Sporty's Flying the 396/496 Video

[Bryan Wood]

Here's a Pirep of sorts on the Sporty's video "Flying the 396/496" featuring Richard Collins. Sunday morning I downloaded it and surrendered $20 to them in hopes that it would give some insights into how to use and interpret the XM weather information. So did this video accomplish this? No...

It was however a very good general look at the capabilities of the unit. For anybody considering a purchase but having trouble deciding this could be helpful in making a decision. Actually Garmin should cut a deal to buy the rights to this video and post it everywhere for free. It would make a very good 30 minute info-mercial and Garmin would sell a boatload of these things from it.

Since Sporty's does however have an actual training course that is advertised as such on the 496 I went ahead and ordered it also. This one is supposed to be for use on the computer and have a 496 emulator that is very realistic. This one isn't available for download though so it will be a couple of days before it arrives. Hopefully this is the tool that I'm looking for. I'll let you all know how it is in a few days. Have any of you purchased this course? How is it?

Blue skies,