Garmin GPS 96C - why I got one and first impressions

I have always suspected using a GPS for VFR flying would somehow ruin my navigation and mapreading skills, and have always resisted getting one. Had a look at a friend's Garmin colour moving map a while ago, and thought that was pretty cool, but that's as far as I got. A while ago a friend suggested even if I get a non-aviation model it would be of some use, which I had previously thought was a bad thing to do, but when the chance came to borrow a very very basic non-aviation model, I grabbed it and went flying, obviously after learning how to use it.

And I was hooked! It only had a black and white arrow to show you which way to go, but that helped a lot with situational awareness! I put in the place I was going to off the aeronautical charts, and just did a Go To..

So, I decided to buy one, but which one to buy?? I first wanted to spend no more than $200 for a eTrex, but for a little more I'd get a mapping eTrex Legend, and for a bit more I'd get a Vista, which is better, and so on, and before you know it I'm looking at a aviation model. Oh dear.

So I find out the cheapest aviation model, a grey screen Garmin GPSMAP 96 is about twice as much as I intended to spend, and then to finish me off we find out that the 96C has twice the battery life, five times the memory, plus a colour screen. And it's not a lot more than the 96. So we ordered a 96C and decided to just suck it in and get one. Hell, I'll have it for years and I'll get over the financial shock soon..

So, on to first impressions...

The box it came in is huge!! I soon find out it's got a stinking great metal yoke mount in the box, which I found out when I tested it on our aircraft, fits everything except our 1997 model C172, because that's got a stupid clipboard mount that gets in the way,

The build quailty and finish of the GPS is fantastic. All the buttons are very solid, all the connections on the rear are covered by rubber covers that fit snugly. Turning it on, and my first impression of the screen is.. Wow! The more light shining on the screen the better it looks!

I thought I had Garmin worked out when I learned how to use the eTrex, but how wrong was I !!! The 96C may be small, but I am just blown away as to how much stuff they have packed in!! It really is amazing, but power comes with complexity, and things that are easy and straightforward on the eTrex, are not easy or straightforward on the 96C. The good news is, once you read the manual and play with it in simulation mode for a few hours, the things you can do with it are astonishing for a small unit!

For my first flight, I made sure I was thoroughly familiar with it before going flying, and programmed it for a short flight from Hamilton to Raglan. I found that the screen wasn't as easy to read as I had hoped when flying towards the setting sun, but that's probably asking a lot! On the way back the screen was much easier to read. The yoke mount kept it nice and solidly attached to the yoke, and with the moving map I could easily see where I was and where I was going.

One feature of the 96C is a graphic HSI, with a programmable CDI and bug indicator, which I found quite challenging to fly precisely enough to keep the CDI from drifting off. I guess this is going to make me a more precise pilot in time, as I fly routes I have mapped out, and fly them precisely.

Another fantastic feature is programmable VNAV, which allows you to program a descent rate and distance from destination to descend to, and a VNAV indicator appears on the HSI to guide you down on your selected glideslope. You can optionally display the HSI and two data fields at the top of the moving map screen, which is potentially the best of both worlds, althought the mini HSI is a bit small.

The unit allows you to zoom in and out, and arrow around the map, and it will show you information on airspace and airfields, although that description hardly does it justice - you can get so much information it just blows me away! You can show any information in the database with a couple of button presses..

I will have to write a full review later since there isn't very much about it on the internet, but suffice it to say I am glad that it has a thick manual and a simulation mode, and bloody well don't go flying on your own until you are up to speed with it!!