A G1000 PRIMER

“I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I've got whozits and whatzits galore” – Ariel

Of all the advances in aviation science, besides the jet engine that is, there is little that beats the G-1000 suite or its forerunners. From the steam gauges to the “Glass” is a short hop into nirvana. Imagine if you could…disregard that, we need to get there and I have to help get you there.

G1000

Turning On:

After the battery is turned on and the Reversionary Mode has been successfully viewed, turning the Avionics Master Switch does the trick. The G1000 goes through its system check and then wants you to accept its status with an ENT button.

PFD:

Displays the 6 steam gauges on a single screen and many more. The Speed and Altitude on an Up/Down Ribbon as well as the VSI adjacent to the Altitude. There are small magenta ribbons that tell you the projected speeds and altitude if one stays on the trend trajectory. An embarrassment of riches awaits you to get yourself involved inside the cockpit, but don’t. Learn to scan the relevant information and then scan the horizon for others, even with an ADSB virtuoso installed. Remembering flying is an art and not a video game. That having been said, let us go filtering through the catacombs of this brilliantly crafted machine.

The Attitude Indicator is based on the AHRS and has no vacuum pumps to worry about. The Display is centered with the Speed and Altitude Ribbons on both sides (arrows). The Speed Ribbon on the bottom also gives the Calculated TAS enabled through the Air Data AIRNC.

Normal Mode of PFD and MFD depicted below…

The Attitude Indicator is the entire horizon depicted across the screen, so you cannot escape the Blue over the Brown/green (right side up analogy). There is a command bar on top that tells you what operating mode is on display. If the Integrated Autopilot is on it will tell you AP + GPS (Magenta Line Navigation) + ALT + XXXfeet + NAV or HDG. IF either the ALT or NAV are disabled by pressing twice on those buttons then ROL for NAV and PIT for Altitude become operative. The Desired Track, ETE and DTK and Track are also up there. For most $200 hamburger flyers, there is a DIRECT TO button that gives the shortest magenta route to that burger. And if you should care to now what Airports are nearby, just press the NRST button and a range is presented in the MFD. The information about these Airports can be readily available by pressing the FMS button and outer knob to navigate to desired airport and getting all the data upfront. If you have flown a 530 or 430, the G1000 is like them on steroids; awesome. The Multipage Flow Diagrams for some of the SOFT KEY Functions are detailed below...

The Soft Keys below the screen have different functions when the First level, second level or other level pages are used. For instance, in the First level page if the ENGINE soft button is keyed, it will display LEAN/ASSIST modes which when pressed will take you to those pages.

On Second level page for example, if WIND is pressed it gives you options for Wind Direction, Crosswind, Headwind and Tailwind components. It is logically hierarchical.

The HSI can be configured to give the Compass rose of 360 or ARC HIS.

AUDIO PANEL:

The Audio Panel has many Superior qualities. It can isolate the Pilot/ Pilot + Crew. It can allow the Pilot and Co-Pilot to monitor different Frequencies. And the Red Button below is for the Manual Reversionary mode if One screen goes blank then the other takes over as the PFD. Some of the functions may be disabled depending on the aircraft model.

An INSET button on the Soft Keys on the PFD will plant a miniaturized MFD data on the left lower corner of the PFD in reversionary mode, so one does not have to swivel the head too often.

MFD:

Simply a huge map that can be zoomed in and out with the Range button. A Flight Plan (FLT) to insert inputs. (Garmin Pilot App interfaces with the latest version of G1000 software and uploads the Flight Plan via special hardware insert)

Below the MFD MAP there are Functions that can be entered by turning the FMS Knob on the Right lower corner of the MFD Display. Each of those Functions have multiple Page displays that can be entered by using the small FMS Knob. You can turn to the AUX page and review the GPS data, Current Software and more such goodies on those pages.

On Start:

The System Engine Page always ON, on the MFD gives you read outs on the MP (if there) or the RPM. Fuel Flow, Oil temp, Oil PSI, Gal Remain, Gal Used, Endurance, Range in nautical Miles and Electrical Information. Engine LEAN can be used to lean the engine at altitude to desired temps and there is an ASSIST button to help pick out the peak (with a hollow blue rectangle on top) on the Cylinder number to use as a guide for lean of Peak or Rich of Peak aircraft performance.

If a Flight Plan is ACTIVATED then the Integrated Autopilot will fly the magenta line, anticipate the turns on the proposed plan and give distances and times to the next Waypoint. If there are various Altitudes that the specific Waypoints require to be flown at then the FLIGHT PLAN screen box can be made to set those Altitudes manually and the GFC700 Autopilot will fly them accordingly. A real nifty little feature is the VS (Vertical Speed) Toggle that button and then punch in the Up or down button (for each push up or down the VS climb and descent of +100 feet/ minute is activated). On the other hand if one presses the FLC button with a Hard Altitude set on the Altitude box and the power is diminished 500 RPm or 5 Inches on the MP, the GFC700 will command the aircraft to descend at the specific IAS to that specified Altitude, when the Throttle can be advanced again.

Okay this article is getting long on the tooth. So, let me sign out. More next time, if you like this one, let me know. 

Next time perhaps an IFR flight on the G1000?