How should one interpret the visualizations of airspace on the GPS? Will it display anything indicating the class of airspace the boundaries represent reflective of my altitude?
Example, if I’m flying VFR at 2000ft in the Bay Area over the Cement Plant near San Carlos, and want to avoid the SFO Bravo shelf at 2300ft, would my gps show me the airspace boundary for the bravo? Would it be colored in a way to indicate the boundary exists above or below me?
Trying to learn how to better fly with airspace in mind and short of consulting a static sectional chart while flying I’m not sure how to best track that.
Currently, the MSFS GPS’s do not.
( MSFS GPS’s don’t display a lot of things that “can” be displayed in the real world unit)
MSFS (Pms50’s GTN750) (A commendable MSFS version)
It is highly unlikely that any MSFS JS Garmin will ever have all the features of the Garmin Trainer, and it’s not till you see the “REAL THING” that you realize what is missing in the MSFS versions.
This seems like a fairly easy thing to add though, no? The data clearly exists in a database as LittleNavMap and other apps have them available for flight plan briefing purposes. What are the main barriers?
If you have little navmap, One of the choices for the moving map in Little Navmap is a sectional view. I realize this is not in the GPS, but it is not a static map. This doesn’t completely answer your question, but does give another way to visualize where you are and the constraints. I don’t think this is cheating as this technology is available in the RW.
Many MSFS pilots fly IFR so airspace boundaries are immaterial (not on IFR charts).
Flying VFR MSFS pilots are either using Flight Following with ATC or not. Using Flight Following ATC outomatically gives permission to enter restricted airspace. ATC never stops VFR flights from entering no matter how busy they are.
VFR pilots not using Flight Following not in contact with ATC can enter any restricted airspace without any consequences which is not realistic at all. (There are no consequences for violating any regulations which is another discussion…)
Because MSFS is “soft” regarding airspaces, there isn’t a priority to include these in GPS maps. Other posts here have described various means of seeing restricted airspaces. I often use the MSFS Mobile Companion App which has a moving map with aviation overlays for various airspaces. The moving map can become very cluttered in congested airspaces.
While the Garmin Trainer may see very attractive, because it is “the Real Thing” – the "REAL THING may not be what your really want for MSFS, depending on how and WHAT you fly.
ie, The Garmin Trainer only comes with Basic Databases, that do NOT include a lot of the smaller airports. While you can get “Regional Databases” that provide these airports, buying them, and installing them on the Garmin Trainer is not easy or inexpensive.
If you only fly into Paved airports ,then this may not be an issue, but for smaller GA planes, it well might be.
I posted a Screen Shot Comparison, a few post earlier that show this.
Hopefully, the Airspace Info , that display so nicely in the Garmin trainer, will eventually be made available in the MSFS “JS” Garmins
