When the Garmin 495 was released by Garmin, it provided all the features of its counterpart the Garmin 496, but without XM Weather and pre-loaded City Navigator NT and gave it a smaller price tag. The 495 kept popular features such as SafeTaxi and AOPA’s Airport Directory data. With the new Garmin aera series release, the Garmin aera 550 is the perfect replacement to upgrade from the GPSMAP 495. Similar to the Garmin aera 560, the aera 550 only lacks the XM Weather. Like the 3 other aera series GPS’, Garmin has turned the aera 550 into a fully intuitive touch screen system, giving the user a larger screen than the Garmin 495 in an overall smaller unit. The aera 550 graphical Terrain page offer both overhead and vertical profile views of the topography you’re flying over. The database-driven terrain advisory feature offers TAWS-like color coding and pop-up obstruction alerts. Like all the units in Garmin’s new aera series, this piece of hardware is great for the Road Warriors as well as aviators, providing built-in Bluetooth and voice-guided driving directions.

Garmin aera 550 & Garmin GPSMAP® 495 Side-By-Side Comparison

As I mentioned, the 550 is not as fully functioning as the Garmin aero 560, but it is a more then suitable upgrade to it previous counterpart, providing the users with the option fly/drive option.

Saturday June 12, Hangar63 (Banyan’s Aviation Store) donated half of the days gross profits to Angel Flight. Angel Flight is a non-profit volunteer pilot organization involved in “public benefit flying.” They arrange free air transportation by private aircraft to distant medical facilities when commercial services are not available, impractical or simply not affordable. To encourage pilots and passengers to participate in this fund raising event, Banyan agreed to provide $1.00 off per gallon of gas and Jet Runway Café provided $5.00 off any Hangar63 customer’s bill for that day. Banyan’s Line Service team provided every landing aircraft with information about the event and encouraged customers to stop by and help out the cause.

Members of Angel Flight held a meeting in the Sabal Palm conference room and before wrapping up for the day presented Banyan with a Humanitarian Award for the helping the organization. Chuck Speakman, Hangar63’s manager, was proud to accept the award and thanking Angel Flight for all they do.

Hangar63 (Banyan’s Aviation Store) was pleased with the outcome and looks forward to making this an annual event.

“We hope this type of partnership will be considered by other aviation groups who support our mission.  Partnerships with for-profit groups are a great way to team and be successful in the current economy”, says Blake Mathis, President/CEO of Angel Flight Southeast.

To find out how you can help Angel Flight, visit their website.

To keep up on all the latest Banyan events, news and more, fan us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

To ensure that all the teammates in Hangar63 (Banyan’s Aviation Store) are on top of their game to help out customers, they participate in continuous training. Recently, Hangar63 teammates participated in AMI (Aviation Management International) GPU training and Revere Survival Products training. Representatives came from both AMI and Revere Survival product to provide teammates with on-site instruction and answer questions.

Thanks to the AMI GPU training, teammates will be able to provide in-depth knowledge to customers about the different units available and ensure that the correct model is purchased for the correct need.

The Revere Survival training provided teammates with valuable information about new products available and additional information about Revere products that are currently being carried at Hangar63.

To learn more about Banyan and Hangar63 (Banyan’s Aviation Store) become a Fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter

Since 2001 the International Air Rally team has put together some of the largest International Air Rallies in North America, the most recent being the Governor General’s International Air Rally, Caribbean Air Challenge. The Challenge kicked off from Banyan Air Service on April 17. A group of around 57 aviators flew into Banyan over a two day period rallying for their 10 day trip around the Caribbean. The group consisted of aviators from around the world, including Australia, Switzerland, France, Canada and the U.S.

The Governor General’s Cup competition was established in 1953, by Right Honorable Charles Vincent Massey, First Canadian appointed Governor. The trophy awarded for this competition is one of the most prestigious of aviation awards. The competition challenges pilots in a variety of areas including aviation knowledge, flying skills, team work, and collaboration.

The International flying group made a number of stops including:
Great Exuma, Bahamas
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Constanza, Dominican Republic
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos
Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
Sky Beach Eleuthera, Bahamas
Treasure Cay, Bahamas

Banyan was proud to be the kick-off and finishing location for the Challenge.

If you are interested in next year’s Challenge or other Rallies in North America, visit the International Air Rally home page.

Visit the Banyan website to learn more about upcoming events, or you can become a Fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!

During this economic time, saving a few bucks when buying something you need is always a good thing. Hangar63 (Banyan’s Aviation Store) is running a special on Bose Headsets from now until the end of May. This offer gives customers a chance to trade up and get a new Bose Aviation Headset X for $150.00 off the regular price. With the price adjusted at the point of sale, there is no rebate form, delay, or complications to deal with, just a simple savings.

Not only is this special being offered at Hangar63 but it is available to aviation enthusiasts around the world through our online store Tropicare.com. They are even sweetening the pot by providing FREE 2-day FedEx shipping to anywhere in the Continental U.S. and Alaska!

To learn more about the Bose Aviation Headset X visit TropicAero.com

*Disclaimer:

Offer valid April 1 – May 31, 2010. Restrictions apply. Aviation Headset X is a registered trademark of Bose Corporation in the U.S.

The Garmin 296 was built on the traditional Garmin aviation handhelds and offered a faster speed, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery back, and an automatic logbook that calculated your flight time then prior GPS’. But with time comes new products and the Garmin aera 500 is now lined up to replace this now discontinued Garmin 296. The Garmin aera series is a dual-duty GPS providing users with a simple transition from flying to driving. The Garmin aera 500 is the most affordable of the touch screen models and what some would consider an entry-level model. The Garmin aera 500 comes pre-loaded with topographical mapping to help you view surrounding terrain. It is capable of holding up to 50 flight plans with up to 300 points each. The Garmin aera 500 is ready for use straight out of box. 

Garmin aera 500 & Garmin 296 Side-By-Side Comparison

Although the Garmin 296 was one of the first to have many of the now standard features at a reasonable price, the Garmin aera 500 is just as user friendly with a sleeker look and wider screen. Want more information on the Garmin aera 500? Click Here.

The teammates at Banyan Air Service, based at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport have recently committed their support to 4KIDS of South Florida. Banyan helps this organization through volunteer opportunities, monetary donations, and new and gently used items.

“We considered several nonprofit organizations but felt that the mission of 4KIDS of South Florida was the right match for Banyan. We spent several weeks getting to know the organization and felt that the Banyan team would be very supportive of the mission of 4KIDS of South Florida,” said Brandy Voss, Banyan’s Spirit Committee Director.

Last month, Banyan volunteers worked every Saturday to renovate a donated house by repairing drywall, fixing sprinklers, painting rooms, and working on landscaping. In addition, Banyan teammates support the nonprofit with donations through payroll deductions.

4KIDS of South Florida is a nonprofit organization committed to meeting the needs of thousands of children in foster care. From the moment a child is removed from their family because of abuse, abandonment, or neglect, this organization provides for them physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. 4KIDS has over 100 licensed foster homes and foster families, twelve family-style homes, and cares for over 1000 children each year. For more information about 4KIDS of South Florida, or to register for the BiG Cardio Event, visit
www.4KIDSofSFL.org.

Visit 4KIDS of South Florida to learn what you can do to help

To see the latest Banyan projects or view pictures from the Boca House Project, become a Banyan fan on Facebook.

Although many lives were devastated by the earthquake that struck Haiti in January, those who survived it faced additional challenges. A young 11-year old girl named Yadissa was one of those who survived, and this is her story.

Yadissa and her family survived the earthquake, but because of the destruction around them, they had to look for the bare necessities to survive. While going to buy food, she was struck by a vehicle and suffered severe damage to her pelvis.

“She had walked five hours from her rural town into Port-au-Prince with $7 to buy supplies for her family,” said Tina O’Keeffe of Banyan Air Service.

Thanks to C.A.R.E., Yadissa was flown to Banyan at FXE and from there she was taken to Broward General Medical Center where she got the care that she needed.

After weeks of treatment, C.A.R.E. coordinated with Banyan to use of one their hangars to give Yadissa a going home party on Friday March 26^th. Many people who helped Yadissa attended including Dr. Bonnell and his team from Broward General Medical Center, Peter Simpson the pilot who flew her to Banyan, C.A.R.E., and Banyan team members. The next day the GIV crew from Owens-Illinois Inc. flew her home.

Although there is still a lot of work that needs to be done it Haiti, a reunion of a daughter and her family will put a smile on the face of a few.

To watch the story of Yadissa’s landing in Fort Lauderdale visit WSVN-TV 7News, they were at Banyan the night she landed.

To learn more about C.A.R.E. visit their Facebook Page.

To learn more about Banyan become a Fan on Facebook.

A nice compliment in the Twin Commander March Fleet Briefing.

  “BANYAN AT CENTER OF HAITAIN RELIEF EFFORTS

Banyan Air Service, a Twin Commander authorized service center at Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport, has been a focal point of general aviation Haitian relief efforts.

Immediately after the earthquake Banyan President Don Campion offered Banyan’s help in 24-hour support of aircraft staging for the long flight to Haiti. His wife, Sueanne, quickly became involved in helping to coordinate relief efforts along with Robin Eissler, who established Corporate Aviation Responding in Emergencies (CARE).

They have set up a public Facebook site to chronicle their efforts and recognize the people and companies that have contributed to the relief effort. In early March Eissler reported that since January 12, there have been 670 relief flights to Haiti that have carried 3400 passengers and 1,100,000 pounds of supplies. “Our work continues as we still have about 2-3 flights a day,” she wrote.

For more see http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=345189284760&ref=nf and a YouTube video thanking the many volunteers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY73K82kFi8.”

To learn about how you can participate in the Haiti relieft vistion the Banyan Haiti Relief Page or contact Robin@Jet-Quest.com or Sueanne@banyanair.com of Corporate Aviation Responding in Emergencies (C.A.R.E.). To follow more about what Banyan is doing, become a Banyan Fan on Facebook or follow Banyan on Twitter.

With the recent partnership of Hangar63 and Aviation Management International, a local manufacturer of portable Ground Power Units, Hangar63 is now offering a new AMI line of portable GPU.  The AMI portable GPUs have a number of key features and benefits that make it stand out against the traditional Portable Power Units, including a 60 minute rapid recharge rate, cooler starts for turbine powered aircraft, and completely sealed dry cell batteries. The AMI portable GPU is lightweight and portable making it a functional fit for aircraft and helicopters flying to and from remote locations, and the entire unit is maintenance free thanks to the Drycell internal batteries. All GPUs also feature continuous power for shop or ramp when the unit is plugged into an 110V or 220V source.  There are 4 different models available, and can start anything from a Cessna to a Gulfstream.