Garmin is adding more Part 25 business aircraft to its list of ADS-B OUT supplemental type certificate (STC) approvals, and additional aircraft are currently undergoing the approval process. These upgrades have been developed in partnership with Garmin authorized dealers and are available from those dealers.

Some of the recent approvals (including some that are very near completion) include the Learjet 60, Butler Avionics; Citation 550/560, Columbia Avionics and JetTech; Hawker 750, 800A/XP, 850XP and 900XP, Elliott Aviation; and Gulfstream G150/G200; Gulfstream service centers.

Dealers are working on other business jet ADS-B OUT STCs as well, including Learjet 35A, Butler Avionics; Beechjet 400A/Hawker 400XP and Hawker 1000, Elliott Aviation; and Beechcraft Premier I/IA; Stevens Aviation.

The Garmin ADS-B solutions for these aircraft meet RTCA DO-260B standards and use the GDL 88 ADS-B datalink, which includes an internal WAAS/SBAS GPS receiver that can also be used as a WAAS GPS position source. The STC also includes Garmin’s GTX 3000 mode-S Extended Squitter (ES) transponder, which qualifies the installation for flight anywhere in the world where ADS-B is required.

Some of the airframes also qualify for installation of the Garmin GTN 650/750 touchscreen GPS navigator. This adds “access to fully couple WAAS/LPV approaches, electronic charts and more,” according to Garmin. The optional Garmin Flight Stream wireless datalink enables pilots to view ADS-B IN information including FIS-B weather and TIS-B traffic on mobile devices such as Apple iPads or Android devices running the Garmin Pilot app.

Terminal Safety Products

Garmin also announced it has added SurfaceWatch to its newly announced Terminal Safety Solutions products, which also include TerminalTraffic and SafeTaxi technologies. “These tools are the culmination of years of hard work and thousands of flight test hours performed by passionate pilots and engineers striving to improve the picture in and around the airport, and they have done so like no one else in the industry,” said Carl Wolf, vice president of aviation marketing and sales.

SurfaceWatch is available as an option on certain Garmin G2000 through G5000 flight decks, through Garmin’s OEM network, and it provides aural and visual annunciations to warn pilots that they are about to takeoff or land on too short a runway, on the wrong runway or on a taxiway. SurfaceWatch can also give audible runway distance-remaining annunciations from 5,000 to 500 feet remaining. The annunciations are based on TOLD performance data entered before flight, or if these aren’t available, pilots can enter runway length information manually.

TerminalTraffic uses ADS-B to display position of ADS-B-equipped ground vehicles and aircraft on the airport environment as shown on Garmin SafeTaxi airport diagrams. Aircraft and ground vehicles are shown in colors and shapes distinct from those used for airborne traffic, and audible alerts are provided to prevent traffic conflicts. TerminalTraffic is available via GDL88/84 ADS-B datalinks or GDL 39/39R/39D portable ADS-B receivers paired to compatible Garmin displays. TerminalTraffic is also available for helicopters, but optimized to reduce nuisance alerts.

Geo-referenced SafeTaxi airport diagrams are now available for more than 2,000 airports in the U.S., Canada and Europe, and more are being added.