Every few years we take a close look at the U.S. general aviation insurance market. During the research we speak with underwriters and brokers to get a feeling for what changes they see, what problems they are having and what they anticipate coming down the track for those of us who write premium checks. …
The new devices are completely redesigned and all three portable models (GDL50/51/52) share the same chassis. They stand 4.9 by 1.3 by 3.4 inches, weigh .75 pounds and have built-in antennas, but have inputs for external antennas. The receivers have an anti-skid base to keep them from sliding around when on the glareshield and Garmin has a securing base mounting bracket and a suction cup mount for the cable.
Thats my prediction for the coming years and we can all thank the FAA. Thats because the agency has a welcomed shift in mentality when it comes to certifying avionics, which of course has a direct effect on pricing. The reality check is that avionics technology has changed since the bad old days of analog equipment, and the long drawn out TSO pathway to certification is finally coming to an end.
Weve been around enough avionics installations to know that most every project can snowball once the aircraft hits the hangar floor. Thats especially true as more owners finally commit to ADS-B installations. If the aircraft hasnt seen an avionics installation in ages, low-budget buyers might noodle the idea of buying used GPS navigators. But what may seem like a smoking-good deal on used equipment websites could be a setup for a serious case of buyers remorse.
Call them ramp fees, facility charges or handling fees. When you pull up to many FBOs there’s a good chance you’ll be billed a flat-rate charge just for taking space on the ramp. In general, the larger the aircraft, the more you’ll pay. Most facilities that collect facility fees will waive them if you oblige by buying a specific amount of fuel, which of course always works out to be more than the fee. No matter what, my mentality is that I never expect anything for free and thats especially true when aviating.
Apopular (and lazy) journalistic toss away is to describe a company as owning a market. Yet no company does, not even 800-pound simians like Garmin and Cirrus. There are always buyers swimming against the tide and in the world of aviation, Mooney has made a business of scooping them up; a flea in a world of elephants.
At a time when nearly every pilot struts around with a tablet computer or smartphone running their favorite navigation app, we were surprised to see that pilot supplier giant ASA (Aviation Supplies and Academics) redesigned its CX-series flight computer.
There are lots of reasons for investing in an aviation-band desktop radio. Maybe you want to monitor local traffic communications while working in the hangar, listen to the local airport weather broadcasts over your morning coffee or listen to real-time PIREPs before launching. Plus, an aviation scanner can be a good learning tool for students.
The critical hardware that attaches an aircraft control yoke to the control surfaces should be inspected regularly, but if you own a Cessna, you might consider doing an immediate inspection.Thats because McFarlane Aviation in Baldwin, Kansas, recently issued a service bulletin for its FAA-PMA aftermarket universal joints that attach the control tube to the shaft for controlling the flight control surfaces in Cessna models. These are models ranging from the 120 to the 210.
The headline groups the Aztec and Apache as one, and sure, while the Aztec could never have been born without the Apache, they are quite different. From an appearance standpoint, the original potato-like shaped Piper PA-23 Apache is easily distinguishable from the sleeker Aztec.
With all the new avionics we reported on over the past year, readers have asked for my market predictions for the new year. Before looking into the crystal ball for 2018, its worth a look at last years performance of the avionics sector for clues. Im cautiously optimistic looking ahead because buyers bought lots of avionics in 2017-$1.73 billion worth during the first nine months.
No matter how you feel about Garmins market domination, you cant argue that the company maintains the poll position by enthusiastically pumping out a steady stream of fresh products almost on a monthly basis. But Garmin also knows how to get the most mileage from its major systems and the G600/500 retrofit PFD/MFD was getting stale.
