Garmin adds features to Pilot app

Garmin Pilot version 9.3 was recently released for Apple devices (the app is also available in an Android version) with upgrades that enhance weather awareness in the flight planning process, as well as during the flight.

The flight profile view when viewed alongside a flight plan now depicts icing probability along the selected route. Light green, yellow, and red shading depict increasing icing potential at a given altitude. The radar overlay in the moving map has also been enhanced to depict the projected path of storm cells, and selecting a storm cell icon on the radial menu provides additional information about the storm’s speed and direction of movement.

Airspace alerts have also been added, and users can adjust settings for preflight and in-flight airspace alerts. For those with a Garmin GDL 69, GDL 51, or GDL 52 and a valid SiriusXM weather subscription, the latest surface analysis layer is now available on the moving map. Pilots may now pinch-zoom on the traffic page to zoom in and out on particular targets when Garmin Pilot is paired with an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receiver, and choose whether traffic information is displayed in relative altitude (relative to own-ship) or absolute altitude, making it easier to identify potential conflicts.

Garmin has also expanded the aircraft library to include new performance profiles for various popular general aviation aircraft, and added other new features such as improved depiction of extended runway centerlines with the addition of marked mile-long segments to make it easier to determine distance remaining on approach. Garmin also used the 9.3 update to enhance support for the high-resolution, full-screen display of the Apple iPhone X.