Garmin’s G5000 Flight Deck Adds New Capabilities for Some Citations

Garmin International on March 16 said in a news release that its G5000 integrated flight deck for Textron Aviation’s Citation Excel and Citation XLS is now certified for future air navigation system (FANS-1/A+) and aircraft communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS) compatibility. The new navigation capabilities open the door for these venerable aircraft to take advantage of the North Atlantic Track System (NATS) as well as the FAA’s data comm program.

This announcement comes just as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has eliminated the temporary relief of the North Atlantic Datalink Mandate (NAT DLM) rules, demanding aircraft now operating in the North Atlantic Treaty region’s RVSM airspace between FL290 and FL410 be FANS-1/A+ equipped. The new options green light these aircraft to fly in the southerly Blue Spruce routes over Greenland between FL290 and FL410. Flight over these routes requires controller pilot data link communication (CPDLC) and automatic dependent surveillance-contract (ADS-C) capabilities, which are included in FANS-1/A+. The G5000 flight deck for the Citation Excel and Citation XLS provides optional FANS-over-Iridium capability via the GSR 56 and the GDR 66 for VHF capability and a fully integrated ADS-B Out solution.

Access to controller pilot data link communication-departure clearance (CPDLC-DCL), means operators can participate in automated DCL operations at more than 60 of the busiest airports in the US, which includes having departure clearances automatically loaded into the G5000. When connected to datalink service from an ACARS host, the G5000 allows messages to be sent to and from aircraft over a datalink system and also access weather information, including a digital ATIS (D-ATIS), at participating airports. Additionally, operators gain access to more airports and lower approach minimums throughout the world as the G5000 has PBN/RNP 0.3 with LPV/APV approach capability.

The G5000 integrated flight deck for the Citation Excel and Citation XLS features three landscape-oriented flight displays with split-screen capability, allowing pilots to simultaneously view maps, charts, checklists, TAWS, TCAS, flight plan information, weather and more. Electronic charts and geo-referenced Garmin SafeTaxi airport diagrams can be viewed across all three displays. The G5000 was originally certified in the Citation Excel and XLS in 2016.