AFS and IFD540 working together with Jeppesen and Seattle Avionics Databases

[Rob Hickman]

Hello,
So if the charts on the IFD-540 are not current, how does it interface with the seattle avionics charts so that you can legally fly an ifr approach? Do you not have to select an approach in the avidyne?

You are confusing flying an approach with having a visible approach plate. The IFR approaches that a certified GPS navigator (Avidyne IFD or Garmin GTN) fly are stored in the Jeppesen Nav data. In the old days you would have a paper approach plate to reference and you would load the approach in your Garmin 430W and the autopilot would fly the approach. With an Avidyne IFD540 the screen is large enough to display the "paper" approach plate on the screen for convenience. If you have an old airplane with no EFIS this makes a lot of sense. If you have a large screen EFIS that can display the "paper" approach plate and actually draw your airplane on it it does not make any sense to have it on the IFD540. The EFIS uses Seattle Avionics for the approach plates and they are a fraction of the cost of the Jeppesen Approach plates on the IFD.

You enter the flight plan on the IFD540 and select the approach, the flight plan gets sent to the EFIS, you select the approach plate on the EFIS if you want to see an approach plate.