When Thomas Paine was writing about times that try men’s souls, he was actually referring to the American Revolution, but that’s nothing compared to GA sales figures for the first quarter. No one’s jumping out of buildings yet. But then again, hangars don’t have second stories.

Okay, so 2009 hasn’t been so hot thus far, but like everyone involved in aviation, we’re optimists and we sense a turnaround in the wind. In any case, pilots and owners are still buying things so it’s time for our annual review of the best products and services we’ve seen during the past calendar year. …