The new unit offers more interfaces, utility and a bigger screen than the x96s.

By Paul Bertorelli

Definition of a marriage made in heaven: a Garmin GPSMAP 396 or 496 snapped into an AirGizmos mount in a panel too small—or by a builder too frugal—to accommodate anything else. Peek into any homebuilt at Oshkosh, and you’re likely to see an x96 unit bolted in place acting as either primary or backup navigation. This was true before the 396, but especially so after, as pilots who venture out of the pattern found in-flight weather (from WxWorx through the XM link) impossible to resist.

The x96 platform (except for the 696), while good, wasn’t perfect. In fact, one third of the navigator’s footprint is occupied by buttons and keys, at the expense of screen size. Garmin’s new aera line of touchscreen navigators addresses this issue, and soon AirGizmos will be close to shipping a panel mount cradle for the line, if it hasn’t already. The aera represents an improvement over…

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