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[IMGCAP(1)]For many of us, flying means getting from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible without breaking the bank. Thoughts of the owners next airplane typically involve such things as bigger engines, retractable gear, turbocharging and the like.

But there’s a whole different flying experience, one where its enough just to get aloft and enjoy a fine day, perhaps throwing in a few lazy loops and rolls along the way – true recreational flying. The explosion of the homebuilt and ultralight industry in recent years is testament to the demand for simple, inexpensive airplanes suited to this relaxed mode of flight. But for those who don’t fancy experimentals, choices are few and far…

[IMGCAP(1)]For those who want to fly on a tight budget, the diminutive Grumman AA-1 certainly seems an appealing choice. Priced consistently below other two-seaters (and down in the territory of an average automobile), its a relative bargain. Plus, its faster, more modern, structurally simpler and is, well, sexier than airplanes like the Cessna 150/152. It appears to be an ideal choice for pilots who simply want to get aloft for as little money as possible.

But there’s a raft of caveats facing anyone considering the purchase of an AA-1. This is an airplane that, though marketed as a primary trainer, is not we’ll suited for the task when compared to more docile designs like the 152 or To…

Its probably just easier to ignore it but sooner or later, you’ll have to slide under your airplane and confront the greasy mess on the belly. This is an exercise limited to lying on your back and swinging your arms wildly about your head, hopefully not in vain. Plan on getting wet and dirty.

Having the right cleaning material helps. In fact, picking an effective degreaser makes or breaks the entire job. Some wont touch months of solidified goo while others will take it right off, along with most of the paint, not to mention the top surface of the underlying aluminum.

There are literally dozens if not hundreds of cleaning and degreasing products on the market. We didnt try them all…

We have seen the future and for a glimpse of it, turn the page.

But in the world of GPS navigators, the future-at least one that you can buy-is still six months to a year away and if youre ready to upgrade now, with an eye toward buying something that wont be obsolete before the ink on your check dries, what to do?

Two companies-Garmin and IIMorrow-have stepped into the breach with GPS mapcoms specifically designed to fill the gap between the first round of IFR navigators and the soon-to-be WAAS boxes that will set us on course for the bold world of sole means satnav.

But get em while theyre hot. We see these mapcoms as interim products; theyll soon be overshadowed by glamme…

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So youve had enough of stultifying straight-and-level cross countries and $100 hamburgers and what common sense you had before getting into flying has finally dissolved. What you really want is an aerobatic airplane, something you can wring out on a Saturday afternoon and maybe even use for some novice competition flying.

Where to start? Interestingly, the selection of aerobatic airplanes is quite large. You can buy a new production model capable of a modest Sportsman sequence or a Herculean off-the-shelf Unlimited competitor. Money, of course, is the only object.

In this article, we’ll examine used production aircraft, with an emphasis on the low end of the price scal…

Pilot Watches
I found the article on watches somewhat helpful, presenting a point of view much different from how I have always viewed this subject. Was the author clever or mistaken? Im not sure.

First of all, the things I use a watch for are the things he says you shouldnt or that are not important. Keeping the Zulu time and local time straight has often been a challenge for me, so I have used the second time zone feature of inexpensive watches to keep Zulu time always stored.

I think thats important-there’s nothing more embarrassing than talking to FSS and trying to explain that you wanted to take off at 1400 local…what Zulu was that again? Is it daylight savi…

Elbert D. Botts decided that white lines painted on the surface of the road werent effective at night or in the rain, so he invented Botts Dots: Raised pavement marker dots that separate highway lanes. The rumble of tires they create is supposed to alert you if you wander out of your chosen lane.

Thats the principle behind altitude alerting systems. You dial a target altitude into the device and it beeps or chimes if you wander off your assigned altitude. Big-dollar jets and sophisticated autopilots have this feature as standard equipment and its usually is part of an altitude pre-select system. (See sidebar, page 20.)

For the rest of us, there’s the Icarus AltAlert 3070G,…

In a major aerospace medicine text I have, air sickness is defined as a state of diminished health characterized by specific symptoms that occur in conjunction with and in response to unaccustomed conditions existing in ones motional environment.

The pilots translation of this is puking your guts out, aka the power yawn or just plain urping on your shoes.

Air sickness is a common reason why student pilots quit and why many potential pilots never even start training. Its also a frequent problem for neophyte aerobatic pilots and affects passengers even more often, to the extent that a surprising number of aircraft owners cant coax spouses or children into their airplanes….

Firefly Debate
Good article on the T3A debacle in the February issue. A question that came to mind was why not just buy new 172s to replace the aging fleet of T41s? Instead of spending $10 million just to investigate the T3A engine stoppage problem, an entire fleet of 110 C-172s would have cost around $14 million. Our tax dollars in action. Your article and the above question is going to my Congressman and senators.

Your Mooney Predator article repeats a bit of mis-information that Ive seen before whenever you write about Mooneys. That is, roll is especially stiff due to the use of push-pull tubes rather than cables. I would be very interested to learn more about this. P…

Do you absolutely, positively need an electronic engine monitor? Or are they really just cleverly packaged microprocessors competing for the bucks youd otherwise spend on a new navcomm?

Consider the science and physics of airplane engines. Theyre nothing but heat engines, converting thermal energy to useful power. The temperature of various parts of the engine, therefore, is a useful indicator of the engines health, power output and efficiency. In short, engine monitors offer an inside look at engine operation that the standard cockpit instruments cant touch.

The market is flush with choices. Besides price, a key differentiation between the various models of monitors is the num…

The cheapest flight insurance around comes not from your friendly underwriter-shopping broker but in the form of a little plastic cup that most owners take for granted.

With prices from $4.95 to $15.95, fuel testers don’t get much thought. Just root around for whatever is stuffed into the seat pocket, drain a slug of gas and get on your way.

Nonetheless, a couple of companies have taken a new look at the lowly fuel tester and none too soon, now that owners of new Cessna 172s are confronted with 13 sumps to drain and many airports have begun to frown on the practice of dumping gas on the ramp. It chews up the asphalt and, over time, leads to soil and water contamination. Although t…

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The history of aircraft marketing is littered with the corroded carcasses of the has been, the never was and the shouldve been. One of the more intriguing examples of the latter is Mooneys entry into the Enhanced Flight Screener sweepstakes in 1991.

Mooneys plan was simple. Win the EFS contract, use the governments cash to develop and certify the thing, then spin off a civilian variant.

Now you can order a civilian EFS enthused Mooneys optimistic promo of 1991, which will be in production in early 1992. The brochure promised full aerobatic certification under FAR 23 and the best power-to-weight-ratio of any Mooney ever built, delivering a 180-knot cruise and…