n5lp

fugio ergo sum
I have never seen the criteria that Garmin uses to decide whether an airport has the SafeTaxi feature or not. The website right now says over 850 U.S. airports.

When I originally got my 496 I noticed that my airport, CNM, did not have SafeTaxi but the tower controlled airports in the general area did have the feature, even if they were not as busy. I figured that the deal must be that it was only available for towered airports. Seemed to make some sense.

I flew yesterday for the first time since doing a round of updates on the 496. I was surprised to see that my airport does now have SafeTaxi, so data was not just updated but has been expanded in coverage.

I still don't know how they decide. CNM is decidedly not busy but is fairly large and complicated. It has surface based class E airspace.

I fooled around with the feature and it looks like, as long as I taxi slowly, I can taxi right to my hangar door without looking outside, even threading my way between hangars that are set close. I should probably look outside anyway though?
 
I am based at LZU and we have been in the SafeTaxi database for quite a while. However, the diagram is not geo-referenced properly -- it always shows me quite a distance off the taxiway...on both sides of the field.

However at other fields I have been to it has been quite accurate. SafeTaxi is pretty cool...no more getting lost at big fields!
 
II fooled around with the feature and it looks like, as long as I taxi slowly, I can taxi right to my hangar door without looking outside, even threading my way between hangars that are set close. I should probably look outside anyway though?

Careful Larry - I've seen those hangars - you hit one, and you'll knock the whole row down! Won't even damage your wingtip....
 
I fooled around with the feature and it looks like, as long as I taxi slowly, I can taxi right to my hangar door without looking outside, even threading my way between hangars that are set close. I should probably look outside anyway though?

Larry,

I stopped in Carlsbad on my way to Phoenix last year. Looks to me like you could wander off the taxiway with your eyes closed and hit nothing but a careless rattlesnake for at least three miles! ;)
Just kidding. We had a nice overnight in your fair city. But it sure is HOT!