Extract text from Garmin Pilot checklists (GPLTS)
To convert GPLTS checklists to another format, you need Garmin Pilot or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Avionics Data File" file type, you need software like Garmin Pilot or a similar tool.
A .GPLTS file is a proprietary, encrypted data container generated by the Garmin Pilot aviation application. It is primarily used by pilots to store and transfer aircraft checklists, flight plans, and avionics configurations directly to compatible flight deck hardware, such as the Garmin G3X Touch displays.
The fundamental disadvantage of the .GPLTS format is its strict vendor lock-in. Unlike the unencrypted .GPLT version, .GPLTS files are secured by Garmin and cannot be opened with standard text editors or third-party avionics tools like the open-source EFIS Editor. This creates real-world bottlenecks for pilots who want to edit their checklists efficiently on a desktop computer or migrate their data to competing Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) apps like ForeFlight. The proprietary encryption completely prevents users from freely accessing and editing their own aviation data.
Ideally, pilots want to convert .GPLTS files to FMD for ForeFlight, ACE for older Garmin systems, or universally readable formats like PDF and JSON. However, this file format is notoriously difficult to open or convert. Often, only the original Garmin software holds the decryption keys required to properly read or export the data. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your GPLTS file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert GPLTS file to CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, INI, CFG, CONF, DAT, DB or SQL, you can use Garmin Pilot or similar software from the "Encrypted Aviation Checklist Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DBF, XML, SQLITE, XLSX, SQL, TSV, ACCDB, YAML, MDB, CSV, ODS or JSON files to GPLTS, try Garmin Pilot or another comparable tool in the "Encrypted Aviation Checklist Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our GPLTS converter.