Thanks for the messages above which I have just seen having flown to EGKA today. Here’s what I noticed:
When entering a flight plan from EGTB, the flight plan page showed EGLM as the starting point once more. (I had to edit it to say EGTB when entering the flight plan.)
Later, when on the ground at EGKA, (after having landed two hours earlier and having had lunch on the ground) when about to fly back to EGTB, the flight plan page correctly showed EGKA as the start point for the flight plan home. It also correctly directed me to EGTB (and not to EGLM) when flying home to EGTB.
So, it seems to be a problem only when on the ground at EGTB and only with respect to entering a flight plan. Perhaps there is a database problem – a strange one. The GNS 530W certainly knows exactly where it is and on the map page at EGTB it shows that it is at EGTB (and doesn’t think it is at EGLM). Only the flight plan page shows screwy data.
Thanks for everyone’s help so far. If I detect no further errors I will assume it’s a Garmin data error for EGTB somehow. I will call Garmin if I detect it at any airfield other than EGTB.
Howard
I know exactly what is happening.
Like I said, the GNS530W remembers where it was when it was last shut down. It chooses to remember the nearest airport. However, it looks at the criteria for the minimum runway length for a nearest airport and finds the nearest airport that meets the criteria. Set the Nearest airport criteria in Aux page 3 titled Setup 1. Turn the cursor on and scroll to Nearest Airport Criteria and press enter. Then set the minimum runway length accordingly to match at least your home base. Then turn off the cursor.
Edit: Or you can return your GNS530W to Garmin, and they will charge you $1100 USD and the problem will be fixed when it gets back, because they will restore all of the settings to the default values, including the Nearest Airport Runway length to 0. :)
Aha! Ok NCYankee, you sound very confident that you have the answer and it sounds very convincing. Thank you. I will check when I’m next in the plane….and if your solution works you will have pipped Peter to the bottle of Whisky. (You probably already realise that you have to come to the UK to collect it though.)
I’ll report back – probably in a week’s time.
Many thanks indeed.
Howard
Howard,
I tested it here locally with the GNS530W simulator. I positioned the aircraft at an intersection (CONEL) and not at an airport. With the Nearest Runway length set to 0, each time it would start up with KDCM which is 4 NM to the west. When I changed the Runway length to 7000, it would startup with KCLT which is 27 NM to the NNE and jump over my airport KUZA which 12 NM to the NNE. KUZA and KDCM have runways under 5500 feet in length, but KCLT has all its runways at least 7500 feet in length.
Very clever!
@NCYankee, I was in fact already convinced by your post above starting “I know exactly what is happening”. I had a look at the Aux Page 3 Nearest Airport Criteria on Garmin’s 530w PC sim myself. It all looks very convincing. Moreover White Waltham (EGLM) does indeed have longer runways than Wycombe Air Park (EGTB) so if the minimum runway length on my 530w has been set to a length longer than 730m (the runway length at EGTB) and shorter than the longest runway at EGLM then what you say would exactly explain what I am seeing – the selection by the flight plan page of the first credible airport (i.e. the nearest airport with sufficient minimum runway length).
I do however find it strange than the device doesn’t warn me when I plan a flight to land back at EGTB (like I did yesterday), when it would seem (to the 530w at least) that EGTB is an airport with a runway length shorter than the minimum runway length set in the page accessed from Aux Page 3. I would like such a device to say something along the lines of “Warning : Planned destination airport shows runway length shorter than set minimum.” or some such.
I’m keen to see what my 530w actually says in its minimum runway length setting page. Unfortunately, until I move my plane to its new home it remains an hour away by car and today I have family things to attend to and so a visit to EGTB is not a possibility. Then work starts again tomorrow. (I have noticed on frequent occasion and with some annoyance how this “work” thing interrupts my flying!)
@NCYankee – Well done! You were exactly correct: I went to the Aux page that you mention above, and changed the minimum runway length from 2,000 feet to a smaller number and voila! EGTB (which has runways all shorter than 2,000 feet) now appears as the departure airport for my flight plan input when my plane is sitting at EGTB. You have doubtless saved me at least one wasted trip to an avionics engineer. When you’re next in the UK (or I’m near you in the USA) I will say thank you properly – for instance with with a bottle of whisky. I very much appreciate your help.
Howard
