That’s definitely the million dollar question (literately for some Garmin resellers). Garmin aviation distributors have been given dates but those have come and gone with nothing new other than another date. Right now it’s looking like mid-November but dealers are being told not to expect their complete orders on first shipment. Unfortunately they’re not saying exactly how many to expect. What that means for the consumer is that anyone making a purchase on or shortly after the actual release date will probably not receive a unit due to the people who pre-ordered units.

If you know you’re going to want a Garmin aera 796 on or shortly after they’re released, I recommend pre-ordering a unit ASAP. You can pre-order using the following links:

Click Here to pre-order a Garmin aera 796.
Click Here to pre-order a Garmin aera 795.

Do you already own a Garmin aviation unit? You can save money on your new Garmin 796 or 795 by trading in your previous unit.
Click Here to view trade-in values and requirements.

On September 14, 2011 Garmin announced its two newest additions to the Garmin aera family:
Garmin aera 796 & Garmin aera 795

The aera 796 and 795 are already being dubbed “iPad Killers.” Suffice it to say, it is only meant to express that it is going to kill the iPad as it pertains to aviation. The iPad is a montster that shows no signs of slowing down.

The Garmin 796 incorporates the popular features of the Garmin 696, while also adding new capabilities such as a touchscreen user interface, pilot-selectable screen orientation and 3D Vision – AKA Synthetic Vision. The Garmin 795 has the same features and functionality as the aera 796 minus the XM satellite weather. Everyone familiar with Garmin’s G600 or G1000 units knows that the synthetic vistion technology is nothing short of awesome. I don’t know if the 3D Vision in the 796 and 795 will perform and display identically to that of the G1000 and G600, but based on the screen shots I’ve seen, it’s really close.

I’ll be getting my hands on both of these units within the next few days and I will be able to post my thoughts at that time. In the meantime, for detailed manufacturer descriptions and information, including a video of an in-flight demonstration of the Garmin aera 796 and a video comparing the 796 to the iPad, use the links below.

Lastly, if you know you’re going to want one of these units soon after they’re available (Garmin is stating mid-October), I highly recommend pre-ordering. My experience is that most, if not all dealers sell their entire inventory before they even receive their first shipments from Garmin. Ordering on the actual “release date” could put you into a back-ordered situation where it could take weeks to receive your unit. By pre-ordering your unit, you’re assured that your unit will ship to you on Garmin’s release date.

Garmin aera 796 description and information

Garmin aera 796 in-flight video and iPad comparison

Garmin aera 795 description and information

On February 18, 2011, Garmin announced price reductions to their aera series portable aviation units.  The new prices are as follows:

aera 560 – $1,599 (was: $1,999)
aera 550 – $1,249 (was: $1,499)
aera 510 – $1,099 (was: $1,299)
aera 500 – $699 (was: $799)

I’ve had a number of inquiries regarding Garmin’s motivation for lowering these units with most thinking that they’re preparing to release upgraded units.  This certainly is a possibility, and if so, I wouldn’t expect to hear anything until Oshkosh at the earliest.  Similar to Apple, Garmin is very good at keeping secrets and leaked information is not likely.  The aera series units are selling well, but I’m sure the US economic downturn has not discriminated against them.  So it could be just a matter of trying to boost their bottom line.

In either case, the new pricing on the aera 560 and 550 should just about eliminate future sales of their GPSMAP 496 and 495 units.  Except for the diehard users of these units who for whatever reason don’t want to upgrade to a unit that’s smaller, faster and has a larger screen (touchscreen), I can’t see a reason not to move into an aera.

When the Garmin 495 was released by Garmin, it provided all the features of its counterpart the Garmin 496, but without XM Weather and pre-loaded City Navigator NT and gave it a smaller price tag. The 495 kept popular features such as SafeTaxi and AOPA’s Airport Directory data. With the new Garmin aera series release, the Garmin aera 550 is the perfect replacement to upgrade from the GPSMAP 495. Similar to the Garmin aera 560, the aera 550 only lacks the XM Weather. Like the 3 other aera series GPS’, Garmin has turned the aera 550 into a fully intuitive touch screen system, giving the user a larger screen than the Garmin 495 in an overall smaller unit. The aera 550 graphical Terrain page offer both overhead and vertical profile views of the topography you’re flying over. The database-driven terrain advisory feature offers TAWS-like color coding and pop-up obstruction alerts. Like all the units in Garmin’s new aera series, this piece of hardware is great for the Road Warriors as well as aviators, providing built-in Bluetooth and voice-guided driving directions.

Garmin aera 550 & Garmin GPSMAP® 495 Side-By-Side Comparison

As I mentioned, the 550 is not as fully functioning as the Garmin aero 560,
but it is a more then suitable upgrade to it previous counterpart, providing
the users with the option fly/drive option.

When Garmin announced in October that they were discontinuing one of their most popular aviation units, the Garmin 396, I knew something bigger was on the horizon. Or, in the Garmin aera 510′s case, something “smaller” was on the horizon.

Introducing the Garmin aera 510

FINALLY! Garmin implemented their touch-screen technology from their popular automotive units and put them into their new Garmin aera series aviation portables. Actually, it would probably be more accurate to say that they’ve taken their aviation technology and put it into their nuvi automotive line. Regardless, I think they hit the mark with the new Garmin aera 510 aviation portable.

In a nutshell, they took the Garmin 396, put it into a nuvi widescreen body and lowered the price by almost $200. The Garmin aera 510 has a larger screen than the Garmin 396: 3.81″W x 2.25″H; 4.3″ diaginal (aera 510), 3.2″W x 2.1″H; 3.8″ diaginal (GPSMAP 396), and a much smaller body: 5.3″W x 3.3″H x .9″D (aera 510), 5.7″W x 3.2″H x 1.9″D (GPSMAP 396). The aera 510 is also almost 5 ounces lighter than the 396.

Garmin aera 510 & Garmin 396 Side-By-Side Comparison

As I mentioned previously, I’m glad to see Garmin has finally given us aviation portables with touchscreen technology. I was surprised to find that it doesn’t display your aircraft’s position over the charts and plates, like the Bendix/King AV80R Ace, but I don’t think we’ll have to wait too long for that feature.

Garmin announced today their “next generation of aviation portables.” Named the Garmin aera series, there are four new aviation portables to choose from – aera 500, aera 510, aera 550 and aera 560.

Featuring crisp 4.3-inch QVGA wide-format displays with menu-driven tap-and-drag user interface, the garmin aera series “dual boot” models let you transition seamlessly from runways to roadways with Garmin’s Aviation and Automotive moving-map navigation.

For those familiar with Garmin’s GPSMAP Aviation Portables, the features of each Garmin aera can be compared to the GPSMAP as such:

Garmin aera 500 compares to Garmin 296
Garmin aera 510 compares to Garmin 396
Garmin aera 550 compares to Garmin 495
Garmin aera 560 compares to Garmin 496

Aviation Features and Specifications

• Easy-to-use touchscreen interface
• Bright 4.3” diagonal, color touchscreen display; 480 x 272 pixels; WQVGA TFT display with white backlight
• XM weather and audio capability (aera 510, 560 only)
• Lithium-ion battery – lasts up to five hours, depending on usage and settings
• Flight Plans: 50 with up to 300 points each
• Flight log: At least 30 most recent flights
• Auto time zone – aera will automatically adjust your time zone while navigating
• High-sensitivity GPS receiver with WAAS position accuracy for improved performance and reception
• Simplified PC connectivity, using USB mass storage for easy data base updates at http://fly.garmin.com
• Unit dimensions – 5.3”W x 3.3”H x 0.9”D
• Weight – 9.5 oz (270g)
• Rugged and waterproof (IPX-7)
• Interface with SL30 and SL40 for frequency tuning
• GTX 330 interface capability for TIS traffic

Automotive Features

• Preloaded street maps of North America1 (Atlantic version displays European street maps & Pacific version displays Australia and New Zealand street maps)
• Turn-by-turn directions with voice guidance – “Turn right on Main Street”
• Bluetooth wireless technology– enabling hands-free calling
• Micro-SD™ card slot for optional mapping and data storage
• Trip computer records mileage, max speed, total time and more
• Lane Assist – lane guidance will direct you to the lane that you need to be in while navigating (550/560)
• Junction View – you will see a realistic image of some major junctions (aera 550, 560)
• Garmin Connect™ Photos – associate your favorite images with saved locations and visit Garmin Connect at http://connect.garmin.com to download new images with included coordinates
• Built-in travel kit includes features such as picture viewer, world clock, currency and measurement converters and calculator
• Popular optional accessories include: Navtec traffic updates via GTM 20 (550/560) and motorcycle mount

Product Comparison

Garmin announced today that they are giving $300 back via mail-in rebate for Garmin 696 and Garmin 695 units purchased between October 7th, 2009 and December 31, 2009.  All rebates must be postmarked by January 31, 2010.  Prices after mail-in rebate are (click unit for more info, download rebate form or to purchase):

• Garmin 696 – $2,995
• Garmin 695 – $2,395

At the time of this writing (October 7, 2009), Banyan Pilot Shop is offering $1 overnight shipping on both the Garmin 696 and 695 units and no sales tax on all orders shipped outside the State of Florida.  Click Here to visit BanyanPilotShop.net.