[dfechter]

I?m looking for some Garmin subscription advice. We have G3Xs and a GNS 430W and fly IFR and only in the lower 48. What subscriptions are others using who fly IFR with similar equipment and in the lower 48?

We?re using the Jeppesen NavData Coverage Garmin GNS 400/500 Series WAAS Full USA subscription which costs $425/year. As I understand it, this makes IFR using GPS legal.

We?ve also been using the Garmin Americas Lite PilotPak or the US Lite PilotPac. The receipt says ?Americas?, but the price was $500 so I?m not sure which one we used. It was great and had everything we wanted ? but the subscription has expired.

As near as I can tell, there are 4 reasonable options: Americas Database Bundle, US Lite Database Bundle, Americas Lite PilotPak or US Lite PilotPak.

They all have: Obstacle, Terrain, Safe Taxi, FliteCharts AND Airport Directory

The difference seems to be: The US Lite Database Bundle has ?US VFR Navigation? and the Americas Database Bundle has ?Jeppesen NavData?. Although they both seem to have an additional data set, they are both hundreds of dollars cheaper than the PilotPaks.

Anyone know what the differences are?

 

[[email protected]]

Pilot packs allow you to use all of the databases on all garmin equipment in 1 plane. So you can load them on all the g3x screens and on the 430/650

Other databases options only allow 1 device. Don't have to have the G3X up to date to fly ifr but is nice to have them on all the screens

 

[rdoerr01]

I just have the Jepp subscription for my 430W's. I only pay for one and keep the one month old version in my second 430W. Then on the G3x I only update it ever couple of years. I use a iPad on my knee for the current charts and plates.

Ray

RV-10 40250, Hobbs=1100
N519RV

 

[Bill.Peyton]

This year I have been doing the same as Ray.