December 2005
Cessna 337 Skymaster
Subscribers Only Although not the fastest twins, Skymasters have decent payload and spacious cabins. They stand out as among the most affordable twins to buy.
ECI Rod Recall:
Where Are the Failures?
Subscribers Only An FAA AD proposes to replace thousands of ECI connecting rods. Yet engine shops say Lycoming rods show identical benign in-use wear patterns.
Insurance For Older Pilots
Subscribers Only If your kids call you gramps, your insurer may call you a bad risk and double your premium. But all’s not lost. Regular flight checks and a proactive broker can help.
ASA’s On Top Trainer:
Practical, Light on Frills
Subscribers Only The graphics aren’t as slick as ELITE’s offering but low price and airplane library make it a terrific value.
Foldable Airport Bikes:
Dahon’s Helios is Top Pick
Subscribers Only For under $600, market choices are limited. But the Helios rides well, folds small and is nicely made.
Flashlights for Flying:
Dorcy , TEC 40 Are Winners
Subscribers Only You can find a decent flashlight at the local hardware store but a little Web shopping will yield better quality and performance for the same prices.
Electronic Flight Bags:
Motion and NavAero Lead
Subscribers Only Shopping for EFBs is like nailing Jello to the wall, given variations in software, hardware and pilot preferences.Motion Computing’s LS800 is our top pick.
Letters: 12/05
Fuel Efficiency Your desire to promote lower gasoline consumption and more fuel-efficient cars is laudable (First Word, November 2005), but having more stringent CAFE standards is not the panacea it seems. In 2002, the Committee on the Effectiveness and Impact of Corporate Average Fuel Economy, National Research Council, released a study of the past and possible future effects of more stringent CAFE standards. They found that market incentives—higher prices and resultant consumer demand—were more effective at reducing fuel usage than the CAFE standards were. More stringent standards also don’t have the direct effects that most people assume and sometimes result in negative...
First Word: 12/05
A Hair-trigger AD We Could Do Without With rising fuel and shop maintenance prices, Draconian airspace restrictions and a hinky insurance market—at least for older pilots—the last thing we need are hair-trigger airworthiness directives. Yet that’s exactly what the FAA has given us in the form of a questionable Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to replace about 1200 connecting rods made by Engine Components, Inc. for Lycoming engines. The details are described on page 20 of this issue, but suffice it to say here that if this NPRM makes it to the AD stage, several hundred owners of Lycoming engines will be forced to needlessly replace ECI connecting rods to the tune of invoice amount...