Learn How To Power Your Integrated-Datalink MFD

Avidyne has announced that they are offering PC-based interactive training software for the FlightMax EX500 multi-function display. This new EX500 trainer emulates the EX500 MFD’s operation right on the PC desktop, allowing the user to “fly” user-defined flight plans and retrieve datalinked graphical weather and TFRs along the route. The EX500 training software is downloadable free of charge from the Avidyne website.

Avidyne claims the FlightMax EX500 free-play trainer provides an unrestricted training environment that allows the user to randomly access virtually all pages and functions as they would on the real product. The fully-customizable software simulates all on-board sensors which could be connected to the MFD, including weather radar, traffic (TAS/TCASI or TCAD), lightning (WX500 Stormscope®), and terrain (EGPWS/TAWS). For users who do not have one or more of these sensors in their aircraft, the simulator’s sensor settings can be changed to match the user’s actual aircraft configuration. A navigation simulator is also included which allows the user to create custom flight plans and provides basic GPS input for the EX500.

When running on a PC with internet access, the EX500 trainer retrieves actual weather (NEXRAD, METAR, AIRMET/SIGMET) and TFRs from the Avidyne Network Operations Center (NOC) and shows them on the display all along the route, similar to the way the EX500 does in flight. A simulated datalink function is also included for PCs without internet access.

The software package includes the EX500 trainer, a brief installation and operations guide, and a PDF version of the actual EX500 Pilot’s Guide for reference. The software operates on PCs with the Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating system, and requires approximately 170MB of free hard disk space. Avidyne recommends a PII-800 with 128MB RAM as a minimum platform.

FMI: www.avidyne.com