[Avionics Today January 24, 2014] Garmin has unveiled a new portable ADS-B and GPS receiver, the GDL 39 3D, that displays mapping, traffic and weather information along with aircraft attitude within the Garmin Pilot application.
Photo, courtesy of Garmin.
Carl Wolf, vice president of aviation sales and marketing at Garmin, said the new unit is an example of how the manufacturer is expanding the capabilities of existing ADS-B solutions. GDL 39 3D uses a dual-link ADS-B receiver to provide Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) GPS data to iOS and Android devices via Bluetooth connections.
According to Garmin, the new unit also receives traffic information on both ADS-B frequencies 1090 ES and 978 UAT. Pilots can also be more aware of other aircraft and airport surface vehicles as the GDL 39 3D displays ADS-B-equipped ground surface targets.
In addition to expanding its solutions, Garmin is also looking to educate the General Aviation (GA) pilot and operator community about the technology to make the ADS-B transition affordable and easy for aircraft owners, Wolf said. The company offers an ADS-B Academy website which gives information about approved ADS-B position sources and the differences between ADS-B In and Out. With the 2020 equipage deadline only six years away, Garmin and other companies, such as FreeFlight Systems, are making sure pilots and owners know about the more affordable solutions available to them to install ADS-B in their aircraft.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) expects approximately 160,000 GA aircraft to require ADS-B equipage by 2020. In 2013, approximately 2,600 ADS-B devices were installed in GA aircraft, and GAMA said the rate of installation needs to increase by five to 10 times that much over the next six years to meet the deadline with a solid portion of the GA fleet equipped.