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Advice From The Pros On Dynon GTN and Foreflight

Vans101

Well Known Member
Hi All,

Can I please get some avionics integration advice from the pros??? If you can turn me on to some videos to learn the integration or other features of the below listed equipment I would be supper appreciative.

I have a Dynon Skyview Classic, Garmin GTN-650, and I have Foreflight iPad app with Jepp subscription on the Foreflight...now I need to figure out how to integrate all of this Sh-tuff. I have used the Garmin 430 in the past.

I have not yet fiddled around much with the various Dynon features and have not yet touched the GTN except to use the radio because the engine was having break in teething pains so I am now getting to the point where the engine is running good and not overheating the oil so now I can start playing with the high tech gear.

I have been able to plan a flight on the Foreflight app and then during preflight when the Dynon fires up I can WIFI the flight plan up to the Dynon and that is real nice...enroute I have used the "rubber band" feature to zap the horizontal data up to the Dynon...super cool...

So now I am asking the community to PLEASE give me some advice on how you recommend that I should start using this stuff during real flying.

Do you use the GTN or the Dynon GPS as your primary flight navigation? Since the Dynon and Foreflight work so well together I am more inclined to use them for enroute instead of the GTN but of course the GTN will be needed for IFR approaches.

Any advice, tips, tricks, well wishes, and moments of silence with me in mind would be greatly appreciated!!!
 
I have a dual classic Skyview with the ARINC-429 module, Garmin 430W, FltPlanGo on an ANDROID tablet, a TRIO Auto Pilot a Garmin AERA and a VAL INS-429 receiver. I only pay for the G430W subscription since it is my legal IFR navigation unit.

FWIW; I flight plan at home on my computer using the FltPlan.com website and then download it to the FltPlanGo tablet. At the airplane I manually enter the flight plan in to the G430W and it automatically transfers the data to the SkyView, the TRIO Auto Pilot, the Garmin AERA and the VAL INS-429 receiver. Any changes to my flight plan are done on the G430W which transfers the change to all the connected units.

I fly a lot of actual IFR and in 8yrs this set up has worked great for me. YMMV

Completed Panel 2021.jpg

:cool:
 
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John,
I have dual 10" Skyview HDX screens talking to my GTN650xi through the Dynon ARINC module. I also flight plan with ForeFlight but I go ahead and type my flightplan into the GTN and use it as my primary navigator. In addition, for crosscountry flight, I zap the flightplan into the HDX via the WiFi dongle.

My reasoning:
- I fly a lot of IFR in IMC, and have become VERY adept at typing flightplans into the GTN, including loading approaches, etc. I will not be caught off guard for reroutes, diverts, etc.
- If the GTN fails, I already have the flightplan loaded into the HDX as a ready backup.

I WISH there was a seamless way to zap the flightplan into the Garmin without having to spend bigger bucks for connectivity. And I WISH Foreflight talked to Garmin. I have tried the Garmin Pilot app, and I simply prefer Foreflight, so I'm sticking with it.

I know I searched up some YouTube videos using key words like GTN, GTN650, loading airways and procedures, etc., so I'll let you have that fun. I'll tell you that the GTN and Dynon work well together (through the ARINC module): The flight director needles and autopilot functions mesh well, particularly with the latest firmware updates from both companies, and the autopilot tracking of both lateral and vertical modes is much improved. Just don't forget to select the GTN650 as your HSI data source on the HDX.

For the GTN, once you get good at loading basic point-to-point flightplans (which takes only about 6.9 seconds), jump into loading airways and approach procedures. That's where a little prior practice comes in handy, but you can practice it in the hangar or on the GTN650 iPad training app.

Approaches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R4tnY2ZPCc
Airways: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_VvVEiFQys (Note: This video is a little old, but the airway loading concept is the same)

I hope this helps. If you'd like to discuss more, shoot me a PM with a phone number and I'll call.
 
THANKS guys for your help!!!

>I have dual 10" Skyview HDX screens talking to my GTN650xi through the Dynon ARINC module.

I have dual SV-1000 classics and a regular GTN-650 that is connected via the ARINC 429.


>also flight plan with ForeFlight but I go ahead and type my flightplan into the GTN and use it as my primary navigator. In addition, for crosscountry flight, I zap the flightplan into the HDX via the WiFi dongle.

It seems that this might be my SOP...plan on FF and then twist to enter the flight plan into the GTN.

During long flights the FF with rubber band mode to bypass weather then zap the change to the panel is super convenient so I cannot see that the GTN would be any better.

Of course I will have to twist and punch in the destination airport and the the procedure...and of course change the nav source to the GTN


>I WISH there was a seamless way to zap the flightplan into the Garmin without having to spend bigger bucks for connectivity. And I WISH Foreflight talked to Garmin.

I was reading up on the Flight Stream. The FLight Stream 110 is on eBay for 500 bucks and that is not small bucks but not huge bucks either. The 210 is 1000 bucks (kinda huge bucks).

It seems the only difference is the 210 has an internal ADAHRS. That might be a worthy upgrade as a third attitude data but as I read in the SV Pilot User Guide that when the FF is connected via WIFI to the SV the Foreflight app will see attitude info so I do not know if the 210 was also providing that attitude data is it via WIFI or Bluetooth.

Will the Flight Stream units connect to the GTN with an iPad using Foreflight or do I have to buy the Garmin tablet and/ or use the Garmin app on the iPad? That would be a deal killer since I am addicted to Foreflight.

The installation manual states that Flight Stream needs the usual power and ground and a serial bus...It seems that the GTN chassis P1001 would be the serial bus connector? I will have to research farther.
 
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Flight Stream

FS 110 does NOT support flight plan transfer. You need at least 210 to move flight plans between the GTN and Foreflight.

A flight plan entered on the GTN will show up on the SV but updates made on the SV will not propagate back to the GTN - there’s no solution for this shortcoming currently.
 
Will the Flight Stream units connect to the GTN with an iPad using Foreflight or do I have to buy the Garmin tablet and/ or use the Garmin app on the iPad? That would be a deal killer since I am addicted to Foreflight.

After closer review of Garmin's Flight Stream product page, it appears that you CAN shoot ForeFlight flightplans from iPad through Flight Stream into your 650. That changes my outlook: If I can get a good price for a Flight Stream 510, I'm getting one. No wiring, no muss, just a big bill.
 
Originally Posted by Vans101 View Post
Will the Flight Stream units connect to the GTN with an iPad using Foreflight or do I have to buy the Garmin tablet and/ or use the Garmin app on the iPad? That would be a deal killer since I am addicted to Foreflight.

Scroll said:
After closer review of Garmin's Flight Stream product page, it appears that you CAN shoot ForeFlight flightplans from iPad through Flight Stream into your 650. That changes my outlook: If I can get a good price for a Flight Stream 510, I'm getting one. No wiring, no muss, just a big bill.

UPDATE: I got a good price on the Flight Stream 510, installed it in my GTN650xi, and was able to accomplish everything you discussed, John. Total game changer. I was able to:

- Build the flightplan in Foreflight and transmit it directly to the 650 flightplan page with about 5 screen taps.

- Modify (rubber band) the flightplan on Foreflight and send that update to the 650 with about 5 taps.

- Modify the flightplan in the 650 (including activate/execute an approach) and send that modification back-channel to Foreflight. This was the really cool one, because when I made the change in the 650 flightplan page, a dialogue box immediately appeared in Foreflight asking if I wanted to update it as well. Shoot yes!

I feel a little silly because apparently this capability has been around for a few years and I didn't recognize it. Talk about drastically reducing the IFR workload! :cool:

One minor point to consider regarding your legacy GTN650. I am told that the legacy GTN650 doesn't save the monthly database from the SD card: That you have to keep the SD card installed in the 650. If this is so, then you'll need to use the Flight Stream 510's 32mb memory for your monthly database updates since it occupies the 650's SD card slot. This is not an issue with the 650xi since it saves the database in-unit: I won't have to transport the FS 510 back/forth to the computer for the updates (less chance of losing the >$1000 little bitty SD-sized card :eek:).
 
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