Garmin eases procedures with decluttered SmartCharts

For years pilots have clamored for ways to simplify approaches, departures, and other procedures that can be overwhelmingly complicated. Because traditional charts and other graphic instructions have grown in complexity over time, adding many layers of information, pilots have found them increasingly difficult to follow.

Garmin, following years of development, has introduced SmartCharts to literally remove the clutter from view, leaving only the information that applies to a pilot’s particular operations. The system allows pilots to specify their aircraft information, the type of procedure they are flying, and other factors specific to their flight. As a result, only the applicable information appears on the screen. In the past, electronic flight bag apps would have displayed information regarding a range of possibilities, making instructions difficult to read and increasing the chances for error.

“Terminal procedures have long been cluttered with outdated or superfluous information that may not be relevant to a pilot’s flight, obscuring important details that could be easily missed,” said Phil Straub, Garmin’s executive vice president and managing director of aviation. “SmartCharts allows all pilots to quickly and easily tailor procedures to highlight the most relevant and key information in a simplified, optimized format to ultimately help to enhance safety and situational awareness.”

In what Garmin said is an industry first, SmartCharts presents a georeferenced vertical profile for approaches that shows the aircraft at its altitude and its position relative to the approach path, obstacles, and terrain. This and other SmartCharts features give pilots new levels of situational awareness.

“This is a game changer. It’s a complete rethink of how we view procedures,” said Jim McClay, AOPA director of airspace, air traffic, and security. For years navigation apps have fallen short by simply digitizing approach, departure, and other procedural information for the screen, he said. “But we were still looking at the same old charts.”

While the basic format of aviation charts has changed little since the middle of the last century, the aircraft we fly and the airspace in which they operate have become far more complex, including more categories of aircraft and types of procedures, such as GPS approaches, that did not exist several decades ago.

Access to SmartCharts is available with a Garmin Pilot Premium subscription. Pilots using the standard subscription can upgrade to the premium at no additional cost through August 31. New subscribers can receive premium access with a 30-day trial.