by Michael J. “Mick” Kaufman
© Copyright 2022. All rights reserved!
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine December 2022/January 2023 Digital Issue
In a previous series of articles entitled “The Pilot’s New Panel,” I covered my recent budget update to the panel on my Bonanza. One of my comments was on the Garmin Aera 660 that was part of the install and that it was the best piece of avionics for the money I have ever purchased with an off-the-shelf price in the $800.00 range. This article describes some of the features of the Garmin Aera 660 and why you should have one in your airplane.
We have all figured out by now how important weather information in the cockpit is to the pilot. With the first introduction of the “Anywhere Map” a decade or more ago, it became a necessity for pilots, and pilots would not leave the vicinity of an airport without it.
Be aware that cell phone coverage becomes almost useless when flying more than a few thousand feet above the ground. There may be an occasion in some areas where you may be able to use a cell phone at a higher attitude. This is because the antennas on the cell sites are optimized for a specific area and tilted downward, as they are not meant for air traffic. The Anywhere Map I mentioned as the first usable inflight weather system, required being connected to a satellite phone with a subscription. So, there was a cost every time you checked weather in flight, but it was worth it on long cross-country flights. I still have my satellite phone and activated it recently for a short period of time for a flight into the Canadian wilderness as part of the annual fishing trip and pilgrimage to “Miminiska Lodge” (CPS5), hosted by Midwest Flyer Magazine in which we caught lots of fish!
A breakthrough in inflight weather came with the introduction of the Garmin 396 using a subscription to Sirius XM for weather, and this was fantastic! I still use that subscription service with the Garmin Aera 660. We are now several years into Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), and with the government’s push to get aircraft owners to spend the money on devices, so the FAA can spy on us.
The FAA first offered free weather in the cockpit as part of ADS-B. Meanwhile, some ingenious technician designed ADS-B weather in a box that could be built on a $35.00 minicomputer called the “Raspberry Pi.” With the invent of inexpensive devices to provide free ADS-B weather, the incentive for pilots to spend thousands of dollars for ADS-B diminished, so the FAA offered cash rebates to aircraft owners who equipped their airplanes with ADS-B during a specified period of time. As of today, only 44% of all U.S. aircraft are ADS-B out equipped, and ground-based ADS-B weather does not compare to the superior satellite-based Sirius XM weather.
At the time of my panel upgrade, I needed to find a way to get weather in the cockpit and displayed on my iPad using ForeFlight. There were several devices on the market at the time, so I elected to try a device sold by Sporty’s Pilot Shop. It worked for a while, then quit working. I returned it to Sporty’s and got a replacement unit, which worked for a few days before it also died.
A new product surfaced from Garmin called the “GDL-52.” It was a bit pricier than the previous boxes, but I was able to work with Sporty’s (a great company, BTW) to get one. The GDL-52 arrived and worked flawlessly with ForeFlight to provide Sirius XM satellite weather, ADS-B traffic in, AHRS (attitude heading reference system), and ADS-B weather, all in one box. Garmin makes several flavors of the GDL-52, and I chose the portable version, which I now regret not removing from my Bonanza and using it in the Cessna 182 Skylane we flew to Canada, because we encountered some weather. Garmin also has a non-portable, certified version designated the “GDL-52R.” I had originally made plans to have my old Garmin 396 reinstalled, as my budgeted avionics install was already in progress. In a conversation with my good friend and BPT (Bonanza/Baron Pilot Training) colleague, Randy Bailey, he suggested adding a Garmin Aera 660 to the panel to replace the Garmin 396, and as luck would have it, there was an Air Gizmos box the same size as the box holding the 396 in the panel. My installer was a little reluctant to make the change but agreed to do so. The Garmin 396 was not retired, but rather installed in my seaplane.
To describe the Aera 660, it is awesome! The display is bright and crisp and puts the iPad to shame for readability in bright sunlight. After flying with the 660 for over two years, it does not overheat and shut down as the display does on my iPad, which has happened numerous times when I needed it the most.
The Aera 660 is hardwired to the Garmin GDL-52 and my Garmin 480 and allows the transfer of data between these boxes. I can send a flight plan data back and forth except for the direct-to command going to the Garmin 480 from the 660, which is blocked by software, probably for some liability issue, which is noted in the 660 manual. Using a Bluetooth connection with ForeFlight, I can also exchange flight plan data with the 660. My installer installed a toggle switch for me to select between which devices the data is exchanged.
For example, data is sent from the Garmin 480 to the 660, the switch is toggled, and the data is then sent to ForeFlight on the iPad, or the process is reversed. This provides some of the same functions as Garmin’s Flight Stream device with more features and less cost. The Aera 660 resembles a Garmin 650 without the com transmitter, and by using some of Garmin’s Nav/Coms, the 660 can tune the transceiver from its database. The database on the 660 is updated from a Garmin subscription every 28 days and the price is very reasonable. The database includes VFR/IFR enroute charts, as well as the IFR approach charts and a base map. The update is done whenever the unit is connected to WiFi. There’s no need for a computer or cable. I snap the unit out of its Air Gizmos adapter, take it home and turn it on and select “update.”
The touch screen face of the Aera 660 is very similar to that of the Garmin 650 with touch screen icons. Beginning in the upper left corner of the display is the base map displaying cities, navaids, airports, and other items that are user selectable.
To the right of the base map is a charts icon allowing the user to select VFR sectional charts, high and low altitude enroute charts and others. Next is a 3-D display that gives an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) display with three (3) selectable configurations using the six-pack instruments, altitude, speed tapes and a configurable Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI). There is no AHRS in the 660 as it receives the AHRS data from the Garmin GDL-52, as well as GPS position data. The 660 does have its own GPS receiver, but I chose the one on the GDL-52 as it has an external antenna connected.
The Aera 760 with the bigger display has its own AHRS internally. The following icon to the right is the nearest icon allowing the pilot to find the nearest airports, flight service stations, navaids, ATC center frequencies and others. The second row of icons features waypoints and will display data received from a Garmin navigator – in my airplane, it is the Garmin 480 or ForeFlight on the iPad. If an approach is loaded on the connected 480 navigator, the approach chart for that approach is automatically loaded and displayed on the Aera 660. The next two icons show saved and active flight plans with the ability to save 50 flight plans for future use. The traffic icon will display ADS-B traffic and allows the user to select different ranges, as well as information about displayed traffic by touching the icon. A voice will provide traffic calls to alert the pilot of converging aircraft and terrain alerts, as well as a 500-foot altitude call out on an approach or while landing. Other icons on the main page will show terrain and weather.
On one of the setup pages, the pilot user may select the source for providing weather data with the options being Sirius XM, ADS-B or internet weather. The different weather products available depend on the source providing the weather. Weather features contain radar products, METARs, TAFs, winds aloft, cloud tops and much more. The option set up in my airplane allows me to select different information on any screen I choose. For example, traffic on my Garmin 480, weather radar on my Aera 660, and an approach chart with moving map on my iPad using ForeFlight. The options and information available using the Aera 660 seem endless and using it with the Garmin GDL-52 adds even more, such as Sirius XM music and entertainment.
Please remember as a pilot, we need to fly the airplane and too much information can cause problems. Pick your favorite screen and don’t change anything once on the final approach segment. All eyes on the Primary Flight Display (PFD) when on that final approach segment, and don’t saturate that PFD screen if you have one with unnecessary information. An HSI and a six-pack of gauges is all you need, but a flight director is also a great device to have. Memorize only the information critical to the approach like the Missed Approach Point (MAP) and the initial part of the missed approach segment. On a non-precision approach, the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) is also an important memory item. Enjoy the Garmin Aera 660, as I think it is the best avionics dollar you can spend!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Michael J. “Mick” Kaufman is a Certified Instrument Flight Instructor (CFII) and the program manager of flight operations with the “Bonanza/Baron Pilot Training” organization. He conducts pilot clinics and specialized instruction throughout the U.S. in many makes and models of aircraft, which are equipped with a variety of avionics. Mick is based in Richland Center (93C) and Eagle River, Wisconsin (KEGV). He was named “FAA’s Safety Team Representative of the Year” for Wisconsin in 2008. Readers are encouraged to email questions to captmick@me.com, or call 817-988-0174.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this column is the expressed opinion of the author only, and readers are advised to seek the advice of their personal flight instructor and others, and refer to the Federal Aviation Regulations, FAA Aeronautical Information Manual, and instructional materials before attempting any procedures discussed herein.
