Garmin Pilot goes global with version 6.2

European pilots now have a sophisticated chart and moving map solution with Garmin Pilot version 6.2.

We’ve written before about the great strides Garmin has made with its Pilot app, but this has always been limited (like most major apps) to US pilots. And while various app companies have sprouted up to serve individual countries, there just isn’t a full-featured app that covers the whole world. Jeppesen gets close, but it lacks many of the features of popular GA apps, and it’s far more expensive.

That is changing with version 6.2 of Garmin Pilot. The app now provides worldwide flight planning, weather and navigation features that make it a serious contender for globe-trotting business jets, European IFR pilots and Australian recreational flyers alike. Specifically, the new Global Premium subscription in the app unlocks worldwide Jeppesen navigation data, track-up moving maps, terrain and obstacle alerting and synthetic vision. It’s a powerful and great-looking in-flight experience.

When it comes to weather, Garmin Pilot now offers radar and satellite imagery for the US, Canada, Australia and Western Europe. METARs, TAFs, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, NOTAMs and winds aloft are provided around the globe.

When it comes to charts, the options vary by country, but there are more choices than ever. VFR charts from DFS and IFR en route charts from EuroControl are now available as add-ons, as well as FliteCharts (Garmin’s instrument approach plates) and SafeTaxi (Garmin’s runway diagrams). For example, FliteCharts can be downloaded for the UK, France, Germany, Italy and many other European countries for $49.99/year. European IFR en route charts are $249.99/year.

Garmin’s Smart Airspace feature declutters the map around busy airports.

This update also adds Garmin’s Smart Airspace feature, a favorite from their portable GPS devices. This automatically highlights airspace close to your altitude, while minimizing those areas that are above or below you. It’s a small thing, but very helpful if you’re flying under Class C airspace or topping a big Class B complex and you don’t want to be annoyed by constant alerts.

Finally, Garmin also added what they call FastFind, a predictive entry tool for adding waypoints to your flight plan. The app will suggest airports and navaids close to your position, saving you time when entering a complex route.

This update is free to all users, and is available in the App Store.

To purchase a subscription to the Garmin Pilot app, visit Sporty’s.