With its pusher engine sticking up high on the fuselage, and a sleek bow that tightly cuts the water line, a Lake amphib has plenty of cool factor. But we’re not convinced these are the most forgiving machines for inexperienced seaplane sticks, and we’re certain you don’t want to buy one that has been neglected, […]
Believe most of the things you’ve heard about the Aviat Husky backwoods taildragger. Yes, the Husky is just as good at sliding down GPS approaches at big-city fields as it is plopping down on a sandbar at your favorite adventure destination. Unapologetically designed with the Super Cub firmly in mind, Aviat gets credit for marketing […]
Not every seaplane pilot has the means or the skills to run around in that Boss 182 refurbished amphib pictured to the right. There it’s on display at AirVenture last summer at the Lake Winnebago seaplane base—a good place for potential owners to put eyes on a huge variety of seaplane models in action. With […]
The rumors of spring have proven to be founded—which means that the thoughts of pilots are turning to … seaplanes. After winter’s unpleasantness the idea of landing on remote lakes to do a little fishing or dive in for a cooling dip on a hot day causes the prospect of adding on a seaplane rating […]
HOME CO DETECTORS? I thoroughly enjoy each and every issue of Aviation Consumer. Recently, when working around the house, I came upon a wall-mounted CO detector. It is battery powered and fairly compact. I was wondering about using it in the plane as a viable CO detector. What are your thoughts on this? I know […]
Search the light twin market and inevitably you’ll come across Piper’s PA-23 series. But all PA-23 models certainly aren’t created equal and you won’t mistake an early Apache for a late-model Aztec—in looks or performance. As far back as we can remember, the two airplanes generally serve different purposes. The Apache has long been used […]
The combination of insurers watching accidents and resulting claims go down as the amount of recurrent training taken by pilots goes up has slowly but steadily caused more and more aircraft owners to discover that they must take some form of annual training to insure their machines. We’ll look at insurance requirements, how you can […]
Like the Bonanza single, the Beech Baron gets high marks from pilots for its solid and predictable handling, good construction and comfortable cabin. Plus, with its rear cabin door, the Baron 58 series is passenger friendly and easier to load stuff inside compared to the smaller Baron 55 twin. The other thing the Baron has […]
Buyers shopping the single-engine retrac market might overlook the Commander singles—a mistake, in our estimation. With a relatively roomy cabin accessed via dual doors, sturdy build quality, decent loading and stable handling that suits IFR flying, these Lycoming-powered airplanes are appealing. They don’t have blazing speed, but for many, the 114/115 models might be fast […]
It happens—you need to have your airplane moved from one airport to another, but you simply can’t do it when the need arises. The good news is that there are lots of options available to you. Depending on the specific needs of the move involved, those options can range from surprisingly reasonable to breathtakingly expensive. […]
Speed and efficiency go hand in hand with the Mooney M20-series airframe. But bolt on a high-flying turbocharged engine and the performance gets kicked up several notches. These days there is tight competition in the used turbocharged single market—mainly from Cirrus, a company that’s been hugely successful with the fixed-gear turbo SR22T. And though Mooney […]
You flew a Diamond DA-40 Star because it has a stick and superb handling; you took aerobatic instruction because you wanted more than just plain vanilla aviating. Now you’re thinking hard about focusing on an airplane that is outside the mainstream—vintage, antique, dedicated aerobatic machine or a warbird—but you’re unsure where to start and how […]
