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

MD Helicopters MD 500, 500D, 500E, 500ER, 520N, and 530F

Matt Thurber

The FAA has approved a supplemental type certificate for the installation of Garmin GI 275 electronic flight instruments in the MD Helicopters MD500D/E and MD530F/F Plus, further expanding the Part 27 approvals for the GI 275 series.
The GI 275 is a direct replacement for the helicopters’ original instruments including the attitude indicator, course deviation indicator, and heading and horizontal situation indicators. Installation is simplified: the GI 275 fits in a standard 3.125-inch flight instrument panel hole.
Configured as a primary flight display/attitude indicator, the GI 275 can display Garmin’s optional helicopter synthetic vision technology, which shows 3D topographic terrain, traffic, obstacles, power lines, and airport signposts. Other features include a display of outside air temperature, groundspeed, true airspeed, and wind information. Helicopter terrain awareness and warning system also is available on the GI 275, and it can be paired with Garmin’s GRA 55 or GRA 5500 radar altimeters or select third-party products.
Many multifunction display capabilities are also available with the installation of another GI 275, including a moving map, weather, traffic, obstacles, WireAware power lines, SafeTaxi airport diagrams, and five-color terrain shading. A built-in VFR GPS enables direct-to-navigation guidance, displaying aircraft position information on the moving map.

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

Garmin GI 275 Electronic Flight Instrument Approved for MD Helicopters MD500/530

The approval expands installation options for Garmin's electronic flight instrument

The FAA has approved a supplemental type certificate for the installation of Garmin GI 275 electronic flight instruments in the MD Helicopters MD500/530 models.

Garmin GI 275 Approved for MD Helicopters MD500/530

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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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In this article

MD 500 Series

Garmin

MD Helicopters

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