Garmin GI 275 approved for Part 27 helicopters

The GI 275 has proved popular among fixed-wing pilots thanks to its comparatively low cost and high degree of customization available, and the rotorcraft version brings those attributes to the helicopter market. It can directly replace a number of primary flight instruments, including the primary attitude indicator, course deviation indicator, horizontal situation indicator, or the multifunction display.

“We are thrilled to bring the popular and extraordinarily capable GI 275 to the helicopter market,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing, in the news release. “The GI 275 electronic flight instrument can provide helicopter owners and operators an impressive amount of information in a lightweight and compact design that’s easy to incorporate into a variety of panels. It’s an economical and scalable approach to upgrade your avionics, and we look forward to making this versatile touchscreen flight display available on even more rotorcraft soon.” 

By soon, Garmin means within weeks—according to the press release, the STC for the Bell 206 should arrive by the end of March, with additional models to follow in the second half of the year. Designed with the common 3.125-inch round form factor, the GI 275 is designed to replace common analog instruments with a touch-screen-enabled, high-resolution display.