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Announcing No-Cost US VFR Database Offering for G3X Touch

No kidding. Data for the GTN650xi and my G3xs is about $700 a year for IFR plates and data.

I really didn't think this through before going with an all Garmin panel - I love the functionality and I have several hundred hours behind G1000s, but this annuity back to Garmin to pay them to repackage data that they get for free from the government (which I'm already paying for - see my 1040 form) is frustrating.

Some reasonable fee to take the government data and reformat it to their system is okay with me, but $700 a year isn't in the reasonable range.

Any certified IFR navigator is going to cost you to keep the databases updated. This goes for ALL of them not just Garmin. It is the price you have to pay to play in the IFR system. There is no escaping it....

The cost to keep the G3X systems up to date with all the chart goodies is just noise in the scheme of all things aviation. I won't let $149.95 a year dictate what brand of system I want to be trusting my life to in IMC.
 
I've happily run the $299 GTN650xi navdata database in our setup for years. It's all we need with a G3X system as all the charts are on the big screen.

EDIT: I just checked the competition, and their navdata is the same price, $299.
 

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For pilots interested in having an IFR panel, please be aware that the Garmin-provided Approach Plates are said to provide geo-referenced aircraft position for those plates. However, I have found that geo-referenced position IS NOT shown on all ILS approaches. I have questioned Garmin on this but have never received a logical answer of why this is the case. It is blamed on the fact that some feeder or other local fixes on the plate are not drawn to scale; but other approaches (e.g., RNAV, VOR, NDB etc.) at the same airfield showing the same not-to-scale fixes do, in fact, show geo-referenced position. My Foreflight subscription (using the same government charts) do provide geo-referenced aircraft position on ALL approaches regardless of not-to-scale fixes on the plate, even the ones that Garmin does not show. I am in a quandry as to what databases to install next now that I am about ready for renewal. Jeppesen claims that their approach plates show geo-referenced position for ALL approaches including ILS approaches. Does anyone have any experience with Jeppesen Approach Plates regarding this issue?
 
icicci, which specific plates are you having an issue with? In 900+ hours using the g3x system with Garmin data, I've never seen what you describe.
 
In my local area (Atlanta), there are two that I see all the time: KFFC and KOPN. Other folks here with the same equipment (G3X and GTN 650) have the identical problem. Another (KCCO) seems to work fine.
 
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...This matches up very similarity to other competitive offerings and is a result from common customer feedback we have received from our great customers in the EAB market.

In other words just continue to complain that Dynon gives you something free and eventually Garmin will have to also.
 
And yet - FltPlanGo has been giving away the mapping data for Canada for free since its inception. Garmin now owns FltPLanGo. So there's clearly a business case that supports free mapping for one segment of their market, even though they are paying to get that data in the first place.

I use FltPlanGo here in the States and have been secretly praying Garmin doesn't kill FltPlanGo features ever since I heard they had bought it.
 
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