Garmin Pilot - GDL39r

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Ryan Kelley

Filing Flight Plan
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Aug 5, 2022
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Piper Flyer
I read old posts saying Garmin Pilot isn't as good on Android as iPad. Is this a platform preference or a real functionality issue? I have operated Garmin Pilot on my pixel phone for almost a year and haven't noticed any glitches or crashing. My complaint is the small screen, so I'm looking for a yoke mounted tablet or iPad mini. The only thing I will use this tablet/ipad for is flying.

In my experience people who use Android prefer Android, people who use iOS prefer iOS. Away from not having access to foreflight on my android, I'm not aware of anything iOS users have that I don't. I find using an iPhone just as frustrating as when an iPhone user tries to use my Pixel phone. And I find Samsung devices just as frustrating as iPhones... I like my pixel.

My CFI has an iPad Air with a Sentry antenna and foreflight. Last week another plane flew under us from the side about 200-300 below. Garmin Pilot with the GDL39r alerted me before Foreflight alerted him. I didn't need to react due to the altitude difference. On both platforms I was disappointed in the warning time given... I probably had less than 10 seconds to avoid a collision...he probably had 5-6 seconds. I wonder if the student pilots from the local University even knew we were there...or if they did, did they think that was safe?
 
I don't think android is "glitchier" than iOS, GP just focuses more on iOS development. Features are available on iOS long before android.
 
I recall the Garmin Pilot features/functionality being significantly behind the iOS version when it was first released and for a while afterward, plus there were problems that would cause it to crash. This is likely where the comments came from. These days, both the Android OS and the Garmin Pilot product should be much closer to what you would experience using the software on an iOS device, so the old comments are largely not applicable now.
 
I’m an iOS user and I prefer Garmin Pilot over Foreflight. I have a 39R hard wired to my G3X but also added a 39-3D for backup AFHRS. No ADHRS in a 39R.
 
Okay, I'm going to get an Android tablet. The pixel tablet would probably make me happiest...but the price is really depressing me. Since I will likely only use this for flying I don't think I should spend $500 on a tablet.
 
The pixel tablet only has a brightness of 500 nits. Which doesn't seem great. You may want to consider a Tripltek tablet instead. https://www.tripltek.com/shop

Yes, they are pricey. But they do have the brightest screens available.
Also, is there a reason you have not considered iFly EFB
https://iflygps.com/Compare
 
I haven't heard of iflygps until now. Maybe I'll look at it in Sept when my GP subscription expires.

I bought a samsung s6 lite last night. Didn't think about the brightness you mentioned above... Maybe I'll cancel the order and consider that in my purchase.

Thank you
 
Ryan Kelley said:
I haven't heard of iflygps until now. Maybe I'll look at it in Sept when my GP subscription expires.

I bought a samsung s6 lite last night. Didn't think about the brightness you mentioned above... Maybe I'll cancel the order and consider that in my purchase.

Thank you
Click to expand...

I have a Samsung S5e that I use in the plane and it is plenty bright at 450 nits. The S6 screen is brighter (500 nits). I also have a Galaxy Tab S7 (500 nits) and it is fine, too. I'm running either iFlyEFB or DroidEFB on my tablets. Both are fairly intuitive to use. iFly has a better update interface and GDL-90 connectivity, but some strange mapping choices (why do they still have expired WAC charts as an option?), while DroidEFB has some very nice weather and W&B side-apps, and is a simpler UI to navigate. Both are very basic EFBs with geo-located approach charts but work really well for IFR.
 
chemgeek said:
I have a Samsung S5e that I use in the plane and it is plenty bright at 450 nits. The S6 screen is brighter (500 nits). I also have a Galaxy Tab S7 (500 nits) and it is fine, too. I'm running either iFlyEFB or DroidEFB on my tablets. Both are fairly intuitive to use. iFly has a better update interface and GDL-90 connectivity, but some strange mapping choices (why do they still have expired WAC charts as an option?), while DroidEFB has some very nice weather and W&B side-apps, and is a simpler UI to navigate. Both are very basic EFBs with geo-located approach charts but work really well for IFR.
Click to expand...


Okay, I'll stay the course. My experience with Amazon is they let me try out devices and can return them without any trouble. I'll put it in the sun and see if I'll be able to see the screen. I'm not sure where my pixel phone is on the scale, but it's okay...not brilliant in full sun, but I can operate if I take my sunglasses of when the sun is strong.

I try to avoid mid day flying anyway. I don't like turbulence. I have experience getting tossed around in these conditions, but can't see myself ever taking friends and family up in mid day turbulence. They will be so scared.
 
odie451 said:
The pixel tablet only has a brightness of 500 nits. Which doesn't seem great. You may want to consider a Tripltek tablet instead. https://www.tripltek.com/shop

Yes, they are pricey. But they do have the brightest screens available.
Also, is there a reason you have not considered iFly EFB
https://iflygps.com/Compare
Click to expand...

I have the Tripltek tablet and love it for the brightness, ruggedness, and battery life. It is a bit heavy however. The screen resolution is less than an iPad but that matters little when paired with iflygps.

I was planning on using the Tripltek tablet with iflygps and the iLevil 3 AW - but I wanted synced Avidyne gps navigator course information to show up on iflygps which, at least then, could not be done. I would think the Tripltek would be great with the Android version of Garmin pilot, but I have no Garmin pilot experience.

I ended up going with a hardwired Aera 760
and a GDL50R. Had to get the GDL because Garmin doesn't permit traffic and weather from my NGT-9000.
 
Okay, over the weekend I saw another pilot using ForeFlight on his iPhone. He connected with WIFI and had ADS traffic on his phone through the data signal...the same thing I see when I'm connected to the GDL39r. He doesn't need an Stratus receiver. Either I don't know how to do this on my Android phone with Garmin Pilot or it doesn't do it.

This said, I don't think it's a feature I necessarily need, but at the same time what else am I missing using Garmin Pilot vs ForeFlight? Would Garmin Pilot on an iPhone do this?
 
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