Aviation Consumer

Cessna 150

Subscribers Only Cheap to buy and operate, the 150/152 series has proven to be a trainer for the ages.

Flat Repair Fees:
Are They Fair?

Subscribers Only In most cases, yes. Some savvy companies give themselves a competitive edge with generous warranties and low-cost or free repairs.

EFB Software:
ChartCase Excels

Subscribers Only Software for cockpit computers is still work in progress and none are perfect. FlightPrep’s ChartCase comes closest, in our view.

Walsh’s Challenge:
Transforming Lycoming

Subscribers Only With two crankshaft recalls behind it, Lycoming has a new general manager and a clear focus on improved quality control.

Smart Chargers:
Battery Tender is Tops

Subscribers Only A charged aircraft battery lasts longer but automotive chargers can trash the plates with too much current. Smart chargers are a better idea.

Autopilot Upgrades:
S-TEC is Top Choice

Subscribers Only The Bendix/King KFC225 offers the best ride but S-TEC has more models for more airplanes at prices even thrifty owners can afford.

Letters: 01/06

Oxygen Starvation? The first color issue of Aviation Consumer is fantastic. Although I would have still been a loyal subscriber with black-and-white images, the color provides a significant added value and it is much appreciated. A comment and question. In the pulse oximeter flyoff, the 2 in SpO2 should be a subscript, not a superscript. Sorry to be picky. As an anesthesiologist, SpO2 is a significant concern to me during my patients’ operations. Needless to say, I was shocked to see your test pilot’s SpO2 in the range of 80 to 84 percent. At what altitude was this photograph taken? Was he experiencing symptoms of hypoxia? In the operating room, an SpO2 of 80 perc...

First Word: 01/06

Quality, Global Competition and Lycoming In this month’s issue, we’re publishing an interview with Ian Walsh, Lycoming’s new general manager. Walsh’s principle challenge is to fix quality control lapses at the company’s Williamsport, Pennsylvania engine plant and to usher Lycoming into a future certain to be dominated by lean, innovative manufacturing. Thus far, from the perspective of an outsider’s nose pressed against the window, Lycoming seems to be on the right track. Walsh has instituted vigorous new quality control strategies and is pondering new products, such as electronic controls and diesel technology. All good stuff. But the reality is that Lycoming is a poster chil...