GARMIN PILOT FLAW
In the March 2014 issue of Aviation Consumer, you covered the latest version of Garmin’s Pilot tablet app along with the new GDL39 3D attitude indicator display. While the article reported on the more modern appearance and other new features within the app, you didn’t note that the colors on the trip planning and flight planning screens changed to a much darker gray from the previous lighter color. The text labels for each field are nearly impossible to read when set against the new darker screen, especially when viewed in a bright cockpit.
On two recent flights I had to take the iPad mini out of its cradle and place it in the shade between the seats and down near the trim wheel to enter an ATC amendment to my flight plan. I never had this problem with the previous version, and since these two screens cannot be resized, we have to work with what we’ve got.