You don’t have to look far into any aviation retailers catalogue to find sunglasses that cater to pilots. Yes, we know there are plenty of cheaper brands you can find at Sunglass Hut and other non-aviation retailers, and we also know that selecting glasses is as personal as selecting clothing. A cheap pair of drugstore shades may suit you just fine.
The final stages of an avionics installation can be the most critical because thats when the configuration and final testing occur. Unfortunately, its when a shop can be rushed to the point where you-the aircraft owner-are left holding the bag to test newly installed gear, which includes critical ADS-B equipment. The good news: Shops that do the most ADS-B retrofits will own the specialized test gear to make sure the system is programmed and properly tested before you fly the aircraft away. The better shops will fly it with you for a final check. But for shops that are less equipped, you’ll have to fly it off yourself and eyeball the data on the Public ADS-B Performance Report, or PAPR. Link to this automated tool at https://tinyurl.com/y9hrtsyw. It can tell a shop a lot about the systems performance should they have to troubleshoot it. When the government was paying out rebate checks for ADS-B upgrades, it required specific flight testing and a validation report for conformity. Thats no longer the case, but you might follow similar guidance when validating a new install. The FAAs advisory circular 20-165B provides guidance for ADS-B Out system installations and airworthiness approvals. In it you’ll find the recommended flight profiles and maneuvers to perform on the flight test. Worth mentioning is that a typical FAR 91.413 transponder test wont check a 1090ES transponders ADS-B data output.
A favorite topic of post-flight barroom chatter is anguish over the price of new airplanes and the heartfelt conviction the industry could build a $40,000 airplane if it adopted automotive manufacturing methods. If youre a believer in that, your ship has arrived in the new Vashon Ranger LSA.But it doesnt cost $40,000, its $100,000 and it may be a push to deliver on that. Against the limits of low volume, the Ranger at that price is still a high-value proposition and the company-an offshoot of Dynon Avionics-sees the Ranger as potentially nothing less than a modern iteration of the Cessna 150, with a dash of modest adventure flyer thrown in.
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. …
When I rounded up over a half dozen compact flight totes for a shootout in the January 2017 Aviation Consumer, the Sportys iPad Bag and MyGoFlight PLC Sport Bag were easy winners. They were just the right size for housing the stuff I typically take flying-mainly action cams and accessories, a Bose headset and an iPad Mini.
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.
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.
One of the questions we get from readers is whether they can cut their aircraft ownership costs by entering into a lease agreement with their local Part 135 operator. Theyd like their airplanes to generate income by being flown on charters by the operators pilots while the owners sit comfortably at home in front of the TV. Our response: It sounds good if you say it fast, but the downside can be terribly expensive for the owner. Anyone considering leasing her or his airplane to a Part 135 operator should go in with eyes wide open and a full understanding of the procedures and costs involved in putting an airplane onto a 135 operating certificate and keeping it there.
An acquaintance who pilots an MD 500 helicopter while barefoot says her bare feet on the pedals makes her one with the machine like no pair of shoes can. I get the need for feel, but to protect her toes, I suggested compromising with barefoot running shoes. I even stopped flying in shorts because Im paranoid of a cabin fire.
For the past few years, the Innovation Center at AirVenture is the place to visit if youre even slightly interested in electric mobility, flying cars and UAVs. Sure, its a place for dreamers but dreams spark reality, I suppose. This year while doing a video shoot there on the Workhorse SureFly helicopter/VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) personal aircraft, it was obvious that some of the dream machines are getting bigger-as in big enough that people would actually fly in some of them. The majority in the steady crowd of onlookers waiting in the long line to climb into the sleek SureFly seemed like they would and thats a good sign for market acceptance.
I read Larry Anglisanos First Word commentary about the shrinking ANR headset market in the August 2017 Aviation Consumer and was sur- prised that the $895 David Clark DC One-X, launched in March 2016, was not mentioned among the others in the premium headset category. In developing this headset, it was cer- tainly our intention to target the premium ANR headset market and the success of this product, as we’ll as the response from the pilot community, con rms that we hit the mark.
Warbird ownership: Its not for the faint of heart, but there’s nothing like it, according to warbird owner and airshow pilot Stan Musick. While it takes cubic money to acquire and operate big-time warbirds-WWII fighter, bombers and transports and post-war jets-the path toward owning and safely operating an airplane in the major league of general aviation is the same for those armed with bags of money or simply determination: Youve got to spend quality time in the minor leagues first.
