25 July 2023
For pilots who fly to airfields or strips where it’s hard to accurately gauge how high you are, such as a steep hillside strip, Garmin has just launched a small and lightweight device that uses radar to measure the height.
The Garmin GHA 15 adds the information to a G3X Touch display and will be available for experimental (Permit) and light sport aircraft at a cost of $1,995.
The GHA 15 calculates height Above Ground Level (AGL) by sending radio waves to the ground and determining the time it takes to receive the signals back. AGL readouts are shown on the G3X Touch display and drawn on the altitude tape or gauge at altitudes as high as 500ft AGL.
The G3X Touch flight displays can also provide audio callouts to help keep the pilot’s eyes outside the cockpit. Beginning at 300 feet, the pilot will hear audible AGL altitude callouts at select intervals down to 1 foot AGL – “200 feet, 100 feet, 50 feet…”. The pilot can configure the callouts to start and stop at specified altitudes.
Garmin suggests that knowing precise height AGL can be helpful to pilots during landings and flying in areas where limited barometric altimeter setting information is available – such as backcountry flying.
The GHA 15 is slightly larger than a deck of cards, weighs less than one pound and attaches to the bottom of the aircraft.
Garmin’s new GHA 15 radar altimeter mounted ion the underside of the fuselage
Garmin’s PlaneSync is a connected aircraft management system that gives automatic database updates, real-time aircraft status updates, flight log uploads to the cloud and more, and it’s now available to suitably equipped aircraft as a retrofit.
PlaneSync uses a 4G LTE cellular or WiFi connection provided by the new GDL 60 datalink, and is compatible with popular Garmin avionics such as GTN Xi series navigators, TXi series flight displays, GI 275 electronic flight instruments and certain Garmin integrated flight decks.
Next year, PlaneSync will also be able to automatically transmit engine and flight log data1 to secure cloud storage after landing. Owners can view this data on devices running the Garmin Pilot app or on fly.garmin.com. The reports can also be shared with a maintenance engineer.
PlaneSync is available for retrofit starting at $3,995 through the Garmin Authorized Dealer network.
