You could argue this is exactly whats going on with ForeFlight 8 and its new maps system. Wasnt this what AnywhereMap and the Garmin 396 did? Isnt this what WingX originally did and still offers? In fact, didnt sectional and en route charts appear in our tablet apps because users demanded facsimiles of the paper charts?
The problem Ive always had with the Hawk glasses is styling-you wont win any modeling contracts with these utilitarian frames. This might not matter for action sports and flying missions, but they don’t exactly complement business attire. The companys new ComfortStyle line changes all that. After a $75 trip to my optometrist for some measurements, I sent the Hawks back to Cedar Park, Texas-based Flying Eyes to be fitted with my prescription. The lenses are made by Shamir Optical Industry and fabricated through Digital Eye Lab. My order was turned in less than one week.
This year at AirVenture, Quiet Technologies caught my attention, so I got a demo of its $359 Halo in-ear model and bought one. Initially, the headset offered a good fit and promised to be quiet. When I started the engine, I immediately noticed low-frequency noise that isn’t present in my Lightspeed. I reserved judgement until two hours in cruise flight at 11,000 feet.
For those who lost track of the OEM avionics market for turboprops and light jets, Garmins G3000 may seem like a new system, but it was actually unveiled at the NBAA convention way back in 2009. The system isn’t limited to Pipers M600. Youll find the G3000 in Dahers TBM930 turboprop single, in Cessna CJ+ series jets and in the Cirrus Vision Jet, currently undergoing certification. There are more applications coming. Textron announced that the G3000 will be in the front office of the Cessna Denali turboprop single.
We set out for a flight demo in Jeff Kauffman’s AeroWave-equipped Beech A36 Bonanza with enough smartphones, tablets and laptop computers to keep a teenager busy until the tanks run dry. As expected, the AeroWave showed some limitations that buyers need to understand.
One perk of the job is trying out a wide variety of headsets. Two models that impressed me enough to fork over my own cash to own are the Bose A20 and the Clarity Aloft in-ear headset. In fact, I like the Clarity so much I find myself flying with it more than the Bose. Thats why I was anxious to try the new Air in-ear model from Las Vegas, Nevada-based Faro Aviation. Company principal Kevin Faro has been designing a series of aviation headsets since 1999, the result of his dissatisfaction with other headsets on the market. The company currently offers four models, to include the $190 passive G2, a $390 ANR version of the G2, the $690 flagship G3 and the $390 Air. Ive been flying with the Air for nearly a month, while also offering it up to passengers and other pilots to try. Heres a field report.
While researching information on aircraft corrosion and corrosion prevention, I ran across my nomination for understatement of the week in an FAA publication. It said, . . . the amount of maintenance required to repair accumulated corrosion damage and bring the aircraft back up to standard will usually be quite high. No kidding. The reality is staggering-some years ago I was shown the bills paid by an owner for corrosion repair. He had bought a Louisiana-based twin without a prebuy examination. Over the next two years he expended more than hed paid for the airplane to repair damage to the structure and skins from corrosion.
During our research, we asked static wick manufacturers about ICAW procedures (instructions for continued airworthiness) and all noted that aside from a preflight visual inspection, its important to look for signs of corrosion where the wick attaches to the skin. Additionally, you’ll want to inspect the tips. Testing rarely happens on the shop level.
We surveyed six of the more popular internet prep courses to see what was available, how they approached getting a student ready for the instrument written, what they cost and their convenience of use-notably whether they could be used on any internet-connected device or didnt require connectivity while using. We came away feeling all were good-its a competitive market and the high quality of the products reflects it.
In our world, the editorial year commences in the summer instead of January, and the anticipated editors choice awards focuses deserved attention on the products and companies that really impressed us in our coverage over the year. As we do every July, we take a half step back and tip the hat to a dozen of them on page 12 of this issue. But there was more that caught our attention the past editorial year, some of it unforgettable. If we had a worst news of the year award, there would be takers.
If you were a dedicated Cub aficionado and wanted to build yourself the ultra version of the essential Cub idea, what would you do? Youd start with the basic planform, update it with edge-of-tech materials and build methods-carbon fiber, CNC-cut parts, modern avionics-all buttressed with an aerodynamic makeover to tweak performance. Then youd send the airplane to the place that designs and builds seats for Bentleys and Ferraris and tell them to go wild.
The stars have aligned just right-your local airport has a waiting list for hangar space, you are unwilling to park your airplane at a tie-down and the airport has land it will lease at a reasonable rate. This is your chance to create a hangar that will suit your airplane-and potentially your need to spend quality time with your airplane. As we got into our hangar research we were amazed at the number of companies that sell pre-engineered hangars, many offering turnkey erection. Almost all are metal building manufacturers that build hangars as one of their clear-span products. Most will work with you to match the demands of your site and help you with what may be a complex approval process for construction on a public-use airport.
