N199RF · PFD reference

The G3X Touch PFD

Your primary flight display — everything you need to fly the airplane is on this screen. Tap any element on the diagram to learn what it means and how to use it.

What you're looking at

A 10.6-inch touchscreen that replaces every traditional flight instrument plus most engine gauges.

The G3X Touch GDU 460 is the heart of your panel. What used to be six round gauges (airspeed, attitude, altitude, heading, turn coordinator, vertical speed) plus another set for the engine — all of it lives on this one screen now.

The big mental shift

Round gauges showed you one thing each. The PFD shows you everything in one glance — your airspeed, attitude, altitude, heading, vertical speed, course, and engine data are all visible without moving your head.

This is a feature, not a gimmick. It dramatically reduces "head down" time during instrument approaches and busy phases of flight.

What's on the PFD (we'll cover each in detail)

How to interact

Everything's touch. To change something, tap it.

Physical buttons too
The G3X has physical bezel buttons along the bottom: MENU, BACK, HOME, and direct-access keys. Touch is primary; bezel buttons help when you're bouncing around in turbulence.

The PFD layout

An illustration of the standard PFD layout. Tap any element to read the full reference.

G3X Touch · Primary Flight Display
HDG AP ALT
KIAS
120
110
102
90
80
ATTITUDE
⟶─⟵
HSI
|
072° GPS
FEET
2540
3000 ▼
VSI
+500
Illustrated layout. Your actual display shows live values from the airplane's sensors.
EIS location
The EIS strip (engine information) can appear on either side of the PFD. In your airplane it might be on the left or right depending on how it's configured. Tap MENU → PFD Setup → EIS Position to toggle (if pilot-configurable on your install).

Every element, explained

Tap an element on the PFD diagram (previous tab) to jump here.

Real-flight scenarios

Common PFD interactions, step by step.

Quick reference

Pre-flight PFD setup ritual (every flight)
1.
Tap BARO field → set current altimeter from AWOS/ATIS
2.
Verify altimeter reads field elevation ± 75 ft
3.
Tap ALT bug → set first target altitude (pattern alt or cruise)
4.
Tap HDG bug → set runway heading
5.
Verify HSI source is GPS (magenta)
6.
Verify synthetic vision ON (if you use it)
7.
Glance at EIS strip — all green, no warnings
Airspeed tape colors
WHITE ARC
Flap operating range — V_S0 to V_FE
GREEN ARC
Normal operating range — V_S1 to V_NO
YELLOW ARC
Caution — smooth air only — V_NO to V_NE
RED LINE
V_NE — never exceed (176 KIAS in 182Q)
HSI source selection
GPS
Following GTN flight plan / Direct-To (magenta)
VLOC1
Following VOR or ILS from GTN NAV1 (green)
SWITCH
CDI button on GTN (or tap source on G3X)
Reading the wind indicator
ARROW
Direction the wind is going TO (not from)
NUMBER
Wind speed in knots
USE
Lean into headwind component for power decisions
PFD reversion modes
G3X FAIL
GI 275 takes over as standby PFD
ATTITUDE FAIL
GI 275 attitude is independent — keeps flying
PROCEDURE
Hand-fly using GI 275 + airspeed/altitude from any source
Synthetic vision (SV)
TURN ON
PFD Menu → Synthetic Vision → ON
SHOWS
3D terrain, obstacles, runway environment
BEST FOR
Mountain flying, IMC, night, unfamiliar terrain
LIMIT
SV is supplemental — don't substitute for situational awareness