December, 2006
Socata TB-10
Subscribers Only It may not be fast, or carry a lot and although it hasn’t been a stellar seller in the U.S., say this about the SOCATA TB-10 Tobago: It’s a good looking airplane, perhaps one of the best looking ever built.
Glass for the aftermarket: Avidyne and S-Tec’s Alliant
Subscribers Only If avionics manufacturers really listen to their customers and we have no reason to believe they don’t they’ve been hearing a not-so-subtle thrumming sound of impatient fingers tapping glareshields, anxiously awaiting the arrival of real glass for aftermarket installations.
G1000 Training: King Schools’ is Tops
Subscribers Only Like the old saw about getting to Carnegie Hall, the only way to master the Garmin G1000 is practice, practice, practice. If you’re a sometime user of this system or new to it entirely, you’re wasting good money if you show up for your G1000 flights unprepared.
Seatbelt Upgrades: Y-Belts Are a Top Choice
Subscribers Only Nothing is more basic to aircraft and automotive safety than seatbelts. But it took the FAA awhile to figure that out. It wasn’t until 1978 that the FAA required all pilot and co-pilot seats to have lap belts and shoulder harnesses. After 1988, all cabin seats were required to have shoulder restraints.
Paint Shop Survey: Plenty of Good Picks
Subscribers Only There aren’t many certainties in the realm of aircraft maintenance, but we can think of at least one: Not every pilot knows a good paint job when he sees it, but anyone can spot a 100-footer that looks nice from across the ramp but is a speckled, orange-peeled mess when viewed at close range.
Garmin GWX 68 : Large Aircraft Features in a Small Radar
Subscribers Only Garmin’s new GWX 68 is the first new ship’s radar design we’ve seen in years, but its roots extend back many years. Bendix/King originated the KWX56/58 series color radar more than 20 years ago and it proved to be a good performing system with a reasonable price tag.
Radar’s Big Comeback: Display Options are Key
Subscribers Only In the avionics business, we seldom see renewed demand for old technology. Avionics capability remains status quo for long periods, suddenly advances in great strides, then plateaus again. But just a few years ago, we assumed the demand for airborne or ship’s weather radar was history, gone the way of ADF and 360-channel comms. Datalink weather radar is cheaper, works better and even offers the option of entertainment channels for a few bucks a month…
Diesel Skyhawk: Conversions Hit the U.S.
Subscribers Only From a distance, N73FR looks like any other 20-something-year-old Skyhawk. Upon closer inspection, the differences loom large. What’s a constant-speed, three-blade prop doing on a 172?
Letters: 12/06
Subscribers Only Having had my Cessna T210 stolen in Mexico, I read your article on anti-theft gadgets with interest. I think your choice of the term "gadget" is most appropriate as I doubt if any of these products have proven efficacy.
First Word
Subscribers Only On the safety front, Cirrus Design must sometimes feel like it takes three steps forward and two back. In early October, when New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle’s SR20 punched a hole in a Manhattan apartment building, the company got a thorough wash-and-rinse in the news cycle before being nudged off the front page by more sensational news.