Accessories

When last we checked with Pilot Avionics, they had introduced a nifty, affordable and lightweight ANR headset, the PA 17-76 Freedom. We thought the combination of price, performance, comfort and built-in rechargeable battery such a great idea that we named it the best new ANR headset in our Gear of the Year review.

Apparently not content to rest on their laurels, Pilot seems to be aiming for some sort of record for new ANR headset introductions. Since that review in the May issue of Aviation Consumer, Pilot has introduced the PA 17-79 Independence, which builds on the basic concept of the Freedom, but claims better noise reduction and other improvements.

Theyve also rolled out…

When we reported on the improved fuel injection nozzles made by General Aviation Modifications two years ago, we got a steady trickle of testimonial letters affirming that, yes indeed, these devices work as claimed.

But also some complaints: Why no nozzles for Lycomings? The simple answer is that GAMI is a small company and couldnt get around to the R&D work until about a year ago. (Besides, GAMI figured Lycoming engines wouldnt benefit as much from improved nozzles, a notion that turns out to be correct by degree.)

In any case, GAMI is now delivering improved nozzles for most Lycoming engines. These range in price from $699 for normally aspirated four-cylinder engines, $899 for tur…

When we finally bite the bullet and take the ol air machine in for a shiny new IFR-approved GPS, we usually focus on the features and price of that wondrous box. What sort of display, how many waypoints and so on. Things that make us buy Brand B, over Brand G or Brand T.

Then we get a look at the bottom line for the installation quote. Thats about the time NOAA records a weather phenomenon over the airport where the barometric pressure drops two inches and the temperature changes 60 degrees in 30 seconds.

The bottom line price for this GPS gizmo may be double the $4500 unit cost. One option that accounts for this cost run-up is the GPS/Nav switching accessory. What is it and…

What does a watch do? It tells time, of course.

What does a pilots watch do? Well, it tells time, too. But traditionally, it also has a stopwatch function, often called a chronograph, a high falutin word that simply means interval timer. Since pilots are also navigators and navigation traditionally requires highly reliable timepieces, the would-be buyer may vaguely assume that a pilots watch slices the seconds with laser-like accuracy, a notion the ad agencies for Rolex, Brietling and others have done nothing to dispel. (Its not true, of course.)

Then there’s the look. There’s nothing quite like a shimmering gold-cased watch with a dial the size of a dinner plate and festoo…

When LightSPEEDs innovative lightweight ANR headset hit the market nearly two years ago, we had a hunch that its low price and impressive performance would carve out a healthy market niche. And thats exactly what happened.

Yet within the past six months, three new ANRs have muscled their way into whats already a crowded field. These new products represent second- and third-generation designs and include some significant innovations. Unfortunately, innovation doesnt always equal improvement.

The three new offerings come from Flightcom, Pilot and Telex. The Flightcom 6ANX and Pilot Freedom headsets are both being sold as inexpensive ANRs obviously intended to go head-to-head…

You have to envy big-iron drivers with all those navigation and weather displays, with overlays at the touch of a button, plus engine instruments, alarms, checklists, timers and lots more.

Why cant general aviation have some of those goodies? Well, we can. Sort of.

Our desire for electronic cockpit displays has not escaped the notice of several ingenious (and gutsy) entrepreneurs, who have developed lighter and sometimes better versions of big-iron flight deck computers aimed at the spam can market. Several manufacturers have jumped onto this bandwagon with an array of ideas and hardware to match. The question is: Is this concept in its current incarnation ready for prime time? Wh…

As competition grows fiercer in what is slowly becoming a glutted market, GPS pricing has taken on the quality of corn quotes on the morning ag report, changing a buck here or a buck there in response to the vagaries of consumer demand.

As we go press this month, the prices are in flux again and Lowrance and Magellan have announced incremental improvements in the AirMap and the SkyStar, both of which compete against Garmins popular GPS 195 and the recently introduced GPS III pilot.

With no major new portables on the horizon-at least that we know about-the current crop looks relatively stable to us. If youve put off buying a portable or upgrading because of worries about the next…

One of the most ubiquitous pilot gadgets is the electronic E6B. Sportys says it has sold 100,000 of its model, which equates to one in six of all certificated pilots-student and otherwise-in the U.S. Thats a lot of calculators.

Do pilots use them? Well, yes. Some do. At the very least, theyre useful when seeking a higher rating, saving the trudge of doing weight-and-balance by hand or putting a sharper point on ETA calculations when minutes matter.

For this report, we tried the three major contenders, the aforementioned Sportys, ASAs CX-1a Pathfinder and Jeppesens TechStar.

As far as the basic functions go, there’s little practical difference among the three. Any one of…

Like the proverbial bad penny, questions about vertical card compasses seem to resurface about once a year. We suspect owners most frequently consider them during annual when the whiskey model will no longer pass muster or needs fluid or other maintenance.

The vertical card is always an option, but were not sure we can recommend one unconditionally. We recently flew a Mooney with a vertical card and other than some screwy movements when turning to southerly headings, it worked like a charm and we have to say we liked it.

But in talking with other owners of vertical cards, our impression is that results are decidedly mixed. Some owners love them, others rip them out in short order,…

As do all good mechanics, we recommend that during every oil change, the filter be cut open and inspected for metal flakes. But we admit that this is easier said than done.

The filter cans are made of tough metal that still tends to bend and squash under the pressure of a can cutter. In the March, 1997 issue of Aviation Consumer, we reviewed six can cutters, none of which were perfect.

But now weve found one that is. Sacramento Sky Ranch is offering a new can cutter that consists of two parts, an open cylinder to hold the can and a beefy cutter that zips through the metal like a knife through butter.

We thought the best thing about this cutter is that the cylinder bolts permanen…

Pilots of single-engine Cessnas, from 172s through 210s, often fly with their charts, airport directories, transceivers, flashlights and approach plates floating around on the floor between the two front seats.

Backseat passengers feet tend to rearrange the floor layout and there’s the potential that some of the goodies will migrate underfoot or, worse, lodge under the rudder pedals.

Several manufacturers have addressed this problem by marketing cockpit organizers that fill the gap between the seats. Weve flight tested two of these organizers for the past few months, on long and short trips in several Cessna 210s.

Cockpit Companion
The first is the Cockpit Compan…

The first time I pushed my Mooney up a slight incline into the hangar, I was certain someone would eventually find my lifeless body slumped over the nosewheel.

For us middle-aged guys, shoving even a light airplane around by hand can be a strain. If you own an airplane that either weighs more than 2000 pounds or one that lives in a hangar, youve thought about a hangar tug.

We thought these were specialty items but at least nine companies make hangar tugs or tows of some kind. (Some of these are heavy duty jet-capable equipment, which we’ll largely ignore for the purposes of this article.) The good news is that competition seems to have dictated that the smaller tugs and tows work…