Garmin G5s for VFR flight only

[asicer]

VFR? Get a Dynon D3 and put $2000 back in your pocket.
"Install" it yourself.

Or an AV-20S as a middle ground. GTX345 also has built in AHRS.

But I am only VFR rated and sometimes fly my mooney 1,000 miles a day. And sometimes at night. For those situations, the G5 is pretty nice to have.

Night is a valid point, but I'm not sure a G5 is that much better for that than the above alternatives. I'm also not connecting the dots on how the 1000 mile distance makes a difference.

After thinking about it a couple days, I'm going to have to side with @EdFred . As a matter of fact we were seriously thinking about doing just what he suggested as the theoretically IFR panel wasn't. The thought of yanking everything until we could get a new panel sounded really appealing at one point.

 

[Salty]

Or an AV-20S as a middle ground. GTX345 also has built in AHRS.



Night is a valid point, but I'm not sure a G5 is that much better for that than the above alternatives. I'm also not connecting the dots on how the 1000 mile distance makes a difference.

After thinking about it a couple days, I'm going to have to side with @EdFred . As a matter of fact we were seriously thinking about doing just what he suggested as the theoretically IFR panel wasn't. The thought of yanking everything until we could get a new panel sounded really appealing at one point.

A long trip increases the chances you end up in weather or after dark. And no, I don’t mean it’s normal to get into a cloud in VFR, but it could happen some day. I have gotten home after dark when I didn’t plan it.

 

[EdFred]

Ok serious question. How does a G5 help at night vs a panel lit dg/hsi and attitude indicator?

(Electrical failure notwithstanding.)

 

[Salty]

Ok serious question. How does a G5 help at night vs a panel lit dg/hsi and attitude indicator?

(Electrical failure notwithstanding.)

Don't know who you were talking to, but I was just talking about an AI and turn coordinator rather than none.

 

[EdFred]

Don't know who you were talking to, but I was just talking about an AI and turn coordinator rather than none.

Oh, I was operating under the premise that there was at least an AI in the airplane the G5 was going to take the place of. That (the AI) is an instrument I would want at night even VFR.

 

[AK737pilot]

Or an AV-20S as a middle ground. GTX345 also has built in AHRS.

I fly with my iPad front and center bluetoothed to my Garmin GDL50 (probably the same technology as the GTX345). This summer I made a couple flights in very smokey skies. Visibility was easily 5 miles, but there was no horizon. I was on instruments to keep it straight and level. No problem, I thought, I've got synthetic vision on my iPad. I'm a 14,000 hour airline pilot with hours upon hours flying behind the EFIS blue/brown display and I found it somewhat difficult to keep wings level. I think there's a lag in the attitude reference- probably minute, small enough to pass for advisory attitude information, but not instantaneous like what I'm used to. Certainly not like a vacuum AI or, hopefully, the G5. Which is why I'm looking at putting a G5 in my VFR panel this winter.

 

[N1120A]

Vacuum pump are waaaaaaaay cheaper than dual G5s

Vacuum pumps are $500+ every 500 hours. DG and AI overhauls are similar prices, and happen often. I've got a friend who has put 3 DGs in his Cherokee in the last 2 years.

G5s are well worth it.

 

[asicer]

I think there's a lag in the attitude reference- probably minute, small enough to pass for advisory attitude information, but not instantaneous like what I'm used to. Certainly not like a vacuum AI or, hopefully, the G5.

I suspect either Bluetooth connection and/or the tablet graphics rendering is contributing to most of the lag.

 

[arnoha]

Vacuum pumps are $500+ every 500 hours. DG and AI overhauls are similar prices, and happen often. I've got a friend who has put 3 DGs in his Cherokee in the last 2 years.

G5s are well worth it.

Agree. I was finding that on my 172 I was replacing a vacuum pump each year or so and overhauling one gyro instrument. The plane flies 400-500 hours each year. The G5s in the plane now have been rock solid and four hours of battery each really is a great peace of mind. Vacuum gyros...I trust them about, um, not at all.

Also, night...really, a backlit screen is far easier to read at night, though you need to be careful with the brightness to ensure you don't kill your night vision. I have that problem with the fuel gauge, which went digital when I went to CiES (another pricey but worth-it purchase). The G5s have really easy brightness adjustments, but the damn Aerospace Logic gauge is a nightmare. Wish the rheostat function was fully standardized so it could all just be controlled from the existing dimmer in the plane.

 

[WannFly]

Agree. I was finding that on my 172 I was replacing a vacuum pump each year or so and overhauling one gyro instrument. The plane flies 400-500 hours each year. The G5s in the plane now have been rock solid and four hours of battery each really is a great peace of mind. Vacuum gyros...I trust them about, um, not at all.

Also, night...really, a backlit screen is far easier to read at night, though you need to be careful with the brightness to ensure you don't kill your night vision. I have that problem with the fuel gauge, which went digital when I went to CiES (another pricey but worth-it purchase). The G5s have really easy brightness adjustments, but the damn Aerospace Logic gauge is a nightmare. Wish the rheostat function was fully standardized so it could all just be controlled from the existing dimmer in the plane.

I have the same problem with a digital ammeter, the solution I found is to put a FAA approved scotch tape in it . Aerospace logic fuel indicator is being installed right now and as I understand there is a way to dim that via the top and bottom switches, but I agree, everything connected to 1 dimmer could have been way better option. Also these instruments doesn’t have a light sensor for auto dimming .... grr