In short
Two families not to be confused: the standalone portable GPS (integrated screen, e.g. Garmin aera 760), which works on its own, and the ADS-B In receiver (Garmin GDL, ForeFlight Sentry), which has no screen and sends traffic/position to your tablet. The European trap: these receivers are sold mainly for in-flight weather (FIS-B) and traffic, but in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg, FIS-B weather does not exist (it's a US service) and you only see part of the traffic (FLARM, the majority for light aircraft and gliders, is invisible to a classic ADS-B receiver).
I fly with certified avionics; this guide compares portable add-ons based on manufacturer specifications and current rules. Nothing invented, and above all: a portable is a situational awareness supplement, never a certified means of navigation or anti-collision.
Two families not to be confused
Standalone portable GPS
Built-in screen, on-board maps and databases, it navigates on its own. Ex. Garmin aera 760 (7", backup AHRS, WAAS GPS) or the aera 660, more compact. Ideal as a backup to the tablet.
ADS-B In receiver
No screen: it picks up traffic/position (and weather in the US) and sends them via Bluetooth/Wi-Fi to your tablet (Garmin Pilot, ForeFlight). Ex. Garmin GDL 50/52, ForeFlight Sentry. These are "receive-only" devices: they do not fulfill the ADS-B Out mandate.
The benchmark standalone GPS: Garmin aera 760
7" touchscreen, built-in WAAS GPS and backup AHRS, USB-C charging, ~561 g. Price: ~€1,649 to €1,699 at European retailers (Boutique du Pilote, Bayo). Good to know: the version sold in Europe already includes Europe maps (VFR + IFR), no need to import the US version, which is limited to North America. As on any GPS, database updates then remain a recurring paid subscription (flyGarmin). It is the best large-screen "nav backup" choice, independent of your tablet.
ADS-B In receivers: the comparison
| Criteria | Garmin GDL 52 | ForeFlight Sentry Plus | ForeFlight Sentry | Sentry Mini |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecosystem (app) | Garmin Pilot / aera | ForeFlight | ForeFlight | ForeFlight |
| ADS-B In Traffic (978 + 1090) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FLARM receiver (Europe) | No | Yes (separate license) | No | No |
| FIS-B weather | US only | US only | US only | US only |
| SiriusXM weather (North Am.) | Yes (subscription) | No | No | No |
| AHRS (backup attitude) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| CO detector | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Battery | ~5 h | ~18 h | ~12 h | None (USB power) |
| Price (indicative) | from ~$1,260 | ~€875 (Siebert) | ~€650 (Siebert) | Entry-level (€ tbc) |
The Garmin GDL 50 = the GDL 52 without the SiriusXM receiver (cheaper), and since SiriusXM does not cover Europe, the GDL 50 is more than enough on this side of the Atlantic. The Stratus 4 (Appareo, late 2025) is a multi-app ForeFlight compatible receiver, though ForeFlight recommends its own Sentry for native integration. Specs: Garmin, uAvionix/ForeFlight; indicative prices, to be verified.
The European reality (to read before buying)
1. In-flight FIS-B weather is a US service, it doesn't exist here. FIS-B is broadcast free of charge by FAA ground stations, on the 978 (UAT) band, in the US only. In FR/BE/CH/LU, an ADS-B In receiver provides no FIS-B weather; and since the 978 band is not used in Europe, this half of a dual-band receiver is dead weight there.
2. Traffic: you only see a part of it. An ADS-B In receiver only "sees" aircraft transmitting on ADS-B Out (1090 ES). But there is no universal mandate for European light aviation: a large proportion of light and glider traffic transmits on FLARM (over 85,000 aircraft worldwide according to the manufacturer, the majority in Europe) and/or on Mode-S, invisible to a standalone ADS-B receiver. That's why, in the ForeFlight lineup, only the Sentry Plus can display FLARM traffic, provided you purchase the FLARM decoding license separately; the Sentry, Sentry Mini and GDL 50/52 do not receive FLARM.
3. SiriusXM only covers North America. Paying the extra cost of the GDL 52 (vs GDL 50) for SiriusXM satellite weather is of no interest in Europe.
EASA introduced the ADS-L standard to improve the electronic "conspicuity" of light aircraft; the ecosystem remains fragmented (FLARM, ADS-B 1090ES, Mode-S, ADS-L). Check the carriage obligations specific to your country.
The pilot's perspective
A good portable device is redundancy: a second GPS, a backup attitude, a bit of traffic around you. Cross-country, it's reassuring, and a tablet that crashes doesn't leave you blind. But choose with full knowledge of the facts: in Europe, you don't buy an ADS-B receiver "for the weather", you buy it possibly for the traffic, knowing that you don't have the whole picture.
Two rules that do not change: the traffic displayed is advisory, it is not an anti-collision system, it does not replace the visual "see and avoid" watch; and datalink weather is strategic, never tactical (image always delayed). The tool helps; it doesn't fly the plane. Finally, a portable depends on its battery (receiver + tablet) and heats up in the sun: it is neither a certified means of navigation nor anti-collision, it does not replace the on-board instruments or the visual watch, and the AHRS of a receiver remains a backup, not an attitude source for flying in IMC.
Who is it for?
- Leisure VFR, tight budget: a tablet + app (or an aera 660) is often enough. In Europe, a pure ADS-B receiver adds little (no FIS-B, partial traffic).
- Cross-country / redundancy: the Garmin aera 760 (large screen, AHRS, battery life), independent of the tablet.
- Traffic priority in Europe: favor a solution that captures FLARM (Sentry Plus, or a dedicated FLARM/ADS-L box) over a standalone ADS-B receiver. The built-in CO detector (Sentry / Sentry Plus) is a real plus.
Where to buy
In French-speaking Europe: pilotshop.lu, Bayo, Opale Aéro (and Siebert for the Sentry).
What you find, and don't find, on Amazon. The Garmin aera 760 and Sentry receivers are not distributed there. You can find the aera 660, the previous generation (smaller screen, older processor, but still supported) and the GDL 50, the version without audio output of the GDL 52. Two useful price benchmarks, not equivalents of the 760.
Liens affiliés, voir la mention en bas de page.
Pour l'aera 760 et les Sentry, aucun lien : ils ne sont pas vendus sur Amazon. Un partenariat avec un revendeur spécialisé est en préparation.
Frequently asked questions
Does an ADS-B In receiver provide in-flight weather in Europe?
Will I see all the traffic around me?
Does an ADS-B In receiver make me compliant with ADS-B Out?
GDL 50 or GDL 52 in Europe?
In the same section
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