North American Navion
Let’s clear up any misconceptions. While the North American Navion (pronounced “navy-on”) came from the same company that built the P-51, it’s no Mustang. It doesn’t have a roaring Merlin engine, doesn’t come close to hauling along at 400-plus MPH and won’t be valued...
AD Compliance 101: FAA AC39-7D Rules
We got a call awhile back from the seller of a light twin who was in a panic when the aircraft was snagged in a prepurchase inspection because an old AD wasn’t signed off....
The Anatomy Of A Panel Rebuild
The energy that drives an interest in selecting the next avionics upgrade has many asking the question of how deep to venture into the actual panel modification. The answer becomes obvious when it comes...
Panel Teardowns: More Than Metal Work
Most existing round-gauge airplanes have instrument panels that simply weren’t designed for big-screen displays. That means your shop will likely be tasked with cutting a new metal panel to make it all fit. And...
The Commercial Practical Test: A DPE’s Perspective
Over the last several years of observation, we’ve generally been pleased with the manner in which implementation of the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for each certificate or rating has brought more standardization and objectivity...
Sporty’s Test Prep: The Commercial Ticket
Sporty’s (www.sportys.com) recently expanded its line of interactive training materials with a Commercial Pilot Test Prep Course it offers for $149.99. Although advertised as a test prep course, it is, in our opinion, much...
Gear Of The Year: Garmin Autoland
We didn’t know what to expect when Garmin invited us to its Olathe, Kansas, testing grounds to fly Autoland. But sitting shotgun in a new Piper M600 turboprop observing Garmin’s latest layer of safety...
Which Tablet? iPad vs. Android
Lost to the sands of time is the quaint notion that a mechanical E6B or—gasp!—an eraser-equipped pencil were cockpit essentials. Now, it’s not just a question of having a smartphone or a tablet for...
First Word: A Glimpse At The Next-Gen Navion
Whether it’s cars, motorcycles or airplanes, enough dough can make anything like-new again. But if you have classic cars in your hangar (and I know a lot of you do—keep the pics coming, I...