GPS Garmin Aera 660

Portable and compact aviation navigator

The aera 660 features a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display, optimized for different cockpits and various types of flight. A sleek yet rugged design allows the aera 660 to withstand harsh environments, meeting rigorous helicopter standard temperature and vibration tests. Garmin's distinctive direct-to feature is always available, so it's easy to access navigation functions or find the nearest airports from any page. A mini-USB connector, microSD card slot and removable battery accompany the power button on the sides of the aera. Depending on configuration and external connections, battery life will be up to 4 hours on a single charge. The similarity of its intuitive user interface to that of the popular NTG 650/750 touchscreen series, the aera 795/796 series and the Garmin Pilot app, makes it easy for pilots to use the aera 660 and other Garmin products that may be in the cockpit.

3D Vision

The aera 660's 3D Vision page makes use of a worldwide terrain database to create a rich 3D representation of the terrain near the aircraft, while displaying GPS-derived speed, altitude and vertical speed overlays along with flight plan information. Also displayed in the 3D Vision are lateral and vertical deviation bars (VNAV) and a 360-degree HSI, which shows course deviation, track, heading and more.

Course pointers can be manually configured to identify the nearest airport, and includes distance information. When connected to a GTX 345, GDL 39 3D or Flight Stream, the 3D vision display stands out even more by showing pitch, roll and roll-roll information. A pilot-selectable display optionally shows the classic circular or bar flight instruments superimposed on the 3D topographic landscape.

Connext® Wireless Connectivity 

Wireless connectivity options place the aera 660 even further ahead of other laptops on the market. The wireless database update capability adds a unique feature to the aera 660. Using Wi-Fi, pilots can easily download and update aviation databases without the need to physically connect the aera to a computer. In addition, the aera 660 supports connectivity with the Garmin VIRB® XE HD action camera, so pilots can control recording and take photos.

When paired with the GTX 345, Flight Stream or GDL 39/GDL 39 3D, ADS-B traffic and weather1 are wirelessly transferred and displayed on the aera 660. ADS-B traffic information can be viewed on the moving map, IFR/VFR charts and dedicated traffic pages, which also take advantage of patent-pending features such as TargetTrend and TerminalTraffic. Traffic trajectories and potential conflicts are easy to identify with TargetTrend, which incorporates relative motion technology to help pilots visualize the future position of nearby traffic relative to the aircraft. The traffic picture stands out even more during taxi, takeoff and landing with TerminalTraffic, which detects and displays other aircraft or vehicles on the ground, runways or taxiways that also broadcast ADS-B position information. SafeTaxi® geo-referenced airport diagrams also aid situational awareness by identifying runways, taxiways, FBOs, hangars and more in relation to the aircraft's position on the airport surface.

Enhanced Base Map, global charting options, and more

The extensive charting option supported by the aera 660 provides the pilot with the easiest way to go paperless in the cockpit. The aera 660 can be qualified for use as an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), both Class I and Class II. Georeferenced IFR enroute charts, VFR sectional charts and FliteCharts® arrival procedure charts are available as part of the wide range of database offerings associated with the aera 660. Using FliteCharts, pilots can easily view departure procedures (DPs), standard terminal arrival routes (STARs) and georeferenced approach charts. In addition, Garmin ChartView allows viewing of Jeppesen charts with an optional Jeppesen subscription. As with other Garmin products, Smart Airspace is included in the aera 660's feature set. Smart Airspace highlights the airspace closest to the aircraft's current altitude and fades out non-relevant airspace, so pilots can quickly identify their location relative to the airspace around them.

The aera 660 is available in 4 regional versions with preloaded data for the North American, South American, Atlantic and Pacific regions. While each version can only be purchased from Garmin for the corresponding region, regional databases can be purchased for any unit in any region. For pilots in Europe, the Atlantic version of the aera 660 includes the new enhanced basemap, which provides VFR operators with more visual landmarks and intersections that are often used when contacting air traffic control. In addition, when selecting a street or intersection on the aera moving map, street names appear, making it easier to identify the aircraft's location while navigating in an urban environment. Operators can also incorporate City Navigator® NT street maps to activate direction-finding functions and easily navigate to street intersections during off-airport operations.

Connection to Garmin avionics

The aera 660 comes with a cradle kit and cigarette lighter adapter as a standard accessory (photo). Pilots can connect an optional cable to the aircraft instrument panel for power, audio and two RS-232 connections, expanding the utility of the aera 660.

When paired with a navigator such as the GTN 650/750 series with touchscreen or the GNS 430W/530W, the aera can receive flight plan data entered into the navigator via a serial port and remain synchronized during flight. When connected to a NAV/COM such as the GTR 225, 255 GNC, GTR 200, SL 30 or 40 SL, frequencies and airport identifiers can also be transferred from the aera to the corresponding NAV/COM.

In addition, ADS-B traffic and time1 can be transferred to the aera 660 via the cable connection, when connected to a GTX 345, GDL 39 or 39 GDL 3D.

With its long list of features, the aera 660 combines many of the functionalities of panel-mounted avionics with good value for money and custom design. It is an aviation laptop ready to fly out of the box. The aera 660 is expected to start shipping at the end of March 2016. Please contact your Distributor with any questions.

The box contains:

• Aera 660
• Mounting arm with power cable
• Battery
• 220V power supply
• USB cable
• Quick start manual and soon manual in English

Specifications

• Physical dimensions : 14.1x8.7x2.1 cm
• Screen Size: 11.1x6.6 cm ; 5.08 inches
• Screen Resolution: 480 x 800: Normal and landscape orientation.
• Display Type: WVGA color touchscreen TFT with white backlight.
• Weight: 245 grams with battery - 205 grams without battery.
• Battery: Removable, rechargeable lithium ion.
• Battery life: Up to 4 hours with 80% backlight and wireless connectivity. Up to 6 hours with 5% backlight and no wireless connectivity.
• High sensitivity SBAS/WAAS/GLONASS receiver with WAAS accuracy.
• Voltage range: 10-35V
• IFR or VFR: VFR
• Traffic Alert System (TIS) compatible.
• Accepts microSD cards