Dynon Avionics has announced a significant upgrade to their SkyView firmware, along with updated base maps and terrain data.

There is a huge host of additions and improvements, some of which – I’m thinking of the weather information in particular – are not much use to us in Australia, as the data sources are not available.

However, there are a couple of items worth noting: the SkyView can now be interconnected with the Funkwerk ATR833 and TRIG TY92 VHF radios, so frequencies can be recovered from the navigation database. So those Foxbat owners with the Funkwerk or TRIG radios – they have been standard on Foxbats for the last 18 months or so – may want to consider connection at the next major service. Access to frequencies this way saves a lot of hunting about in ERSA and/or OzRunways and then entry into the radio.

The SkyView will also now display traffic information – if you have an ADSB-compliant Mode S transponder fitted. Quite a few recent Foxbats have the TRIG TT21 Mode S transponder and this should be compatible, as Dynon’s own SkyView XPNDR262 is manufactured by TRIG.

It also looks like you’ll now be able to watch TV on your SkyView. So all my friends who have jokingly referred to the SkyView as the ‘in flight entertainment system’ can eat their words. Although personally, I’m not sure watching TV is a good idea when you’re piloting a small single engine aircraft. Or even a big one for that matter!