Since it introduced the first model five years ago, the Garmin D2 (for “Direct To”) has been a popular item for the company, and every year or two it comes out with a new model that’s slimmer, better looking and more feature-rich. This year’s D2 watch is up to Charlie (the Bravo was the second iteration, because the D2 name wouldn’t make sense any more as the “D3,” right?). Anyway, D2 Charlie has a remarkable new feature, radar.
No, there’s not a radar pod you wear on your head to get the weather; the watch interfaces with your smart phone or as a member of Garmin’s connected cockpit, communicating with a number of compatible devices to get METARS, TAFS, NexRad radar and much more. There’s also, as in previous versions of the D2, flight planning, airport info, a flight timer (which is handy for switching fuel tanks), and even a baro-based O2 function that alerts you when you might want to be on supplemental oxygen. There’s much more, of course, including a number of non-aviation-specific functions for when you’re on the road or on the trail.
Cost of the D2 Charlie is $799 for the leather band version and $999 for the Titanium edition. Both come with a rubber quick-change band and lifetime watch data.
For more info on D2 Charlie, check out Garmin.
