Garmin Certifies G500H TXi

Helicopter pilots can now take advantage of the latest and greatest version of Garmin’s G500 system, the G500H TXi. Garmin has achieved certification for the panel mounted equipment, which comes in several configurations, with 10.6-inch and 7-inch touch displays. The 7-inch screen can display either a PFD or MFD while the 10.6-inch version can display both.

Along with certification came the approval for the latest GTN 650/750 software for helicopters, allowing the G500H TXi to connect to the navigators. Video cameras and night vision goggles can also be linked to the system, and Garmin’s Flight Stream 510 and Database Concierge can connect the G500H TXi with the Garmin Pilot app and other aviation apps.

The system is optimized for helicopter operations with single-finger zoom, HTAWS and optional 3-D HSVT. The terrain awareness has additional colors to show more details and Reduced Protection (RP) mode, which downgrades the alerting at lower altitudes where helicopters tend to operate. The G500H TXi also incorporates WireAware – a wire avoidance system that overlays powerline locations and relative altitudes on the moving map with aural and visual warnings when the helicopter gets too close.

Operators who have already installed the original G500H need not fret. Many components, such as the AHRS and air data components can remain in place and only the display needs to be swapped out for the system to be upgraded to TXi. Contact Garmin for more information about how to bring the system up to the latest version.