Subscription Requirements?

 

Assume the purchaser has all required charts and plates in the cockpit and will not desire charts or plates on the IFD 540.

 

What the purchaser will need is the legal updates needed to fly the approaches using the IFD 540.

 

For example, my current CNX 80 (aka GNS 480) requires an updated database from Jepp every 28 days. That's it.

 

IFD 540?

Good to see you here to cause trouble <g>.....

I'm hoping the certification will be identical to the 480, where you only need to VERIFY that the data is current. So one can legally fly an approach with an out dated subscription, as long as the particular chart is current. 

However, could be moot for us, and I suspect we will keep our 480s, correct?

Very good post and info..... and that's what we like to hear.

I must point out that there's a difference between flying with an out of date DATA BASE, and flying with out of date NAV DATA, or PLATE. 

The wording in the 540 Flight Manual "pilot must verify the currency of the data" gives the pilot options vs "pilot must have a current database". I believe most GPS installs have the "pilot must verify the currency of the data" in the Manual, meaning that the pilot must verify what is current and what is not, and can work easily with an out of date DATA BASE. In that case, the pilot must verify the data that he is using, is current. Fairly easy, if one has a source of current data... perhaps an IPad. Enroute, one must verify the wpts, and for the approach they must verify that the approach data is current.

As for the "out of date" message on the chart.. I suspect you mean approach plate, which certainly is appropriate. If charts are displayed (Lo, Sect, etc.) I see no issue with an "out of date" message on them. However, I'd personally prefer to not have a message of out of date on the nav data chart (other that the initial message), just like it is on the EX500.

As for approach plates, I see very little value of having them display on the 540, unless one has two of them. I feel a much better solution is to have the current date from another source, and fly the 540 with the approach data loaded from the approach field, not looking at a plate, which I could argue is not legal. (but, perhaps that's just me).

Having said all this, I do have a current data subscription for now, but feel the flexibility of such should be a pilot preference thing, and there will be times in the future when I will fly without a current data base (but I will have current data).

Old Bob (a 540 customer) offers a great seminar at some of the ABS events on this...  worthwhile.

Food for thought.....

Keep up the great work, Jake!