Garmin is expanding its portfolio of G5000 integrated flight deck retrofit upgrades to include the popular Cessna Citation XLS+ and XLS Gen2 aircraft. The G5000 integrated avionics suite modernizes the cockpit with additional capabilities, significantly reduces operational costs, increases situational awareness of the flight crew and solves long-term concerns related to legacy avionics parts obsolescence.
“The G5000 upgrade program for the Citation Excel and XLS has transformed more than 120 aircraft since its certification in 2019, bringing significant technology and financial benefit to operators around the globe,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “We look forward to expanding this program to include the Citation XLS+ and XLS Gen2, bringing the same advanced avionics capabilities and lower operating costs to more Citations in the fleet.”
The G5000 integrated flight deck for the Citation XLS+ and XLS Gen2 features three landscape-oriented flight displays with split-screen capability, allowing pilots to simultaneously view maps, charts, checklists, TAWS, TCAS, flight plan information, weather and more. Two intuitive touchscreen controllers serve as the pilot interface to the flight deck and contribute to the ease of operation and seamless transition between various pages. New with G5000 for the XLS+ and XLS Gen2, two GI 275 electronic flight instruments can be used as standby ADIs, each with a 60-minute backup battery.
Installation of the G5000 for the Citation XLS+ and XLS Gen2 includes a fully digital Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS). The AFCS offers precise performance throughout the aircraft’s flight envelope and helps manage speed and performance.
The system also includes Emergency Descent Mode (EDM) as a standard feature. In the event an aircraft loses cabin pressurization, EDM is capable of automatically descending the aircraft to a preset altitude without pilot intervention to help avert hypoxic situations. Underspeed protection (USP) allows the autopilot to assist with airspeed management, while also enabling fully coupled go-arounds, greatly reducing pilot workload. Additionally, operators gain access to more airports and lower approach minimums throughout the world as the G5000 is PBN/RNP 0.3 certified, enabling LPV/APV approach capability.