In our view, Lightspeeds recently introduced third-generation Zulu3 ANR headset is a nicely executed improvement to a product that already works well. Its predecessor-the Zulu2-excelled in a crowded market of high-end ANR models because it was simple, comfortable and had the modern features buyers want, but at a price thats substantially cheaper than a Bose A20.
Surrendering your engine to an overhaul shop has a bit of a dice roll to it. Shops quote prices for the overhauls, but theyre based on a repairable or serviceable core. That means a good crankshaft and a crankcase and either or both could be junk, propelling the overhaul into blank-check territory in the blink of an eye.
After delays, the FAA transitioned from the domestic IFR flight plan form (7233-1) to the 7233-4 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) form this past January. Its your ticket to flying in RVSM airspace and utilizing ADS-B services. Plus, you can use it for operating under VFR within the Washington, D.C., special flight rules area.
For pilots who regularly use their airplanes to travel, having ice protection beyond a heated pitot tube often goes from the nice to have column to the I really need it column when considering upgrades to the family machine-especially if there’s recently been a pucker-inducing encounter. We did a survey of whats available for retrofit and found, to our surprise and pleasure, that some form of retrofit de-icing system is available for just about any high-performance piston single or twin.
The way we see it, if the Trio Avionics Pro Pilot autopilot is proven in experimentals like the Vans RV series, its ready for duty in Cessna Skyhawks and Skylanes. If the ongoing certification process falls into place, California-based Trio Avionics plans to bring an STC-approved version of the Pro Pilot to AirVenture 2017. With a post-installation price thats targeted below $10,000, we think the market would embrace it as an alternative to an S-Tec system.
Military pilots are trained for and thus accustomed to flying airplanes with thrust enough to slap the eyeballs back into their sockets. Blackhawks new XP140 conversion for the staid Cessna Caravan doesnt quite deliver that kind of punch, but there’s a hint of it from the lofty left seat. Blackhawk has had great success in plying the niche of Pratt & Whitney PT6A-powered airplanes that the factory just didnt get quite right for lack of available power or just marketing considerations.
Were not suggesting you learn how to completely disassemble and reassemble the landing gear on the aircraft you fly, but instead, knowing what the system looks like when its stowed in the wheel wells and fully extended will give you a better mental picture and help you spot something thats out of place during your preflight. Since landing gear designs are all over the board-from stone simple to incredibly complex-it pays to spend some money on shop labor and have your mechanic put the aircraft on jacks so you can observe a gear retraction and extension.
I want to replace the taxi lights on my Piper Malibu with LED equivalents. This seems to be quite the grey area. My airplane came from the factory with the Whelen A775 series recognition/taxi lights. There is no TSO or PMA for these units because Piper approves the installation under the original type design. Whelen recently introduced the 71888 series, which are fit, form and functional equivalents to the original A775.
Stemmes Twin Voyager S12 next-generation motorglider might be the ultimate niche aircraft. Its not intended for IFR flying and carrying more than two people is out of the question. Despite an impressive 53:1 glide ratio, its not regarded as a competition glider, although it has set world records. But for as many things as the German-made S12 is not, it does so many things we’ll enough that, like previous S-series models, it promises to thrive in a class of its own.
In 2015 there were 384 deaths in general aviation accidents. According to the FAA, the cause of the majority was loss of control (LOC). The FAAs definition of LOC is an unintended departure of the aircraft from controlled flight. We think that the discussion of LOC should be more encompassing. Of concern to us-which became part of the impetus for this article-is that Aviation Consumers research into aircraft accidents on a model-by-model basis for its monthly Used Aircraft Guide points to LOC as the cause of the majority of all general aviation accidents, not just those involving fatalities.
After years of hemming and hawing, the piston aircraft engine industry could be finally coming to its senses by embracing electronic ignition. Electroair has been selling electronic ignitions for a couple of years, and now SureFly-a company stemming from Sky-Tek (starters) and Plane-Power (alternators)-is nearing FAA certification of an electronic replacement it calls the SIM, for SureFly Ignition Module. I recently visited with Granbury, Texas-based SureFly for a close look at the product. Heres a report.
Think beyond oil filter technology because even the most modern filters simply cant filter out water, acid and blow-by gasses. Blow-by is a smorgasbord of raw and partially burned aviation fuel, carbon dioxide and tiny lead particles that sneak past ring seals, eventually forming damaging sludge and deposits in the engine. Consider that the majority of wear on the surface of lifters and cams comes from abrasive particles (ingested dirt, sand and silicon dioxide, for example) in the 10-micron range-far smaller than the 60-micron filtering capabilities of a paper oil filter.
