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Garmin 696 Vs Flight Cheetah Comparison  
View Live Video Flight Cheetah Demonstrations Here  For Sales Call 866-443-3342
 
   
How does the Flight Cheetah with XM Weather compare with the Garmin 696? Here is a side by side comparison in  
1. Actual Cost      
What is the actual cost of ownership of the Garmin 696 and Flight Cheetah FL 190 & 210?
Cost Comparison    
    Garmin 696   Flight Cheetah FL 190   Flight Cheetah FL 210
       
Display Cost   $2,895.00   $1,895.00   $2,495.00
XM Weather option   $700.00   $595.00   $595.00
* Annual Navaid Data Subscription   $1,426.00 !   $298.00   $298.00
Total Cost with 1st year subscription   $5,021.00   $2,788.00   $3,388.00
 
         
2. Annual Subscription Cost        
There is a substantial difference in the annual subscription cost between the Garmin 696 and the Flight Cheetah. As you can see below the savings can go a long way towards paying your annual insurance!  
Annual Subscription Comparison    
Navaid Updates   Garmin 696 FLight Cheetah FL 190   FLight Cheetah FL 210  
1.  Airports, VORs, NDBs, SUAs   Yes  ($295.00) Yes   Yes   
2.  Airways   Yes Yes    Yes   
3.  Obstacles   Yes ($195.00) Yes   Yes  
4.  Taxi way Overlays   Yes ($195.00) Yes    Yes  
5.  Approach Overlays showing your current position   NO Yes    Yes   
6.  Holding Patterns & DME ARCs   NO Yes    Yes  
7.  Approach Altitude segments   NO Yes    Yes  
8.  Approach Plates, SIDs & STARs   Yes ($395.00) Yes    Yes  
9.  Terrain   Yes ($150.00) Yes   Yes  
10.  AOPA directory of FBO info   Yes ($196.00) NO   NO  
11.  High and Low Enroute Charts   Yes Yes *   Yes *  
12.  Sectional Charts    NO Yes *   Yes *  
13. VFR Terminal Charts    NO Yes *   Yes *  
Total Annual Subscription Cost   $1,426.00 $298.00   $298.00  
             
* Flight Cheetah navaid updates 1-10 above are all part of the standard $199.00 annual subscription. 11-13 are all part of the standard $99.00 annual chart subscription  
         
3. Features          
Both systems are portable Multi-Function-Displays, so how many functions do they really perform?  Or in other words, how much useful information are they really going to provide for you in flight?       
A comparison of 22 separate features between the two displays gives the Garmin 696 the advantage in 3 areas and the Flight Cheetah the advantage in 12 areas with 7 other areas that both share a particular feature.     
Comparison of Garmin 696, & Flight Cheetah FL 190  
       

Garmin 696

  

Flight Cheetah FL 190

  

Flight Cheetah FL 210

  
       
Web Connectivity  

 

  

 

      
     

Not Available on the Garmin 696

  

Available on Flight Cheetah FL 190

   Not Available on the Flight Cheetah FL 210  
You can seamlessly transition from getting your pre flight information to flying with a moving map in the cockpit with the same display .  The Flight Cheetah has Wi-Fi wireless connectivity so you can access  information online from your hotel room or among the growing list of FBO's with Wi-Fi wireless connectivity.    
Solid State Memory  

Standard On Garmin 696

  

Standard on Flight Cheetah

   Standard on Flight Cheetah  
Solid State memory means there are No Altitude Restrictions                
Dimensions   5.7 x 7.7 x 2.0   4.9 x 9 x 1   5.36 x 7.75 x 2.0  
               
Highway in the Sky              
      Not Available on the Garmin 696   Available on Flight Cheetah

($149.00 Option)

   Available on Flight Cheetah

($149.00 Option)

  
The Flight Cheetah through the use of Synthetic Vision Technology will display an accurate, real-time 3D depiction of the terrain and obstacles around your aircraft’s current position. Often referred to as the Highway in the Sky (HITS), with this 3D view you can easily see and fly an approach, as if you were looking out the window on a sunny day.  Although for supplemental use only, it provides a significant leap in safety for night time and single pilot IFR operations.  You can see all your approach segments, arcs and holding patterns with altitudes. Not only will you be able to view approach, terrain and tower information, you will also be able to view class airspace, special use airspace and temporary flight restrictions.  
Taxi Way Positioning              
  View your current position on the taxiways from the NOS US airport diagrams.   Standard On Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah  

Standard on Flight Cheetah

  
WAAS GPS              
  Flight Cheetah allows you to seamlessly overlay any combination of navigational data you want.   Standard On Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah   Standard on Flight Cheetah  
Airways              
  You can display High and Low enroute Airways as an additional customized overlay moving map screen.    Standard On Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah   Standard on Flight Cheetah  
   
Terrain Alert Mapping              
  Automatically monitors your current position in relation to surrounding terrain to provide an alert.   Standard On Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah   Standard on Flight Cheetah  
Obstacle Alert Mapping              
  Both displays monitor  approximately 100,000 towers in the US  providing automatic alerts.   Standard On Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah   Standard on Flight Cheetah  
Approach Overlay              
  The Flight Cheetah displays all segment altitudes  associated with an approach.   Not Available on the Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah   Standard on Flight Cheetah  
   
Displays Approach Segments with Altitudes              
  The Low Altitude Alert Indicator is automatically triggered if you deviate from your minimum altitude.   Not Available on the Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah   Standard on Flight Cheetah  
   
Electronic Approach Plates, SIDs & STARs  

 

  

 

      
  Flight Cheetah displays over 12,000 NOS digital approach plates.  Easy toggle mode allows you to quickly view your approach chart in enlarged screen view.  SIDs, STARs and taxi diagrams are included.   Standard On Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah   Standard on Flight Cheetah    
Holding Patterns & DME Arcs                
  When the workload is at its highest having all this information right in front of you during a missed approach.   Not Available on the Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah   Standard on Flight Cheetah    
High & Low Altitude Enroute Chart Overlays                
      Standard On Garmin 696   Available on Flight Cheetah   Standard on Flight Cheetah    
High & Low Enroute Chart Overlays display your current position on the chart. You can even overlay live weather on top of the chart.     
Both displays provide XM satellite weather and allow you to display live weather over your navigational information.    
Com Link                
      Not Available on the Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah   Standard on Flight Cheetah    
Have you ever wished you could hear that last clearance again? In busy airspace, you may not get a chance to ask the controller to repeat it. Imagine how nice it will be to replay that clearance, or even radio calls from other aircraft. Com Link gives you an instant playback of missed communications. Available Q4 2008.    
XM Radio                
   

Receives XM Satellite Radio’s 130-plus audio channels with additional subscription.

   Standard On Garmin 696   Not Available on the Flight Cheetah   Not Available on the Flight Cheetah    
Artificial Horizon                
 

The optional artificial horizon is a fully functioning 3-axis attitude indicator based on an independently powered solid-state-accelerometers. 

  Not Available on the Garmin 696   Available on Flight Cheetah

($795.00 Option)

   Available on Flight Cheetah

($795.00 Option)

    
Sectional Charts                
  Sectional and Terminal Area Charts.  View your current position on the chart as well as scroll ahead.
   

Not Available on the Garmin 696

   Available on Flight Cheetah   Available on Flight Cheetah    
     
Fastest Flight Level Search                
      Not Available on the Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah   Available on Flight Cheetah    
The Fastest Flight level Search automatically computes the fastest flight level based on the latest XM weather data link winds for each level.  It also automatically computes, based on your aircraft's performance, the flight level that will save you the most fuel as well as the most time.    
Traffic Alert                
 

The Flight Cheetah uses the ZaonFlight XRX offering superior coverage click here.  The Garmin 696 interfaces with Garmin's TIS traffic data link click here.

   Standard On Garmin 696  (Optional $4,995.00)    Flight Cheetah(Optional $1,995.00)    Flight Cheetah(Optional $1,995.00)    
Auto Search Cheapest Fuel Prices                
      Not Available on the Garmin 696   Standard on Flight Cheetah   Available on Flight Cheetah    
Updated at the rate of 75 FBO's every weekday, Cheapest fuel price search automatically displays the cheapest fuel prices for your route of flight. The auto scrolling display feature quickly shows you the cheapest fuel price along your route.    
4. Upgradeability and Value        
Comparing both companies over the years reveals different philosophies for its portable products.  The Garmin portable display philosophy can best be summed up by the 196, 296, 396, 496 model.  Each product introduced represents an incremental improvement, but requires the replacement of the entire display.  Aside from providing small software upgrades, the day a new portable Garmin GPS is introduced it is essentially in an "end of life phase" of planned obsolescence. This can get expensive.  
What do Garmin customers say who own a Flight Cheetah?   Click here to find out.  
Garmin 196 WAAS Introduced at $1,049.00  
Garmin 296 Terrain Introduced at $1,795.00  
Garmin 396 XM Weather Introduced at $2,495.00  
Garmin 496 Taxiways & faster processor Introduced at $2,795.00  
Since 1998, the Flight Cheetah line has brought 7 general aviation firsts to market, including 1st portable MFD and 1st satellite data link weather. The Flight Cheetah's software has always supported upgrades as new functions become available, without requiring the purchase of another flight display. This means you do not have to make a decision of either spending a lot more money to bring the latest technologies into the cockpit or going without.  
   
We have attempted to make this comparison as accurate and complete as possible, if you find anything important missing please send comments to Sales@aviationsafety.com  
Garmin is a registered trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.  
                              

 

Copyright 2008 | True Flight, Inc.