From the early days of the pandemic, I’ve watched the amateur-built kitplane market explode with activity—the busiest I’ve seen in years—and suppliers can’t meet the demand. My local EAA chapters are hustling with all kinds of projects in progress, many being assembled to impressively high standards by talented pro-level builders. Hackwork is not an option. […]
The hunt for an affordable multi-partnership used airplane continues, not made any easier by the inflated market or our selective demands. Shopping the four-place-single market proves there are some rats in the weeds. Check out the shamefully neglected Mooney nosegear (the rest of the plane didn’t look much better) I found while wandering the ramp […]
HOW ABOUT SOME TRADE-IN BUCKS? As long as manufacturers keep tossing new portable ADS-B traffic and weather receivers at the saturated market, why not sweeten the deal and at least offer some trade-in allowance for buyers left holding barely broken-in units? Even Apple takes old stuff in trade, and I suppose you could unload them […]
The mood was upbeat and attendance was strong at the yearly NBAA-BACE (Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition) event this past October in Orlando, Florida. But concerns about inflation, the potential for global recession and the ability to ramp up production because of labor and parts shortages were obvious from manufacturers and customers we talked with. […]
REFURBING OLD JETS: BIG MONEY, BRISK DEMAND Walking around the convention floor and static aircraft display at this year’s NBAA-BACE event in Florida this past October, I couldn’t help but realize how much demand exists for refurbishing old jets and turboprops. No, a spanking new Gulfstream or Bombardier isn’t in the budget for most companies. […]
ANOTHER GOOD PILOT-FRIENDLY MANUAL One of the things I’ve always liked about the training manuals from the folks at New Hampshire-based PilotWorkshops.com is that they’re stone simple to read. Whether the material pertains to avionics, engines or flight procedures, the Pilot-Friendly Manuals series is engaging, and for my short attention span, that makes digesting complicated […]
While conducting the extensive research into aging pilots and insurance for this article, I came to realize that, inherent in the aging pilot insurance issues, is the need to talk frankly about the elephant on the flight deck—how does a pilot recognize that it’s time to stop flying as pilot in command? Everyone is aware […]
When thinking about the choked supply chain, we tend to focus on shortages of small-component electronics, but even I was surprised when a reader called to tell me some of the Skyhawks in his large training fleet were grounded because he couldn’t get oil filters to complete 50-hour oil changes—for several months. Others consistently report […]
OWNING THE RARE ONES: INSURANCE MATTERS One of my favorite things to do at AirVenture is walk the Vintage and Warbird parking areas—the ultimate flying museum of old airplanes. This year I noticed there were plenty of interesting and rare classics and warbirds for sale. The beautiful Dornier 28 pictured below was one of many […]
AIRVENTURE 2022: NUMB TO SUPPLY WOES Here at Aviation Consumer, we’ve been covering the supply problem ad nauseam in hopes of setting buyers off on the right heading when upgrading and sourcing tough-to-get consumables. But after covering the show and dealing with supply issues of my own, I’ve come to the realization that the problem, […]
Approximately 650,000 visitors, 803 vendors and over 10,000 aircraft made AirVenture 2022 at Oshkosh a record year. But the choked supply chain still has manufacturers scrambling for components to fill orders—everything from avionics to headsets to engines and accessories. Still, the vibe was positive and there was plenty to see and we spotted a handful […]
That was the $70K question I attempted to answer during my local EAA chapter’s Young Eagles event. More on that in a minute after I plug a worthwhile cause. If you’ve never volunteered your aircraft and skills at one of these International Young Eagles Day events you’re missing out on a rewarding and humbling experience […]
