leading efforts to achieve these approvals on behalf of our customers. Going forward, as we continue to work with EASA and the FAA, we are eager to seek more cost-effective avionics upgrade paths that increase safety for aircraft owners throughout the world.”

Under the EASA STC, the G5 electronic flight instrument is approved for installation in place of the aircraft’s primary attitude indicator or turn coordinator via a Garmin-held STC for hundreds of certified fixed-wing aircraft models. The bright, 3.5-inch (89 millimeters) sunlight readable liquid crystal display (LCD) is approved as a primary source of aircraft attitude or turn coordination information and as a secondary source for altitude, airspeed and vertical speed. As part of the STC, the G5 electronic flight instrument also includes a four-hour back-up battery for use in the unlikely event of an aircraft alternator failure. The G5 is approved for flight under VFR and IFR conditions and is an economical addition for aircraft owners seeking improved safety and reliability associated with a modern electronic flight instrument.

The G5 integrates with the aircraft’s existing pitot/static system to display attitude, airspeed, altitude, vertical speed, slip/skid, turn rate, configurable v-speed references, barometric setting and selected altitude, as well as visual alerts when arriving at the pre-selected altitude. GPS-based track and groundspeed information are also displayed within the G5 electronic flight instrument. Barometric setting, preselected altitude and ground track bugs can easily be adjusted using the dedicated rotary knob.

Suitable for installation in place of a standard 3-1/8-inch (79 millimeters) flight instrument, G5 measures 3-inches (76 millimeters) in depth with the back-up battery so it can easily be integrated into a wide range of aircraft. Installation is further simplified as the G5 only requires power, ground, pitot/static inputs and a WAAS antenna or GPS input from a navigator such as the GTN™ 650/750 or GNS™ 430W/530W.