Garmin launches G2000 PRIME flight deck for high-performance piston and electric aircraft
Garmin announced the G2000 PRIME integrated flight deck Thursday for high-performance Class I and II piston and electric aircraft. The system uses an all-touchscreen interface and incorporates technologies introduced through the company's G3000 PRIME platform. Larger Touchscreen Displays The flight deck includes 14-inch primary display units that use edge-to-edge, sunlight-readable glass. Garmin said the displays offer more than twice the processing power of earlier systems and system connectivity speeds up to 100 times faster. Seven-inch secondary displays provide system control and data entry. In some aircraft installations, they can also serve as the standby flight instrument. "The response to our PRIME flight decks has been incredibly enthusiastic, and we're excited to bring this next-generation technology to high-performance light general aviation aircraft with G2000 PRIME ," Phil Straub, Garmin's executive vice president and managing director of aviation, said. The interface can recognize as many as 10 touchscreen inputs simultaneously and includes hand-stabilization technology for use during turbulence. Flight Planning And Safety Features The system includes graphical flight plan editing, taxiway routing and a Modified Flight Plan function that previews proposed route changes. Pilots can configure an Emergency Return function during initialization. Smart checklists can open through crew alerting system messages and recognize whether selected switches or systems are in the required position. G2000 PRIME will support Garmin technologies that include Autoland , Smart Glide, Smart Rudder Bias, Electronic Stability Protection, Emergency Descent Mode and autothrottle. Available airport-surface tools include Runway Occupancy Awareness, 3D SafeTaxi and SurfaceWatch. Connectivity options include LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, SiriusXM and Connext satellite services. Garmin said aircraft manufacturers will announce the first models scheduled to receive the system. The company also introduced its new AXIS panel suite for GA aircraft on July 8. AXIS combines flight display, IFR GPS, NAV/COMM and audio panel functions into a single display.