Garmin announces the G1000 NXi upgrade for the Piper M500

Significant performance enhancements accompany unique features such as SurfaceWatch, visual approaches, geographical map overlay within the HSI and more. Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the G1000 NXi integrated flight deck upgrade for the M500 is targeted for approval in 2019 and will be available through select Garmin dealers.

The G1000 NXi integrated flight deck boasts a comprehensive feature set with new and advanced capabilities. Unique features included as part of the G1000 NXi upgrade for the M500 include:

• SurfaceWatch runway monitoring technology, which provides visual and aural cues to help prevent pilots from taking off or landing on a taxiway, on a runway that is too short or on the wrong runway based on performance data entered during preflight.
• Visual approaches offer pilots enhanced guidance in visual flight conditions based on a three-degree glideslope from the threshold of the runway. Pilots can set customized minimums, select vectors or straight-in for the final approach intercept and fly a visual approach coupled with the autopilot.
• Geographical map overlay within the HSI supports the display of NEXRAD, Flight Information Service-Broadcast (FIS-B) weather, weather radar, SafeTaxi airport diagrams, traffic, terrain and more.
• Flight Stream 510 and Connext technology enables Database Concierge, the wireless transfer of aviation databases from the Garmin Pilot app on a mobile device to the G1000 NXi integrated flight deck. Flight Stream 510 also supports two-way flight plan transfer, the sharing of traffic, weather, GPS information, back-up attitude information and more.
• Available as an option, the G1000 NXi system supports the display of various Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) In benefits via the GTX 345R transponder.
• Pilots can optionally overlay European Visual Reporting Points (VRPs) on the moving map, as VRPs are standard within the navigation database.
• Display of sectional charts, as well as IFR low/high enroute charts are available on the MFD.
• Smart Airspace highlights the airspace nearest the aircraft’s current altitude and de-emphasizes non-pertinent airspace.
• COM frequencies are decoded and displayed on the PFD for easier interpretation.
• Decoded Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs) can be viewed on the MFD.

Modern, state-of-the-art processors provide existing M500 owners and operators smoother panning throughout the displays and faster map rendering within the G1000 NXi. The flight displays initialize in seconds so pilots have immediate access to frequencies, flight plan data and more, saving valuable time in the cockpit. The G1000 NXi integrated flight deck also incorporates contemporary animations and LED back-lighting, offering increased display brightness and clarity, reduced power consumption and improved dimming performance.

STC for the G1000 NXi integrated flight deck upgrade on existing G1000-equipped Piper M500 aircraft is targeted for approval in 2019 and will be available through select Garmin dealers. M500 owners and operators can easily upgrade to the G1000 NXi with minimal aircraft down time and disruption of the panel as the displays preserve the same footprint and connectors, so panel modifications are not required. The upgraded components of the G1000 NXi also come with a two-year warranty, which is supported by Garmin’s award-winning avionics product support team.