Doolittle National Air and Space Museum Photo 1929
I write this while in my hangar office overlooking new pilots embarking on flight lessons, launching into the morning marine layer. On September 24, 1929, Lieutenant James ‘Jimmy’ Doolittle, later to achieve the rank of General in World War II, strapped himself into a small biplane along with his check pilot into an NY-2 Husky. They launched into the sky on a 15-minute instrument flight from takeoff to landing. With handwritten notes and an uncanny aviation skill, they succeeded.
At that time, Elrey Borge Jeppesen, now known as Captain Jeppesen, was 20 years old, a new pilot, and only a year later was flying the US Mail. Jeppesen was flying planes with fewer instruments than Doolittle’s NY-2. At that time, IFR really meant “I Follow the Roads”. Jeppesen compiled a handwritten book of notes, routes, and obstacles to navigate the skies under unrelenting weather. His ‘Little Black Book’ of aeronautical information evolved into instrument procedures and was the forerunner of what we use today to navigate the skies.
Fast forward ninety-six years since Doolittle’s flight, and we all benefit from that first flight and Jeppesen’s notebook, albeit now with a significantly larger and more complex set of instrument procedures. If you’re like me, over the years you’ve probably spent countless hours studying approach plates, trying to decipher the small print and complex symbology that can make or break a safe approach. Whether you’ve relied on traditional paper Jeppesen charts, government plates, or digital versions on your tablet, we’ve all been there—squinting at critical minimums in less-than-ideal cockpit lighting or trying to quickly reference missed approach procedures while hand-flying in IMC. I’ve been flying with an Electronic Flight Bag since 1998; they were cumbersome at first, but the initial designs improved flight planning efficiency. Then came digital charts on the instrument panel displays. This was a huge improvement; however, as the complexity of procedures increased, the amount of extraneous data not pertinent to my flight increased.
A number of years ago, Garmin embarked on a research project to significantly change the way pilots interact with instrument procedures. Their goal was to develop a design methodology that would simplify even the most complex IFR procedures, reducing the display of data to only that information which was important to a pilot on a particular flight. This had to be done in a manner that would not only hinder aviation safety but also improve it. It also had to be eventually extensible to procedures around the world. To put this in perspective, currently there are over 12,000 approach plates and 4,290 terminal procedures in the FAA public flight procedure inventory. While this new technology is not currently implemented for all types of procedures, it does provide a sense of the size of the challenge.
KMMH RNAV 27
KMMH RNAV 27
Garmin has now released this new offering – Garmin SmartCharts, within the Garmin Pilot App. It simply transforms how pilots interact with the procedures. After
several cross-country flights using this new capability, the SmartCharts represent the most significant advancement in approach chart presentation since the transition from paper to digital.
SmartCharts takes the traditional static approach plate and transforms it into an interactive, context-aware display that adapts to your specific aircraft configuration and current phase of flight. Unlike conventional charts—whether Jeppesen or FAA—that present all information simultaneously, SmartCharts intelligently highlights only the information relevant to your current situation while subtly de-emphasizing less critical details. The details are available when you need them, by utilizing Quick Access buttons to display additional information.
The technology works by integrating real-time aircraft data, including your flight plan, with the approach procedure. As you fly the approach, SmartCharts automatically highlights active waypoints, displays current altitude restrictions, and even shows your vertical path guidance in relation to the published glidepath. This represents a fundamental departure from traditional chart presentation, where pilots must mentally process all information simultaneously and determine what’s currently applicable.
Comparing this to traditional Jeppesen charts, the contrast is significant. Jeppesen has long been the gold standard for commercial aviation, with their clean layout, consistent symbology, and detailed airport diagrams. Their charts are meticulously crafted, with excellent use of color coding and logical information flow. However, as with the FAA instrument procedures, they remain static documents that require pilots to interpret and apply the information contextually. When flying a complex approach like the ILS 28R at San Francisco, with its multiple step-down fixes and noise abatement procedures, even the well-designed Jeppesen plate can become more challenging in a high-workload environment.
SmartChart’s dynamic approach addresses many of these limitations. Flying the Eclipse Jet into Mammoth Lakes (KMMH), my son Tigre and I flew the RNAV 27 approach using SmartCharts. As we reached each waypoint, the system automatically highlighted the next active segment, displayed the appropriate altitude restrictions, and even showed my position relative to the final approach course. The missed approach procedure remained visible but de-emphasized until we needed it. This selective presentation significantly reduced our workload and allowed us to focus more attention outside the cockpit.
One particularly impressive feature is how SmartCharts handles complex procedures with multiple options. Take a typical RNAV approach with multiple IAFs and transition routes. Traditional charts show all possible entry procedures, holding patterns, and altitude restrictions simultaneously. SmartCharts, however, adapts to your specific approach clearance and aircraft capabilities, showing only the relevant path and restrictions. This contextual filtering eliminates the mental processing required to determine which information applies to your specific situation.
The integration with Garmin’s flight planning ecosystem is seamless. When you load an approach in Garmin Pilot’s flight plan, SmartCharts automatically configures itself for your aircraft’s approach category and displays the appropriate minimums. This integration extends to the cockpit as well—if you’re flying a Garmin-equipped aircraft, the approach information synchronizes between your panel-mounted GPS and your tablet display.
However, SmartCharts isn’t without limitations. The technology requires a current Garmin Pilot Premium subscription and works only with supported procedures—currently covering most U.S. RNAV and ILS approaches but with limited coverage for older VOR and NDB procedures. Additionally, pilots transitioning from traditional charts need time to adapt to the dynamic presentation, and backup paper or static digital charts may remain essential for regulatory compliance. For that reason alone, I suggest pilots first use them on VFR flights, even with a safety pilot, while they test them out!
One question pilots ask me is whether Garmin will launch the SmartCharts in the aircraft avionics flight decks. While Garmin has not officially stated its plans, I suspect you will see the capabilities to be available in the future, at least for the newer avionics suites.
After months of using SmartCharts alongside traditional Jeppesen and FAA charts, I find myself increasingly relying on this new technology for routine procedures while maintaining proficiency with conventional charts for backup situations. For instrument pilots looking to enhance their situational awareness and reduce workload, Garmin’s SmartCharts represents a compelling evolution in how we interact with instrument procedures— one that I believe will become the new standard for aviation
chart presentation.
