Garmin International's G1000H NXi integrated flight deck has received Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) certification. Bell recently achieved this certification in the 407GXi, which gives pilots the flexibility of operating in degraded weather conditions with valuable situational awareness tools and advanced capabilities in a next generation integrated flight deck. IFR certification meets the needs of single-engine helicopter owners and operators and is also a requirement for the US Navy Advanced Helicopter Training System competition.

“In collaboration with Bell, we are excited to bring the first IFR certified Garmin integrated flight deck to the single-engine rotorcraft market,” says vice president of aviation sales and marketing Carl Wolf. “The G1000H NXi gives helicopter owners and operators a modern glass flight deck that boasts an unprecedented level of performance, a superior feature set and a level of innovation and integration beyond what is found on a single-engine IFR certified helicopter today.”

The G1000H NXi offers a number of safety enhancing features and optional capabilities that are tailored to helicopter pilots. Pilot workload is significantly reduced with helicopter terrain awareness warning system (HTAWS), which offers vibrant five-colour display shading and audible voice callout alerts for powerlines and potential terrain and obstacle hazards along the flight path. The addition of helicopter synthetic vision technology (HSVT) seamlessly blends topographic database information to display real-time 3D images. HSVT also alerts pilots of potential ground hazards by displaying terrain, obstacles and powerlines which pose a threat to the aircraft. Further reducing pilot workload, WireAware wire-strike avoidance technology graphically overlays the most comprehensive powerline information on the moving map page. WireAware coverage is available in the US as well as some locations in Canada and Mexico.

Wireless connectivity between mobile devices and the G1000H NXi gives pilots added flexibility when interfacing with the integrated flight deck. Connext cockpit connectivity with added Database Concierge uploads and syncs aviation databases to the G1000H NXi with a compatible tablet or smartphone. G1000H NXi also supports wireless flight plan transfer from a compatible mobile device to the integrated flight deck. Additional connectivity features include the sharing of traffic, weather and GPS position information between compatible mobile devices and the integrated flight deck.

The G1000H NXi is capable of displaying helicopter route charts throughout eight US metropolitan areas, including the Gulf of Mexico. Additional features and capabilities available with the G1000H NXi include SiriusXM high-resolution animated weather radar imagery; Telligence voice control; global voice/text; Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out; and much more. The system is also capable of displaying onboard weather radar, radar altimeter, engine information and video input from compatible camera sources. To support night operations, the G1000H NXi is also compatible with night vision goggles.