Navigating the Skies: Garmin GLO 2 Bluetooth GPS/GLONASS Integration for General Aviation

The rate that commercially available, mobile GPS devices have been accepted across the General Aviation (GA) industry has been nothing short of amazing. Except as back-ups, their real-time accuracy and topographical mapping capabilities have all but rendered paper navigation charts obsolete – an especially valuable proposition in a country like Australia where GPS is a natural complement to VFR navigation.

The challenge with mobile GPS though, is building solutions that can be successfully integrated with devices like tablets and PDAs that have already been approved as GA flight aids. Garmin, however, has risen to the challenge by developing a mobile GPS device that not only employs Bluetooth technology to communicate with other handhelds, but also incorporates GLONASS coverage for maximum navigational awareness. It’s the most advanced GPS receiver of its kind on the market, and the benefits it affords aviators are too rich to ignore.

Garmin’s GLO 2 Gives You Premium GPS Positioning

Let’s be honest: while it’s no secret that Garmin is a pioneer in automotive GPS solutions, its history with aviation navigation is often overlooked. The fact is, Garmin has been developing solutions for the aviation industry for more than 30 years; and their portable GLO™ 2 Bluetooth GPS/GLONASS mobile receiver is the perfectly pairable solution for iPhones®, iPads®, and a full range of Android™ equipped devices that pilots rely on for a host of airborne activities.

With access to more than 50 GPS and GLONASS constellation satellites, GLO 2 aviation GPS receivers offer incomparable accuracy to within 3m anywhere on the planet, together with a lock-on speed that’s 20% quicker than devices receiving positioning data from either GPS or GLONASS constellations only. Crucially, the quicker GLO 2 GPS receiver connection speed allows it to remain connected to satellite systems longer, greatly improving the device’s core objectives which include:

• Flight safety. The GLO 2’s fast locking, connecting, and refreshing speeds help ensure pilots maintain situational awareness at all times – essential attributes when flying under VFR in uncontrolled, and especially controlled airspaces.
• Terrain awareness. The GLO 2’s real-time awareness of longitude, latitude, and altitude are critical pieces of information for pilots who regularly fly through Australia’s remote regions, or where rapid changes in elevation aren’t easily discerned.
• Instrument navigation. Not only does the GLO 2 allow pilots to navigate straight to their destination, but it also helps them avoid unintentional deviations in course, altitude, or velocity that could result in costly, excessive fuel consumption.

GLO 2 receivers also have a remarkable 10Hz update rate, giving them the ability to update their position as many as 10 times per second. That’s effectively 10 times more position updates per second than an ordinary mobile device with a built-in GPS, making them one of the most accurate pinpoint aviation receiver devices you can buy.

Quick Device Pairing Gives You Instant Positioning

While the GLO 2 is widely recognised for its superior receiver technology, it’s the unit’s Bluetooth compatibility that’s especially beneficial for aviators. And as iPhones, iPads, and other Android-powered laptops, tablets and smartphones have been adapted for everything in the cockpit from communications to electronic flight bags (EFBs), the GLO 2’s direct connection to your handheld allows you to access all your urgent flight data from a single device without having to divide your attention between multiple devices while flying.

With the GLO 2 Bluetooth GPS device turned on and satellite signals acquired, device pairing is achieved simply by:

• Ensuring the GLO 2 is within 10m of the intended mobile device;
• Ensuring the intended device’s Bluetooth connection is enabled; and,
• Verifying the GLO 2’s connection from the blue LED.

The GLO 2 also features a 13-hour battery life on a full charge, and quickly recharges from either a USB, or 12V/24V mobile power source. The fact is, with their long battery life and rapid startup times, these mobiles are limited only by the mapping software they’re used with; that’s why it’s no surprise that Garmin has also developed a custom software suite that puts all your aviation functions directly at your fingertips.

Garmin’s Pilot App Means Seamless GLO 2 Receiver Integration

Although the GLO 2’s rapid refresh speeds, WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) ground-based referencing, and 800-knot operating velocity all qualify as premium navigating features, you still need the right software on your handheld or portable to get the fullest benefit from it. GLO 2s are compatible with a wide selection of integrated flight, and flight planning applications, but Garmin’s own, full-featured Pilot™ software suite is designed specificallty to be the optimal cockpit companion for GLO 2 owners.

The pilot is a subscription-based service that draws on decades of Garmin aviation and navigational experience, bringing together a wide array of features that include:

• Interactive mapping with 3D Vision;
• Aviation traffic/weather;
• Global flight plan filing;
• EFB capabilities; and
• Pilot logbook.

Suffice it to say: with the Pilot app on your tablet or smartphone, you can be sure that you’ll be able to put the GLO 2’s attributes to their fullest use. It’s navigation the way you want, with the convenience that only a Garmin receiver can offer.

The Final Word

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which type of aircraft you fly or operate, handheld convenience and GPS precision have been key components in making aviation safer, and infinitely more cost-effective than it’s ever been. It hasn’t been until now, however, that the ability to combine the best of both technologies has been within the reach of most general aviators.

Garmin’s portable GLO 2 Bluetooth GPS / GLONASS mobile receivers offer the best in GPS integration with the widest selection of handheld devices. No matter which device or mapping app you use it with, it’s the only mobile GPS that offers all the benefits you need.