SW loader card for owners as backup

[Charles K]

Hi

Does anyone know if the owner of a G1000 aircraft is supposed to be able to request a loader card with the software and config files for their airplane as an emergency backup - or does it depend upon the relationship with your shop?

I have read various posts about this - but would like to hear opinions as to our 'right' to have a backup loader card for our aircraft.

Many thanks!

Charles

[Boatguy]

I'm not aware of any "right" to have a card. That's kind of a legal "right to repair" question that I suspect nobody has taken to court to get a judgement upon. It also may flirt with some FAA/TC/EASA certified aircraft regulations. The policy of both Diamond and Garmin is that your shop should be doing anything that requires a s/w loader card. Any Garmin or Diamond DSC is supposed to be able to download a card if/when needed. That said, the GTX345R in my new 40NG was incorrectly programmed by the factory and both a Garmin shop and the Diamond field service personnel were unable to resolve the problem. Ultimately a DSC corrected the programming.

My experience is that a shop may provide you with a card...

[CFIDave]

FWIW, I noticed that new Diamonds built by the Diamond Austria factory (including my DA42-VI and DA62) included a G1000/NXi software loader SDcard, but none of the planes I delivered from the Diamond Canada factory ever included one.

Of course once the first software update becomes available, you're at the mercy of the Garmin shop that upgraded your G1000 to give you the new loader SDcard they created after they're done using it, or (if you already have one) to update your original software loader SDcard to the new software. That's where having a good personal relationship with the Garmin shop can pay off. If you don't ask, you won't get one.

[Charles K]

Thanks

I have the request out to a shop that I have a good relationship with.