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Faster, feature-rich G1000s for Citation Mustangs

Cessna Citation Mustang owners and operators will soon be able to swap out their legacy Garmin G1000 avionics for a retrofit with Garmin’s latest G1000 NXi flight deck. Garmin announced that a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the Mustang upgrade should be approved in the second half of 2018.

The NXi interface is purposefully similar to the original G1000 to simplify aftermarket installations and to ease pilot transitions. Photo by David Tulis.

The NXi brings with it a number of improvements over the original G1000. Faster initialization speed, smoother panning, and faster map buildups are provided thanks to state-of-the-art processors. Also standard is Garmin’s Flight Stream 510 and Connext technology, which lets pilots perform wireless database transfers from the Garmin Pilot app on mobile devices, plus sharing of traffic, weather, and backup attitude information with both the Garmin Pilot and ForeFlight apps.

SurfaceWatch runway information is also provided. This feature gives aural and visual cues to prevent pilots from taking off or landing on a taxiway, a runway that is too short, or the wrong runway based on performance data entered during preflight. And Garmin’s SafeTaxi shows georeferenced airport diagrams. In addition, the NXi can display a geographical map overlay within the horizontal situation indicator on the primary flight display (PFDs). The NXi’s PFDs can be set up to show NEXRAD imagery, traffic, and terrain as well.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In features such as traffic and FIS-B weather are available as an option.

The upgrade costs $52,995. Garmin promises minimal down time to install the G1000 NXi, since panel and wiring modifications are not necessary.

Thomas A. Horne

Thomas A. Horne

AOPA Pilot Editor at Large
AOPA Pilot Editor at Large Tom Horne has worked at AOPA since the early 1980s. He began flying in 1975 and has an airline transport pilot and flight instructor certificates. He’s flown everything from ultralights to Gulfstreams and ferried numerous piston airplanes across the Atlantic.
Topics: Jet, Avionics, National Business Aviation Association

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