July 2006
Mooney M20 (Pre-201)
Subscribers Only Known for strength, economy, speed and a sports-car fit, the basic Mooney airframe endures.
What a Gear-up Costs
Subscribers Only Even for a modest single, the bidding starts at $40,000 or 20 years worth of premiums. Insurers always pay but so will you in higher rates, betterment and for hidden damage.
A Bulb’s Life: Q Bulbs Are Top Value
Subscribers Only For landing lights, GE’s popular 4509 bulb has appallingly short life. Galaxy is the hands down winner. Quartz Q4509s are worth the higher price.
Lowrance 600C: Nice Color, Bargain Price
Subscribers Only Packed with features and easy to use, the Lowrance Airmap 600C delivers high value for $500. The tradeoff is ergonomics not quite to Garmin standards.
Wheels at the Airport: We Like Go-Peds
Subscribers Only We think the electric go-ped models are practical for a short ride to and from the airport. They’re smaller than bicycles, although heavier.
Chelton Flight Trial: Busy, But Learnable
Subscribers Only Although the screens are a bit small, the payoff is an unbeatable dynamic sense of where the airplane is and where it’s going.
Chelton’s FlightLogic: Tops in EFIS Display
Subscribers Only Even your old Cessna 210 can have state-of-the-art synthetic vision and highway-in-the sky sophistication with the Chelton FlightLogic EFIS displays. Just brace yourself to write a very large check.
Letters: 07/06
Subscribers Only Avgas Wimps Thanks for the article on the status of leaded avgas and the accompanying editorial. Not much to complain about what was said, but both you and Jim Cavanaugh sidestep the really important question: Should we continue to produce leaded avgas? Now I know that in these days of "the market is king" to even ask such a question is heresy, but the bottom line is simply this: After 30 years since lead was outlawed…
First Word: 07/06
Subscribers Only WHY DON’T COMPANIES CALL BACK? Several times a week, at least, readers e-mail or phone me about problems with subscriptions—missing issues, billing errors, rejected passwords for the Aviation Consumer Web site, that sort of thing. Technically, my job is words and pictures; we have a fully staffed (and efficient) customer service department to handle the subscription queries. Nonetheless, I chase down these complaints and I often leave the original note lodged in my inbox so I…