Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

Avionics manufacturer Garmin is celebrating having achieved delivery of more than 25,000 integrated flight decks since launching the G1000 avionics suite in 2003. The systems have been installed as forward-fit and retrofit applications in regional airliners, business jets and turboprops, light airplanes, helicopters, and military and government aircraft.

 


Garmin introduced the G1000 in March 2003; the avionics were first selected by Cessna for its Citation Mustang very light jet, which was certified on Sept. 8, 2006. The first in-service G1000 systems flew in Cessna and Diamond single-engine airplanes starting in June 2004. While Garmin has continuously upgraded the G1000 avionics—the current version is the NXi configuration—it also expanded the reach of its integrated flight decks by introducing the G3000 and G5000 systems for turbine aircraft in 2010. Honda Aircraft played a major role in the development of the G3000 system, which it selected for the HondaJet.

 


The G3000/G5000 avionics adopted the first widespread application of touchscreens in the aviation market, using touchscreen controllers that simplified the way pilots interact with the avionics. Most significant, however, is that Garmin leapfrogged traditional avionics manufacturers with its flight management system (FMS) design. Instead of replicating the challenging interface used on most FMSs, Garmin designed the touchscreen controllers with a simplified icon-based interface that eliminated the need to memorize complicated FMS commands.

 


Not only did the interface make it easier for pilots to move between Garmin-equipped aircraft, but the unified operation of Garmin avionics also highlighted a strategy that helped Garmin gain significant market share in aviation. Garmin wasn’t the first avionics manufacturer to design a common interface for all of its products, but it took this a step further, encouraging aircraft manufacturers to adopt its products in a variety of airframes.

 


This gave new pilots an easy path to upgrading when they moved from, for example, a G1000-equipped Cessna 172 to a G1000-equipped turboprop then a job flying a jet with a G3000 or G5000 flight deck. No other avionics manufacturer has replicated this strategy successfully, although Honeywell is now embarking on this design effort with its new Anthem avionics suite.

 


“Pilots around the world have spent millions of hours flying behind a Garmin flight deck and it’s a true privilege to know that our avionics help them safely reach their destinations time and time again,” said &nbsp;Phil Straub, Garmin executive v-p and managing director for&nbsp;aviation. “As the leading provider of integrated cockpit systems, we are very proud to celebrate this extraordinary achievement, and we wish to extend our sincerest gratitude to our aircraft manufacturers, as well as the aircraft owners, who have selected and trusted Garmin over the years. The G1000 was a vision of our late co-founder Gary Burrell, and he would be deeply honored to be celebrating this milestone with the thousands of talented Garmin associates who made it possible.”&nbsp;

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

Garmin Celebrates 25,000 Flight Deck Milestone

In 2003, Garmin unveiled the G1000 integrated avionics suite, changing the way pilots fly. 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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