Avidyne's R9 Actually Deserves Title Of "Best Panel In GA"

After spending some serious dollars late in 2008 to purchase our much beloved Cirrus SR22 G3 Turbo, the last thing we thought we needed to do was undertake a radical $100k upgrade program. What convinced us that it was right to do so was the compelling proposition that Avidyne put forth that while overall capabilities were a big deal in seeking the "Perfect Panel," human factors and usability were VERY MUCH an equally important consideration.

They weren't kidding. In some 200 hours of R9 flying, we have to admit that we're flat out blown away with this system. It works. It works well. It has DRAMATICALLY eased our workload in some of the most intense airspace in the business. AND, it keeps working despite all the crap we do to it... It is literally the State-of-the-Art in GA glass panels at this time. We love the damned thing. No kidding. 

Developed to eliminate complexity and reduce head-down time, Avidyne’s Entegra 9 includes high-resolution IFD5000 displays designed with fully redundant architecture. Instead of being “daisy-chained,” each display has its own set of computational modules allowing for peer-to-peer data exchange and comparison without unfamiliar or limited reversionary modes. Features also include dual Air Data and Attitude Heading Reference Systems (ADAHRS), next-generation digital 16-watt VHF NAV/COM radios, and dual WAAS/RNP-capable GPS receivers.

In addition, Avidyne’s Entegra Release 9 features dual-redundant FMS900w systems with QWERTY keypads.  Designed to be fully integrated with the all-digital WAAS Gamma 3 CNS suite, the FMS900w premieres two new technologies. The first technology, termed “GeoFill,” provides intuitive selection for creating, editing, or loading flight plan data. 

Instead of displaying choices in alphabetical order within the database, “GeoFill” predicts the next leg or waypoint based on proximity to the aircraft’s current location. In addition, the FMS900w includes an intuitive FMS Vectors feature. Unlike previous generation navigators, the FMS900w calculates any transition from the en route GPS phase of flight to an ILS intercept without the need to suspend or interrupt guidance to the autopilot.

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