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The requirement of a third class medical, which has been shown to provide absolutely no safety enhancement over a drivers license medical, has disenfranchised many private pilots, hurting general aviation.

Icon was launched in 2006 with the stated goal of revolutionizing the general aviation industry with a sexy, two-place sport amphibian marketed not through traditional aviation channels but using methods common to the motorsports market. Icon also promised new business practices and its buyer agreement certainly qualified.

Given its luxury panache, the DA62 seems more likely to become the personal ride for owners wealthy enough to afford it. And given that it is, in our view, the most sophisticated airplane Diamond has ever offered, we think those buyers arent likely to be disappointed.

Several years ago when it was looking like FAA-mandated ADS-B equipage was a sure thing, buyers logically envisioned an easy path to compliance with a transponder. That came early on with Garmins upgradable GTX330. But it was only a partial solution.

Some OEMs include speedbrakes as standard or as an option on new aircraft, and theyve been available for years as STCd retrofit systems. Fitting speedbrakes in the aftermarket may seem like a complicated project, and while its a major modification, the installation is easier than you might think-as easy as cutting holes (rectangles, actually) in metal wings can be, that is. In this article we’ll look at the two and only aftermarket speedbrake systems, the installation, real-world use and the cost.

Even if the likes of a Cirrus or Lancair hadnt come along, builders of metal airplanes like the Mooney M20 series were headed for a box. As volume diminished, the airplanes remained as complex as ever to build, with thousands of hand operations and individual parts. Economy of scale had evaporated.

The day had started out so well. You flew out to meet with a client and wrapped up a big sale. On the way home you got some time in the clag and shot an approach to your non-towered home field. You broke out we’ll above minimums and easily spotted the runway. But then, somehow, you didnt handle the crosswind during rollout and went swerving off the runway into the grass. To make matters worse, just before you got the airplane stopped the nose gear hit a hidden storm-drain cover and collapsed.

A number of readers contacted us, attaching copies of the ad depicted below showing a Tundra tire-equipped Husky perched in the high country. The readers either asked if the numbers were true or claimed they were what comes out of the south end of a northbound bovine. We found that unless the airplane is stripped […]

Portable ADS-B In isn’t that complicated. It requires a 978 MHz receiver for weather and some traffic, a simple computer that converts those signals to a common protocol and transmits the results via Wi-Fi. You can pump up system performance with a second 1090 MHz traffic receiver, GPS position and AHRS. So if you had the right shopping list, the software to put on the computer and a little technical savvy, you should be able make your own. And thats exactly what the Stratux is. We built one and discovered: Yes, you can build a working portable ADS-B receiver with parts ordered off Amazon. No, its not just as good as an Appareo Stratus 2S. And, yes, it will work with ForeFlight-at least for now.

Early detection is the key to cabin pressurization failures and thats precisely the purpose of the $399 Aviation Technology AltAlert personal cabin pressure sensor. The six-ounce AltAlert measures 3.0 by 1.75 by 0.75 inches and can be mounted on a flat surface, clipped to a sun visor or worn on clothing. Powered by a 3-volt lithium CR2032 coin battery, the device utilizes an internal algorithmic software program to sense cabin pressure and rate of climb by way of a temperature corrected pressure sensor.

In the heady days of the 1960s and 1970s, personal airplane manufacturers were heavily invested in marketing their products the same way Detroit had been selling cars: Get new owners hooked on an entry-level model, offer several step-up models and make annual but incremental improvements. Just as Detroits Big Three had dealer networks, Beech, Cessna and Piper had them also, offering everything from primary flight training to maintenance, rental and charter.

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