Both Models Will Graphically Display Surrounding Terrain
Garmin Thursday announced it's
received FAA certification to add TSO C151b Class-B Terrain
Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) functionality to the GNS 530
and GPS 500. This certification enables the Garmin 500 series of
panel-mount avionics to provide the pilot with graphical and
audible alerts of potential terrain and obstacle conflicts along
the flight path.
"TAWS technology represents a significant advance in flight
safety and its widespread adoption could dramatically reduce the
number of terrain-related accidents — one of the leading
causes of fatalities in aviation," said Gary Kelley, Garmin's
director of marketing. "Not only does Garmin's TAWS certification
for the GNS 530 and GPS 500 help owners of turbine-powered aircraft
meet an important FAA mandate, but it also makes TAWS functionality
affordable to thousands of single- and twin-engine piston aircraft
owners at a fraction of the cost of other systems."
The addition of TAWS enables the GNS 530 and GPS 500 to
graphically display the surrounding terrain and obstacles in bright
yellow and red, relative to the aircraft's current altitude. Yellow
is used to depict conflicts 1,000 to 100 vertical feet below the
aircraft. Red is used to depict conflicts 100 vertical feet below
the aircraft's current altitude and above. Working in tandem with
the aircraft's audio system, the TAWS-certified GNS 530 and GPS 500
provide audible cautions and warnings to alert the pilot of a
possible terrain and obstacle conflict. Audible and graphical
alerts include forward-looking terrain avoidance, imminent terrain
impact, premature descent during approach, altitude loss after
takeoff, 500-foot callout and excessive rate of descent.
The FAA is requiring that all US-registered, turbine-powered
aircraft with six or more passenger seats be equipped with
certified TAWS technology by the end of March 2005.
The GNS 530 is an integrated system
with IFR oceanic-approved GPS, VHF navigation with instrument
landing system, and VHF communication with 8.33-kHz channel
spacing. Its five-inch (diagonal) color TFT display features an
electronic map with a built-in database of cities, highways,
rivers, lakes and coastlines, as well as a complete Jeppesen
database. Further, it is designed to interface with
traffic-avoidance, lightning-detection and weather-datalink systems
like a multi-function display (MFD). The GPS 500 is an IFR
oceanic-approved GPS navigation system with a five-inch, color
moving-map display. Like the GNS 530, it also has MFD-like
attributes.
The TAWS-certified GNS 530 and GPS 500 systems are now available
starting at $24,995 and $20,500 (MSRP), respectively.
Garmin also offers a TAWS upgrade program for current owners of
GNS 530 and GPS 500 systems. The program requires owners to contact
their Garmin distributor, who will send the equipment to Garmin's
overhaul facilities in the US and UK, where the TAWS upgrade will
be performed. The cost of this upgrade is $8,000.