Aera 660

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Brad W

Pattern Altitude
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Browsing barnstormers, trade-a-plane, and the like, I see a fair bit of little planes...espially in the 2-seater trainer class of planes...set up with these little Aera navigators.

I'm not familiar. Looks to be basically a recessed mount to hold a little portable handheld GPS. I understand there's an option for it to connect to Garmin comm radios , to use the Aera in database lookup mode to auto-set frequencies in the comm radio

Beyond that, what's the deal?
How it it really any different than foreflight on an ipad?...or maybe more accurately a smart phone based on the screen size ;)
Is it VFR only, can it be used officially if IFR?
For reference only like a simple handheld or your phone, or anything more official?
Does it interface at all with CDI's?
 
Not IFR approved for navigation purposes, like the ipad, but you can use it for charts, approach plates, etc.
It can only handle 1 Bluetooth connection, unlike the ipad and iPhone.
Doesn’t have the glide ring and a few other features Garmin Pilot has, but is a lot more stable.
I use as my 3rd option for in case if avionics failure.
 
MooneyDriver78 said:
but is a lot more stable.
Click to expand...
This. The thing is a tank. I also personally find it more user friendly than Foreflight or Garmin pilot. I fly with an ipad for work, but in my personal plane I just have the Aera 660 and I love it. I've had Ipads fail for various reasons, but the Aera has been unbelievably reliable. And other than not being legally IFR capable, I find it more useful and capable than any IFR GPS on the market.
 
ill vouch for its stability. Its super bright (not like ipads) and will not overheat. Its just designed to work in a cockpit. Its essentially a mini GTN 750/650 type of gps navigator that isnt certified.
 
I have the 660 panel mounted and very happy with it I also use the foreflight app.
 
so not IFR certified
and doesn't drive a CDI

so in a plane without a VOR or any other Nav radio, I suppose you can still use it as a reference then say to track an airway, or just as a chart for pilotage...and that about sums it up.
No practice approaches, etc...
 
Brad W said:
so not IFR certified
and doesn't drive a CDI

so in a plane without a VOR or any other Nav radio, I suppose you can still use it as a reference then say to track an airway, or just as a chart for pilotage...and that about sums it up.
No practice approaches, etc...
Click to expand...

There are no hand held GPS units that are IFR approved or that will legally replace instruments needed for IFR navigation. But they still provide situational awareness and make either VFR or IFR navigation easier.

I have an Aera 660 in my personal airplane and have installed several 660s and 760s in other aircraft which were also interfaced with ADSB devices. They're a good unit and would be my go to recommendation if someone were to ask me what to install that serves a similar function. I use an iPad and Foreflight for flight planning and IFR charts, not as a navigation tool while I would use an Aera as a navigation tool but don't really see it as a useful flight planning tool.
 
Brad W said:
Looks to be basically a recessed mount to hold a little portable handheld GPS.
Click to expand...
This is probably the mount you are seeing.
www.airgizmos.com

aera 660 Panel Dock®-PD28

www.airgizmos.com

Brad W said:
I understand there's an option for it to connect to Garmin comm radios , to use the Aera in database lookup mode to auto-set frequencies in the comm radio

Beyond that, what's the deal?
How it it really any different than foreflight on an ipad?...or maybe more accurately a smart phone based on the screen size ;)
Is it VFR only, can it be used officially if IFR?
Click to expand...
It has georeferenced approach plates, but so does your iPad. It can also hardwire into an IFR panel GPS to draw approaches and holds onto the moving map. That's something an iPad can't do.
 
The 660 in the dock fits nicely in the radio stack.

0e4b544220414461030b68911ee12f83.jpg
 
Brad W said:
so not IFR certified
and doesn't drive a CDI

so in a plane without a VOR or any other Nav radio, I suppose you can still use it as a reference then say to track an airway, or just as a chart for pilotage...and that about sums it up.
No practice approaches, etc...
Click to expand...
It will drive a CDI or EFIS display via an RS232 connection. That same RS232 will provide gps data to engine monitors for fuel remaining calculations and elts for more precise location.
 
I like mine. I use ForeFlight on my phone for local flights but use the Aera for XCs.
The fake HSI is good enough for VFR, something the iPhone version of ForeFlight lacks.
The interface is actually usable in flight, compared to repeatedly stabbing at miniscule buttons in ForeFlight.



img_4084-jpg.101730
 
A bit off topic, but…

My 2007 Sky Arrow is still aviating along with its now-quite-dated Garmin 496:

15421910260_8b4b5597be_z.jpg


The plane was delivered with a AirGizmo dock, prewired for the unit. It is the sole navigation radio for my plane, backed up with my iPhone. I’m kind of waiting for it to take a dump and hoping the Aera 660 will fit in the spot - with an appropriate dock, of course.

I, too, like the faux HSI, and have a descent profile set in that provides a faux “glideslope” as well!
 
MooneyDriver78 said:
The 660 in the dock fits nicely in the radio stack.

0e4b544220414461030b68911ee12f83.jpg
Click to expand...

I guess I have an easier time "getting it" in a panel like that... IF I look at it more like a nice clean way to mount an "ipad"...that based on other comments here, is better than an ipad.

but in the panels I'm talking about, it's more like GeorgeC and fastEddie, where there is no VOR, no ADF even.... no hard mounted navigation equipment at all....seems like might as well just use a ipad or a phone in that case....but the more I consider it I suppose the old CDI's from back in my day for VOR navigation would serve little purpose here....just look at the line on the map instead!
 
GeorgeC said:
I like mine. I use ForeFlight on my phone for local flights but use the Aera for XCs.
The fake HSI is good enough for VFR, something the iPhone version of ForeFlight lacks.
The interface is actually usable in flight, compared to repeatedly stabbing at miniscule buttons in ForeFlight.



img_4084-jpg.101730
Click to expand...
I love that vintage but clean panel!

FastEddieB said:
A bit off topic, but…

My 2007 Sky Arrow is still aviating along with its now-quite-dated Garmin 496:

15421910260_8b4b5597be_z.jpg


The plane was delivered with a AirGizmo dock, prewired for the unit. It is the sole navigation radio for my plane, backed up with my iPhone. I’m kind of waiting for it to take a dump and hoping the Aera 660 will fit in the spot - with an appropriate dock, of course.

I, too, like the faux HSI, and have a descent profile set in that provides a faux “glideslope” as well!
Click to expand...
And that looks like a fun flyer for sure!
 
I’ll add to everything already stated:

I fly in Florida a lot, and it gets so bright or hot that my iPad will shut-down (even with my newer iPad Pro) or be unable to read the screen with sunlight.

We have an Aera 660 in a dock linked to a GDL-50 so I get weather, traffic, and terrain-awareness in this panel, and the Aera never quits. I can fly the whole plane with just the Aera if I really had to. always visible, even in direct Florida sun.

We also have the serial-line so that my flight plans from the 430w auto-fill into the Aera, very nice.
 
Anthem said:
Its super bright (not like ipads) and will not overheat. Its just designed to work in a cockpit.
Click to expand...
:yeahthat:

I've used iPads in the cockpit. They're too dim, and I've had them overheat. Why in the world ForeFlight insists on sticking with a platform that's not made for the cockpit environment is beyond reason.

I've also used the Aera 660 in rental Cherokees and it worked well. When I looked for a device for my own plane, though, I picked the iFly 740b. It's a bit bigger than the 660, and I like the display options and the soft keys are easy to use.

The 740b was discontinued a few months ago, and iFly is now selling a ruggedized Android tablet that has a docking station. It hasn't been out long enough to have any real history yet, but it was designed for the environment and has a bright screen so I suspect it will work just fine. One thing I really like about iFly is that it will run on any platform - Android, Windows, or iCrap. I have it installed on my iPad mini and do my flight planning there, then just sync it over wi-fi to my 740b in the plane. Easy-peasy.

@Brad W , if you're considering the Aera 660, I suggest you at least also consider the iFly unit. https://www.iflyefb.com/STORE/Product/ifly-efb-aviation-tablet . It's the same price, but has a bit bigger display. Probably worth a look.
 
I have a 760 with the dock panel mounted and hardwired to my 4OOW and a GDL-39 (for ADSB-in); I Bluetooth the 760 to the 400 via a FS210. (Hardwire lets flight plan info to flow from 400 to 760, Bluetooth allow flight plan info to flow from 760 to 400).

I really like the set up. The bigger screen is nice and I use it as a MFD.

When IFR I use the 760 as a moving map and the 400 to display textual flight info. I can use the 760's touch interface to make flight plan changes and send them to the 400 instead of doing the knob twist dance. Retrieving airport info, weather, NOTAMs, etc. is quite easy and intuitive. I don't use the 760 for approach plates as the text is a bit hard to read (could do it in a pinch). I use my yoke table mount for checklists and plates.

I really like the robustness of the unit and its resistance to overheating.

When VFR, it's my main navigation tool (don't even turn on the 400). I've never had a GPS reception issue, so I've never had the need to use an external antenna.

I think I saw a 760 for sale on the site yesterday for $600 - I'd jump on it.
 
Papa Pilot said:
I've never had a GPS reception issue, so I've never had the need to use an external antenna.
Click to expand...


Another thing I like about my iFly 740b is that in addition to connecting to my Stratus GPS/ADSB unit over wifi, it also has its own internal GPS receiver. If the Stratus fails (like a plane electrical system failure, or just a popped circuit breaker), the 740b will default to its own GPS. I've tried using it in the air and it works fine. I could connect an external antenna to the 740b but have never seen a reason.

Unfortunately, the 740's internal battery will only last about 15 or 20 minutes, but I carry a spare battery pack to juice it in the event the plane loses electrical power. It will run on its own for long enough to connect the external battery.
 
Half Fast said:
:yeahthat:

I've used iPads in the cockpit. They're too dim, and I've had them overheat. Why in the world ForeFlight insists on sticking with a platform that's not made for the cockpit environment is beyond reason.

I've also used the Aera 660 in rental Cherokees and it worked well. When I looked for a device for my own plane, though, I picked the iFly 740b. It's a bit bigger than the 660, and I like the display options and the soft keys are easy to use.

The 740b was discontinued a few months ago, and iFly is now selling a ruggedized Android tablet that has a docking station. It hasn't been out long enough to have any real history yet, but it was designed for the environment and has a bright screen so I suspect it will work just fine. One thing I really like about iFly is that it will run on any platform - Android, Windows, or iCrap. I have it installed on my iPad mini and do my flight planning there, then just sync it over wi-fi to my 740b in the plane. Easy-peasy.

@Brad W , if you're considering the Aera 660, I suggest you at least also consider the iFly unit. https://www.iflyefb.com/STORE/Product/ifly-efb-aviation-tablet . It's the same price, but has a bit bigger display. Probably worth a look.
Click to expand...
thanks...I'm not really considering one really....
Just noticing quite a few of the installed in aircraft that are for sale, browsing Barnstormers and trade a plane..... and was trying to wrap my head around why someone would install a portable device instead of a "proper" panel mount nav unit......

I have recently done a trial of ifly on android and it was pretty good...and I did see their new tablet.
 
I actually have two 660’s. One is the “glass panel” for my gyro and is perfect for that. The other started life as the replacement for a 396 linked to my Garmin 300XL: both the 396 and 660 made that old GPS a “color moving map”.

I’ve since changed out the 300XL for a 355 and kept the 660 linked to the 355. The 660 gets the flight plan from the 355. It also gets ADS-B weather and traffic - and ADAHARS - from a GDL-50. It’s my source for those, since I’m too cheap to get a Garmin GDL 82. It meets my needs just fine, plus the ADAHARS provides a full battery backup for attitude.

In the gyro, for VFR, it does great. The gyro also has a GDL 50, so weather, traffic, and AI are all there as well.

The unit is very reliable. Depending on the situation, I think it’s a good choice.
 
That lil Aera simply WILL NOT OVERHEAT!

Our Citations have them for additional situational awareness. I have one in my 170 for primary VFR nav. GDL-39 gives me adsb-in wx and traffic.

IMG_1114.jpeg
 
Brad W said:
... and was trying to wrap my head around why someone would install a portable device instead of a "proper" panel mount nav unit......
Click to expand...


Because the portable devices aren’t “installed” according to the FAA’s definition. Installation requires an A&P and paperwork, but using Velcro to stick a 740b to your panel does not. And those “proper” units have to have some sort of FAA approval (like a PMA), so they’re considerably more expensive.
 
I'm an Apple fan, but here in the Las Vegas 'warmth', my iPad frequently overheats - my solution? a dock mounted 660, problem solved. Love that unit.tempImagedFKkpn.png
 
Half Fast said:
I've used iPads in the cockpit. They're too dim, and I've had them overheat. Why in the world ForeFlight insists on sticking with a platform that's not made for the cockpit environment is beyond reason.
Click to expand...

I use iPads in the cockpit and never had one overheat and shutdown or not be readable. Including in 110+ TX heat.

Why? Because so many people have an iPad or can justify buying one versus a dedicated aircraft device at twice the price.
 
Pinecone said:
a dedicated aircraft device at twice the price.
Click to expand...

Twice??

IPads are going for $500 to $700. The ruggedized Android device iFly is selling is $850 and is a full-function Android tablet so it can also be used outside the cockpit. To me it’s well worth a couple of hundred bucks more to have a device that’s made for the cockpit.
 
I use one hard mounted in the back seat of a Husky. It receives the flight plan from the Garmin 375 via Bluetooth automatically and displays ADS-B traffic. IMG_0118.jpeg
 
I've used one before, great little unit. Friend has one hard wired into the panel of his Cherokee. Perfect for VFR flying.
 
Half Fast said:
Twice??

IPads are going for $500 to $700. The ruggedized Android device iFly is selling is $850 and is a full-function Android tablet so it can also be used outside the cockpit. To me it’s well worth a couple of hundred bucks more to have a device that’s made for the cockpit.
Click to expand...
The thread it about the Garmin AERA
 
Is the AERA 660 made? Or did the 760 replace it?
 
It's a popular "poor man's" MFD. I have one installed in my panel as well. It is hardwired to my GTN 650 and displays traffic, weather, and pulls flight plan data automatically from the GTN. Requires no user input except for selecting which display you'd like to see. It's pennies-on-the-dollar compared to more expensive options, and just as capable. Love mine.
 
Late to the party here, but I kept my 660 as a backup when I had my panel makeover with a G3X. The 660 is rock solid as a smaller display.
 

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Mine is at the top of the stack and talks to the G5, Dynon EFIS, and the GNX375. The iPad below used to overheat but with some attention given to cooling is working much better now. It's definitely bright enough, even under my goldfish bowl of a canopy. Triplex GPS is part of my redundancy management plan :)
If I ever decide I need a Nav head or a 2nd radio they will fit in the rack in place of the 660.
Panel.jpg

Nauga,
who doesn't count the G5 or iPhone GPSs in his plan
 
If we're doing panel pics... My Aera 660 is front and center. It's so good it makes it really really hard for me to spend the money on an IFR GPS, capability be damned. Replacing it with an IFR GPS would feel like a downgrade.
PXL_20221113_193019525.jpg
 
Late to the discussion, but a good thread to keep going.

I currently fly my VFR-only Decathlon with an android phone running iFly, and another droid phone as backup. I pull WAAS GPS, traffic, and weather via WiFi from a Stratux.

I used to fly with an iPad mini, but the cockpit is just too tight. Nowhere to mount without blocking or fouling something.

I've been looking at an Aera for forever. I like the idea of pushing GPS data to my engine monitor and radio. Also the phones are too easy to accidentally swipe out of the nav app in turbulence, and have frozen in flight at least twice.

Comparing 660 to 760, main difference seems to be screen size. But both screens are 480x800, so the 760 can't display any more info than the 660, it just uses bigger pixels. Am I missing something there?

760 also will load and navigate approaches. Seems to me that might be useful in an emergency, as well as allowing me to do some practice on my own should I ever get off my keyster and finally start working on my IR ticket. Is that feature worth the extra $$?

What are the main differences between the Aera 760 and the Aera 660? | Garmin Customer Support

Garmin Support Center is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products.
support.garmin.com support.garmin.com
 
Ed Haywood said:
Comparing 660 to 760, main difference seems to be screen size. But both screens are 480x800, so the 760 can't display any more info than the 660, it just uses bigger pixels. Am I missing something there?

760 also will load and navigate approaches. Seems to me that might be useful in an emergency, as well as allowing me to do some practice on my own should I ever get off my keyster and finally start working on my IR ticket. Is that feature worth the extra $$?
Click to expand...
I went with the 760 for both reasons. I need the bigger pixels for my old eyes and the georeferenced approach plates are nice for situational awareness.

Also, I push flight plans to my 760 from my panel GPS and when I load an approach, the plate automatically overlays the map (if you've turned that feature on). I like that.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Late to the discussion, but a good thread to keep going.

I currently fly my VFR-only Decathlon with an android phone running iFly, and another droid phone as backup. I pull WAAS GPS, traffic, and weather via WiFi from a Stratux.

I used to fly with an iPad mini, but the cockpit is just too tight. Nowhere to mount without blocking or fouling something.

I've been looking at an Aera for forever. I like the idea of pushing GPS data to my engine monitor and radio. Also the phones are too easy to accidentally swipe out of the nav app in turbulence, and have frozen in flight at least twice.

Comparing 660 to 760, main difference seems to be screen size. But both screens are 480x800, so the 760 can't display any more info than the 660, it just uses bigger pixels. Am I missing something there?

760 also will load and navigate approaches. Seems to me that might be useful in an emergency, as well as allowing me to do some practice on my own should I ever get off my keyster and finally start working on my IR ticket. Is that feature worth the extra $$?

What are the main differences between the Aera 760 and the Aera 660? | Garmin Customer Support

Garmin Support Center is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products.
support.garmin.com support.garmin.com
Click to expand...
Look at my earlier post (10/14) with photo - 660 absolutely DOES show geo referenced approaches, that's (mostly) how I use it
 
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