September 2006
Cessna R182RG
Subscribers Only Turn a straight-legged Skylane into a retractable and you’ll gain speed yet lose none of the airplane’s roominess, range and utility.
Oshkosh Diary: Garmin’s Big Year
Subscribers Only Garmin Dutches the board with the new G600 and G900X—not to mention the GPSmap 496. And Cessna’s new mystery ship makes a surprise flyby.
Garmin’s GMX200: Speedier Display, Radar
Subscribers Only The older MX20 is getting dated, but this follow-up product adds new features, including installation ease and radar interfaces. Price remains reasonable.
Voyager Flight Planner: Easily the Top Choice
Subscribers Only The program’s capabilities leave competitors in the dust and you can try its multiple service tiers for free before buying, a big plus.
Garmin GPSMap496: Better with More Stuff
Subscribers Only An incremental improvement over the GPSMap396, with a faster screen refresh, taxi diagrams and auto navigation included.
Engine Dehydrators: Engine Saver Prevails
Subscribers Only Both devices definitely reduce crankcase condensation and thus corrosion. With its lower flow, the Engine Saver’s desiccant lasts longer.
Parachute? Or Second Engine?
Subscribers Only That’s where Diamond would like to move the debate in selling its Twin Star against the Cirrus SR22. But does the argument stand up?
Letters: 09/06
Subscribers Only Gear Up Costs I read your article "What a Gear-up Costs" with some interest, since I happen to fly an older Baron very similar to the one featured in some of the pictures with the article. I think there’s another possible cost of a gear-up that might need to be considered—losing the airplane if the insurance company opts to total it after a gear-up. …
First Word: 09/06
Subscribers Only OSHKOSH AND INNOVATION At EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Eclipse CEO Vern Raburn was ceremoniously handed a conditional type certificate for the Eclipse 500 light jet. This sent me scurrying into the archives to see how Eclipse’s original claims stacked up to the final, certified reality. We’ll examine that later when we get a look at the 500’s POH but one thing caught my attention. The small jet revolution has taken the better part of a decade…