Garmin introduces G5 electronic flight instrument as a DG/HSI in certificated aircraft

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today announced the pending approval of the G5 electronic flight instrument for installation as a replacement directional gyro (DG) or horizontal situation indicator (HSI) in type-certificated fixed-wing general aviation aircraft. When paired with select VHF NAV/COMMs or GPS navigators, the G5 can be considered primary for displaying magnetic heading, VOR/LOC guidance and/or GPS course guidance, as well as distance and groundspeed. The installation of dual G5 electronic flight instruments can also eliminate the dependency on a failure-prone vacuum system in aircraft for attitude and heading information. Installation approval is accomplished via supplemental type certificate (STC) with a comprehensive approved model list (AML) containing 600+ individual aircraft models, which is representative of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) commitment to encourage and authorize specific enhancements to aircraft to improve safety among the existing general aviation fleet.

“Furthering our commitment to bring affordable, safety-enhancing and certified solutions to general aviation, the G5 electronic flight instrument that was initially developed for experimental aircraft may now be used to replace a DG or HSI in certificated aircraft and represents another industry-first by Garmin,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “Thousands of G5s have been fielded since its introduction into the certificated aircraft market last year, which shows that aircraft owners are eager to incorporate these safety-minded products into the cockpit. Thanks to the FAA’s initiative to encourage and permit cost-effective safety enhancements to the general aviation fleet, our valued customers can continue to further benefit from the redundancy and dependability associated with modern electronic flight instrumentation.”

Comprising of a bright, 3.5-inch sunlight readable liquid crystal display (LCD), the G5 electronic flight instrument is approved for installation in place of the aircraft’s existing DG/HSI via a Garmin-held STC for hundreds of certificated fixed-wing aircraft models. Utilizing the new cost-effective magnetometer, the G5 electronic flight instrument displays magnetic heading. A dedicated rotary knob allows pilots to easily select and adjust course and make heading bug selections. Suitable for installation in place of a standard 3-1/8-inch (79 millimeters) flight instrument, the 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. The G5 electronic flight instrument is also approved for flight under VFR and IFR conditions, offering an economical upgrade for thousands of aircraft owners.

When paired with the GTN™ 650/750, GNS™ 430W/530W or non-WAAS GNS 430/530 navigators, the G5 is approved as a primary source to display vertical and lateral GPS/VOR/LOC course deviation when available, as well as groundspeed and distance to the next waypoint1. In a G5 configuration that is paired with the GNC® 255 or SL 30 NAV/COMM radio, the G5 is approved as a primary source to display lateral and vertical course deviation2 when available. Additionally, a single magnetometer is capable of supplying magnetic heading information to two G5 electronic flight instruments simultaneously.

The G5 electronic flight instrument offers a wide range of flexible panel configuration options, along with the reliability associated with a modern electronic flight instrument. Installation configurations vary as up to two G5 displays can be incorporated into a single aircraft panel in several approved combinations, including the attitude, DG/HSI or turn coordinator positions. In dual installations, a secondary G5 can revert to display attitude information in the unlikely event of a failure in the primary attitude indicator position. A pilot-selectable menu on the G5 DG/HSI enables the manual selection and interchange between the attitude indicator and DG/HSI display. Each G5 for certificated aircraft includes a four-hour back-up battery for use in the event of an aircraft electrical system failure. In dual G5 configurations, customers receive dual ADAHRS and dual back-up batteries, offering safety-enhancing redundancy.