Garmin Celebrates GPS Milestone in Aviation

Garmin International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), commemorates the 25th anniversary of the GPS 155 TSO – the aviation industry’s first FAA TSO-C129 approach approved IFR GPS receiver. The GPS 155 TSO set the standard for product development within avionics, laid the groundwork for future innovations in GPS navigation, and raised the bar for technological GPS advancements in the aviation industry.

Introduced on February 16, 1994, the GPS 155 TSO was the world’s first GPS navigation product to be fully certified to FAA TSO-C129, Class A1 standards for non-precision approach use. For the first time, pilots could fly in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) throughout the departure, enroute, and approach phases of flight using GPS as their primary navigation source. 

The GPS 155 TSO paved the way for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Predicated on GPS, NextGen significantly improves aircraft predictability, operational performance and capacity throughout the NAS and offers efficiencies that only GPS navigation can provide. These efficiencies result in reduced flying time, lower approach minimums, minimized fuel burn and more. A pillar of NextGen, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), also relies on the precise position information only available from Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) GPS.

In 1998, Garmin would again celebrate another innovative first in the aviation industry with the introduction of the GNS 430. The all-in-one GPS, COM, VOR, LOC, and glideslope navigator, complete with a color moving map, proved to be a significant technological leap in innovation and navigation. Similarly, when the GNS 430 and GNS 530 received WAAS certification in 2006, the most popular certified IFR GPS system to-date gave pilots even greater instrument approach capabilities. In 2011, the GTN 650 and GTN 750 were introduced to the marketplace as the first touchscreen avionics certified for general aviation aircraft and have proven just as popular as its predecessor.

Garmin’s aviation business segment is a leading provider of solutions to OEM, aftermarket, military and government customers. Garmin’s portfolio includes navigation, communication, flight control, hazard avoidance, an expansive suite of ADS-B solutions and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and value. For more information about Garmin’s full line of avionics, go to www.garmin.com/aviation.