Glass Panel Minute

  • Garmin 530/430 Holds

    In a previous Glass Panel Minute, I wrote about how to set up a hold in Foreflight.  In this week’s Glass Panel Minute, I am continuing on with the holding theme as we are going to go through the steps to holding on the Garmin 530/430 units. The Garmin 530 and 430 units were revolutionary…


  • Using Garmin VNAV

    As a pilot, I hate to do math.  Before Foreflight, it was a toss up of which was worse, doing math in my head or using the manual E6B.  After Foreflight, my math and E6B skills have deteriorated somewhat.  Even worse than doing math while pre-flight planning, is doing math in my head, in the…


  • Autopilot Coupled Missed Approaches

    For most GA instrument pilots, the event that causes the most surprise and stress is an unexpected missed approach.  Don’t we all just make the automatic assumption when we listen to the METAR and hear the ceilings reported above the MDA or DA that we will see the runway?  With that glass half full mindset,…


  • Holding in Foreflight

    Unpublished holds are never enjoyable.  When ATC gives a pilot holding instructions, it’s often times unexpected and typically, the pilot doesn’t have a whole lot of time to set up the hold.  The two things that cause the most frustration are what the hold is supposed to look like and what entry is supposed to…


  • The Key To Unlocking the Avidyne IFD Flight Plan

    The Avidyne IFD units are very well thought out GPS units.  Avidyne’s approach of simple to use and easy to install was implemented well with the Avidyne IFD 440 and 540/550 units.  The goal was to have a slide in replacement unit for the Garmin 430s and 530s, which, when the Avidyne IFD units came…