Some Beech Bonanza, Baron Airplanes Added To The AML

The FAA has approved the installation of Garmin GFC 500 and GFC 600 in several new aircraft models. The GFC 500 is intended for single-engine piston aircraft, while the GFC 600 is intended for high performance piston single/twin-engine and turbine aircraft that have a wide range of speed and performance characteristics.

New aircraft models approved for the GFC 500 autopilot include the Beechcraft Bonanza F33A, while the  GFC 600 autopilot is now approved for installation in Beechcraft Baron Models: 58P, 58PA, 58TC, 58TCA (1983 model year or earlier only).

The GFC 500 autopilot uniquely integrates with the G5 electronic flight instrument or a combination of both the G5 electronic flight instrument and the G500 TXi or G500 flight displays to provide pilots with an economical and modern autopilot solution. The GFC 600 is designed as a standalone autopilot and also boasts superior integration potential when paired with the G500 TXi/G600 TXi or G500/G600 glass flight displays, Garmin navigators, as well as a variety of third-party flight displays, instruments and navigation sources.

The full-featured GFC 600 and GFC 500 autopilots provide thousands of existing general aviation aircraft with a simple, light-weight, cost-effective autopilot upgrade path. The GFC 600 and GFC 500 incorporate solid state attitude with robust self-monitoring capabilities to provide superior autopilot performance, greater reliability and safety benefits that are similar to the popular GFC 700 autopilot. In addition to traditional autopilot capabilities such as altitude hold, vertical speed and heading modes, the GFC 600 and GFC 500 also include altitude preselect, VNAV1, Level Mode, underspeed and overspeed protection and more. Pilots can also select, couple and fly various instrument approaches, including GPS, ILS, VOR, LOC and back course approaches when paired with a compatible GPS navigator.

As a standard feature on both the GFC 500 and GFC 600 autopilots, pilots receive Garmin Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP), which works to assist the pilot in maintaining the aircraft in a stable flight condition. ESP functions independently of the autopilot and works in the background to help pilots avoid inadvertent flight attitudes or bank angles and provides airspeed protection while the pilot is hand-flying the aircraft.

For customers who already have a G5 electronic flight instrument, the GFC 500 starts at a suggested retail price of $6,9952 for a 2-axis autopilot. The GFC 600 autopilot starts at a suggested retail price of $19,9952 for a 2-axis autopilot with electric pitch trim. Garmin continues to add additional aircraft models to the growing STC list for the GFC 500 and GFC 600 autopilots.

(Source: Garmin news release. Images from file)

FMI: www.garmin.com/GFC500, www.garmin.com/GFC600