February 10, 2011 - Garmin International Inc. has teamed with ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to help a Florida family get the airplane makeover they need and deserve. For over 25 years, Joe, a pilot and the tireless founder of Air Mobile Ministries and his wife Cindy, a former nurse, have been on a quest to provide clean water to a thirsty world.  

Joe has flown all over the world in his 1970 Cessna Skymaster delivering water purifiers and supplies to those in need. After a pipe burst and destroyed their home, Joe, Cindy and their three children were forced to live in the damaged home and use the same water purification system they had delivered to so many in need. 

Garmin was honored to help refurbish this family’s airplane and outfit it with a complete line of Garmin avionics, including a G500 and dual GNS 430Ws. A team from Orlando Aircraft Services, an authorized Garmin dealer, worked around the clock to rewire and install the new panel in three days. Don’t miss the amazing makeover of this family’s damaged home and complete transformation of their Cessna Skymaster. 

Garmin entered the aviation market in 1991 with the GPS-100AVD panel-mounted receiver. Their first portable unit, the GPS-95, was introduced in 1993. In 1994, the GPS-155 panel-mounted unit was the first GPS receiver on the market to receive full FAA certification for instrument approaches.  In 1998 Garmin introduced the GNS-430, an integrated GPS navigation receiver/communications transceiver.  

Garmin expanded its presence in the aviation market in 2003 through acquisition of UPS Aviation Technologies, thereby acquiring the latter's II Morrow Apollo line of aircraft GPS/NAV/COMM units, complementing its existing aviation product line. II Morrow was founded in Salem, Oregon in 1982 as a manufacturer of LORAN C marine and general aviation products.