How many GPS Units do you fly lwith.

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bahama flier

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bahama flier
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I have a built in 327 Dash unit that drives my auto pilot, a floor mounted Av-Map and a yoke mounted Tru flight mini pad. I used my floor mount for weather, and most flying data from my Mini pad, by dash unit guides my auto pilot.

Some have told me I have overkill, I say can you have too much safety when you fly? I only have what I am comfortable with, and I have had a GPS unit fail in flight, but had back ups.
 
I don't think it is overkill. I was just thinking this morning how amazing the amount of technology I have in the cockpit is. Aspen unit, Harmon 750, gdl88 for Adan in/out, fore flight, stratus 2. I doubt I will ever have to identify s fix using two Vor's, however I suppose if we lost our satellite system, a big chunk of my technology would be ineffective.

Jim
 
I agree keeping our steam instruments working, they have worked for years even thru the wars, I still practice with them and verify them with GPS.
 
Two 430s, iPad, and Phone.
Avidyne too but If I recall, that is fed from the Garmins.
 
430/530 and my ipad/legalpad

Not a fan of people covering most of their panel with yoke mounts.
 
Usually none.

Sometimes I bring along a hand held. I guess my new phone has one too, but I've never tried using it in the airplane.
 
Last I counted, five -- Garmin 530W in the panel, Garmin 510 on a bracket (mostly for the XM weather), Droid Razr cell phone (no aviation software, just ground vehicle navigation), iPad with Forelight (mostly for charts/flight planning), and an ancient Lowrance 500 (stashed somewhere in the back since being superseded by the 510).
 
750, 650, ipad, I guess my iphone too.
 
KLN-94 and Garman 396 panel mounted...and linked. I pad with basic Fore flight and Nexes 7 in the flight bag for reference if needed...when I started back flying GA I thought it was cheating but gotten used to it...I still dial up VOR's VFR cross country...
 
Bendixking 89b IFR cert and a Garmin 496 with TIS and XM weather. At any given time, two smart phones and a tablet with avare and AOPA FlyQ Phone app. Since the latter devices don't have external anntenae, they vary on their dependability.
There's also two VOR nav radios with glideslope.
I have a Northstar LORAN as well which is just taking up useful load.
 
James331 said:
Not a fan of people covering most of their panel with yoke mounts.
Click to expand...

For all the airplanes I fly, I haven't found a yoke mount that actually blocks the view of any instruments when sitting in the pilot's seat.

I used to have a full size iPad mounted on the yoke of my 170 and it didn't block anything on the actual panel.
 
GTN-750 in the panel, plus x2 Nexus 7 on both yokes, plus phone which I don't use. I guess you can count the GDL-39 as GPS unit, since it normally feeds both N7's with its GPS data via bluetooth, although they can function fine with their internal GPSs if the GDL-39 dies.
The yoke mounted 7" tablets do not obscure any panel instruments.
 
IPad with foreflight,530,430 garminn496 portable,and I phone. That should do it.
 
Zero.

Although, I'm thinking about a Garmin 696. One should suffice for what I do.
 
Fearless Tower said:
For all the airplanes I fly, I haven't found a yoke mount that actually blocks the view of any instruments when sitting in the pilot's seat.

I used to have a full size iPad mounted on the yoke of my 170 and it didn't block anything on the actual panel.
Click to expand...
My yoke mount doesn't block my instruments either. But that only in the limited group of Cessnas, Mooneys and Pipers I fly.

Number? One certified panel mount. My iPad with a feed from an external unit. I have an Android tablet with an internal GPS as an emergency backup. I don't count my phone although I'd probably pull it out if the world came to an end.

Ah yes, a ResQLinq PLB I hope to never use.
 
Two for work and one for leasure. No portable / kneeboard devices. None of which I consider a no go item for VFR or IFR.
 
Velocity173 said:
Two for work and one for leasure. No portable / kneeboard devices. None of which I consider a no go item for VFR or IFR.
Click to expand...
Since my EFB and backup EFB are my only source of charts, they are definitely no-go items. The installed certified GPS is a definite no-go for IFR.
 
2X 430W in the panel, iPad, iPhone

Usually more if I have passengers...
 
Garmin 430, ipad with internal gps + stratus, iphone. So really 4 different GPS receivers.

In practice I am only navigating with the 430. I keep the iPad in my map pocket, pull it out occasionally to verify position(I am using it for my sectional charts). Sometimes if I'm flying a non-direct route or want to know precisely when I'm entering/leaving some airspace I have the ipad in my lap to verify but not often.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Since my EFB and backup EFB are my only source of charts, they are definitely no-go items. The installed certified GPS is a definite no-go for IFR.
Click to expand...

Sure those are your personal safety measures but paper still works when electronic fails. I always have paper on standby and VOR/ILS if the GPS fails. Flew the majority of my time in the Army IFR with no autopilot, IFR GPS or electronic tablet data in the cockpit. I like the luxury of GPS but I don't cancel a flight when it fails. Of course I can't remember the last time my GPS failed though.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Since my EFB and backup EFB are my only source of charts, they are definitely no-go items. The installed certified GPS is a definite no-go for IFR.
Click to expand...
What about carrying back up charts that way you won't have to can a flight if one of your EFBs fail?
 
iPad mini on the yoke, iPad Air in a kneeboard on my lap, and a Garmin 530 on the panel. On long trips, also a Garmin Aera on the copilot yoke.
 
jordane93 said:
What about carrying back up charts that way you won't have to can a flight if one of your EFBs fail?
Click to expand...

I carry a backup N7 tablet running GP (two in total plus the panel stuff), so I don't need any paper charts. The cost of that backup was less than one annual subscription to the IFR paper charts for my area. Can't see why anyone would use paper, given that the tablet not only has the chart, but your plane superimposed on it, not to mention ground speed, track, up to date airspace advisories, plus a gazillion other useful things.
 
RotorDude said:
I carry a backup N7 tablet running GP (two in total plus the panel stuff), so I don't need any paper charts. The cost of that backup was less than one annual subscription to the IFR paper charts for my area. Can't see why anyone would use paper, given that the tablet not only has the chart, but your plane superimposed on it, not to mention ground speed, track, up to date airspace advisories, plus a gazillion other useful things.
Click to expand...
I don't have a data plan for my Ipad so I use paper charts.
 
Watching the responses to this thread, I find myself pretty surprized by how may devices a lot of people have in the cockpit. Just out of curiosity, what is the need for up to 4 gps devices? Nothing derogatory intended, just curious.

Here's a question: At some point, does the amount of gizmos in the cockpit become a danger rather than a safety feature?
 
Apparently I've been out of the GA thing too long. Many of you are talking about iPads and iPhones as GPS's. I get that they have gps, but can you legally use that as a navigation source?
Sorry for the silly question, but I am only accustom to "built in" systems.
 
Kritchlow said:
Apparently I've been out of the GA thing too long. Many of you are talking about iPads and iPhones as GPS's. I get that they have gps, but can you legally use that as a navigation source?
Sorry for the silly question, but I am only accustom to "built in" systems.
Click to expand...

Ummm, the ithings can't be used for IFR navigation in certified aircraft. They can still have a gps location and display it on an electronic chart. The pilot can legally look at that chart and the displayed location...the pilot can legally consider that information...

As for the original question, I have two built in GPSs, the Aspen and the 430w, and then usually a few uncertified gps units laying around - usually use just one of the uncertified gps units.

I used to be diligent and tune in VORs on nav and DME to check position but I'm to the point that I shut off the DME when I'm not around a Bravo. I do still remember how to use the nav radios and DME so maybe I'll be okay if the satellites fall out of the sky...
 
jordane93 said:
I don't have a data plan for my Ipad so I use paper charts.
Click to expand...

You really don't need a data plan to load up your iPad with foreflight data. Just wifi.

As far as GPS units in the plane...'twixt 1 and 4.
 
jordane93 said:
What about carrying back up charts that way you won't have to can a flight if one of your EFBs fail?
Click to expand...
not for me. Charts on the ipad, backup is the iphone. Trying to keep paper updated is far too much trouble. Besides, I've had more problem with losing paper charts in flight over the years than I've had ipad issues.
 
Anyone remember when carrying any GPS with you (when they first came out) was a sign of incompetence, lazyness, and CFIs would NOT allow them in the plane for students? Those were the days. :rolleyes:
 
jordane93 said:
What about carrying back up charts that way you won't have to can a flight if one of your EFBs fail?
Click to expand...
One of the big reasons I went to an EFB was to eliminate 25 lbs of paper that I lugged around in my flight bag.

For those of us that fly across large chart regions, carrying a second EFB, even if only an iPhone, is much preferred.
 
OkieFlyer said:
Watching the responses to this thread, I find myself pretty surprized by how may devices a lot of people have in the cockpit. Just out of curiosity, what is the need for up to 4 gps devices? Nothing derogatory intended, just curious.
Click to expand...

These days, if you fly IFR, an IFR certified GPS is almost becoming a requirement as more and more nav aids get decommissioned. The second GPS tends to be most folks EFB.

I think a lot of us are counting iPhones as a GPS source (which they indeed are). Most of the time, mind is in my pocket, but it is available as a backup if needed.

So, having 3 GPS units available in flight isn't that surprising these days.
 
I fly with 3 in both airplanes.

In the Baron, a GNS 430, iPad with Jepp FD and ForeFlight and iPhone.

In the Waco, I use a Garmin Aera, iPad on kneeboard strap and iPhone.
 
Garmin 495 in the gizmo dock in the panel, spare 196 in the flight bag. Plane has power/data cables for both to be able to drive the autopilot. Also an N7 tablet running Avare on a RAM mount, and finally my smartphone. 4 GPS devices total.
 
For IFR cross country, three. A pair of panel mounted Garmin 650s ( I only need one, the other is redundancy), and a Stratus for the iPad.

No GPS at all if I rent a club plane to fly low and slow locally.
 
iPhone 6 in the yokemount for basic magenta-line following and iPad 2 in the map pocket for use when needed, both working off a Stratus 1; VFR-only KLN-90B in the panel.

Until they went out of business, I kept a set of Howie Keefe AirChart books in the seat pocket as a backup.
 
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