Garmin opened its Bluetooth door to data for outside apps at EAA AirVenture 2015, and now the results are beginning to appear. ForeFlight Mobile has enabled two-way flight plan transfer between its app and Garmin GTN and GNS panel radios. There are additional benefits as well.
Jeppesen also was cleared by Garmin to receive data.
ForeFlight Mobile can now display subscription-free ADS-B weather and traffic information as well as GPS position on iPads and iPhones. ForeFlight's synthetic vision now has pitch and bank information that comes from Garmin's data path called Flight Stream 210.
All ForeFlight Mobile customers need to do is update their app at the iTunes store, and the new Garmin connectivity appears.
Now flight plans can be created on the home computer using ForeFlight Web, then transferred via the Cloud to the iPad, and transferred again via Bluetooth into the Garmin panel-mounted radios. Changes made to flight plans on the panel are synched to the iPad or iPhone.
Procedure preview, a feature already found on ForeFlight Mobile, makes creating complex routes easier. For example, arrival and departure routes can be displayed graphically on the iPad. When one of the routes is assigned, it can be selected from displayed graphics in ForeFlight and that will be transferred instantly into the Garmin navigator's flight plan.
