Narrative:

On IFR flight plan from sbm to eye; part of route was okk V305 weldo. ZAU requested a change in routing to fly to a radial and distance from knox (oxi) VOR. On the garmin GPS unit installed; setting up a waypoint in this manner is a difficult and time consuming procedure involving scrolling to a waypoint page; inserting a name for this waypoint; scrolling in the NAVAID name; adding the radial and mileage. Then back to the flight plan page; finding the new named waypoint; and adding it to the plan. I have talked with pilots more familiar with this unit and was informed that it's best to not accept these requests. I had requested a heading to fly until I could program the FMS and the controller initially provided a heading that was not close to the course I needed to fly. After a min the controller asked if I had the waypoint set-up. I informed him that I did not and could he please provide a heading to steer. He gave me about a 90 degree heading change and told me he didn't have time to provide heading information. After about another min he asked again if I had the waypoint set which I did not. He then started to get really condescending and asking if he gave me direct to destination if I could accept that. He finally handed me off to grissom approach and the flight went well to the destination. These garmin units do not have key pads to enter information like universal; honeywell; etc. Everything is entered through scrolling through a series of rotary knobs. It's not easy or quick to do in-flight; and if you make a mistake you are virtually starting over. I would have to agree with other pilots -- don't accept these clrncs! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that this training was limited on the garmin 530 and he was single pilot for the flight. The controller was busy and requested an off route fix from a VOR that was not on his route of flight. He mentioned that he had difficulty finding the designator for the VOR and became very frustrated with the garmin 530 as he made several mistakes when attempting to program the required information. He stated that the menus for the different sequence of events within the garmin are difficult to find if you're not totally familiar with the equipment. He had operated aircraft with FMC/FMS system and commented how much easier those units were to program. When asked about the training received; he mentioned that building a fix by the radial/DME method had not been taught.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: KING AIR C90 PLT IS ISSUED A CLRNC AND HAS A HDG TRACK DEV DURING CRUISE.

Narrative: ON IFR FLT PLAN FROM SBM TO EYE; PART OF RTE WAS OKK V305 WELDO. ZAU REQUESTED A CHANGE IN ROUTING TO FLY TO A RADIAL AND DISTANCE FROM KNOX (OXI) VOR. ON THE GARMIN GPS UNIT INSTALLED; SETTING UP A WAYPOINT IN THIS MANNER IS A DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING PROC INVOLVING SCROLLING TO A WAYPOINT PAGE; INSERTING A NAME FOR THIS WAYPOINT; SCROLLING IN THE NAVAID NAME; ADDING THE RADIAL AND MILEAGE. THEN BACK TO THE FLT PLAN PAGE; FINDING THE NEW NAMED WAYPOINT; AND ADDING IT TO THE PLAN. I HAVE TALKED WITH PLTS MORE FAMILIAR WITH THIS UNIT AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT'S BEST TO NOT ACCEPT THESE REQUESTS. I HAD REQUESTED A HDG TO FLY UNTIL I COULD PROGRAM THE FMS AND THE CTLR INITIALLY PROVIDED A HDG THAT WAS NOT CLOSE TO THE COURSE I NEEDED TO FLY. AFTER A MIN THE CTLR ASKED IF I HAD THE WAYPOINT SET-UP. I INFORMED HIM THAT I DID NOT AND COULD HE PLEASE PROVIDE A HDG TO STEER. HE GAVE ME ABOUT A 90 DEG HDG CHANGE AND TOLD ME HE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO PROVIDE HDG INFO. AFTER ABOUT ANOTHER MIN HE ASKED AGAIN IF I HAD THE WAYPOINT SET WHICH I DID NOT. HE THEN STARTED TO GET REALLY CONDESCENDING AND ASKING IF HE GAVE ME DIRECT TO DEST IF I COULD ACCEPT THAT. HE FINALLY HANDED ME OFF TO GRISSOM APCH AND THE FLT WENT WELL TO THE DEST. THESE GARMIN UNITS DO NOT HAVE KEY PADS TO ENTER INFO LIKE UNIVERSAL; HONEYWELL; ETC. EVERYTHING IS ENTERED THROUGH SCROLLING THROUGH A SERIES OF ROTARY KNOBS. IT'S NOT EASY OR QUICK TO DO INFLT; AND IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE YOU ARE VIRTUALLY STARTING OVER. I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE WITH OTHER PLTS -- DON'T ACCEPT THESE CLRNCS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THIS TRAINING WAS LIMITED ON THE GARMIN 530 AND HE WAS SINGLE PLT FOR THE FLT. THE CTLR WAS BUSY AND REQUESTED AN OFF RTE FIX FROM A VOR THAT WAS NOT ON HIS RTE OF FLT. HE MENTIONED THAT HE HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING THE DESIGNATOR FOR THE VOR AND BECAME VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE GARMIN 530 AS HE MADE SEVERAL MISTAKES WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PROGRAM THE REQUIRED INFO. HE STATED THAT THE MENUS FOR THE DIFFERENT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS WITHIN THE GARMIN ARE DIFFICULT TO FIND IF YOU'RE NOT TOTALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE EQUIP. HE HAD OPERATED ACFT WITH FMC/FMS SYS AND COMMENTED HOW MUCH EASIER THOSE UNITS WERE TO PROGRAM. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE TRAINING RECEIVED; HE MENTIONED THAT BUILDING A FIX BY THE RADIAL/DME METHOD HAD NOT BEEN TAUGHT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.