In the world of Beechcraft step-ups, pilots might start in a Bonanza, move to the Baron and for those not ready for a King Air, consider the Duke. Far from inexpensive ownership, the right Dukes (ones with good upkeep and upgrades) can be good airplanes that serve serious, all-weather traveling. Up a few more notches […]
A new panel upgrade could be a few thousand dollars to the cost of a small home. But don’t forget about the ongoing costs, which include database subscriptions, firmware updates to the avionics hardware, the cost of computer hardware to support the database upgrades, database cards and your time (which for some is priceless). Avionics database […]
Aircraft buyers value the phrase “no damage history” so highly when searching for a flying machine to buy that it has caused a certain subset of aircraft owners and brokers to take sometimes drastic steps to cover up the fact that the airplane they want to sell has been damaged and repaired. After all, if […]
PITOT-STATIC SYSTEMS There’s a lot of good information in your DIY pitot-static system troubleshooting article in the October 2022 Aviation Consumer. I’ve done leak tests myself and the setup can be very simple. Most folks can easily draw the required vacuum with their own lungs. My setup consists of a length of “firm” polyurethane […]
While conducting the extensive research into aging pilots and insurance for this article, I came to realize that, inherent in the aging pilot insurance issues, is the need to talk frankly about the elephant on the flight deck—how does a pilot recognize that it’s time to stop flying as pilot in command? Everyone is aware […]
This September, Apple announced that its new iPhone 14 includes a satellite Emergency SOS feature. The iPhone 14 combines custom components and sensors deeply integrated with new software to allow the iPhone’s antennas to connect directly to a satellite, enabling messaging with emergency services when outside of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. In our view, this […]
With a composite structure, a parachute and sports-sedan-like cabin ergos, the Cirrus SR22 is one of the most modern piston singles, demanding intensive training and aggressive maintenance. And with the earliest SR22 models nearly over 20 years old, there’s a larger variety of used models to pick from. But now is not the time to […]
Back in the day, the Cessna 190 series was marketed as the “Businessliner,” although it really wasn’t the first light aircraft to serve a business traveling role. These airplanes are classics now, but still work we’ll for hauling people and stuff just as they did 80-something years ago. It might look intimidating, but for […]
Cabin fires can have catastrophic outcomes, and while rare, the risk can be greater when you factor in all of the lithium-ion-powered portable devices that get carried on the aircraft. The battery-powered stuff in my Rockwell cabin includes a SPOTx tracker, a Garmin GDL 52 portable ADS-B receiver, a Garmin inReach Mini satcomm, an iPad […]
OWNING THE RARE ONES: INSURANCE MATTERS One of my favorite things to do at AirVenture is walk the Vintage and Warbird parking areas—the ultimate flying museum of old airplanes. This year I noticed there were plenty of interesting and rare classics and warbirds for sale. The beautiful Dornier 28 pictured below was one of many […]
AIRVENTURE 2022: NUMB TO SUPPLY WOES Here at Aviation Consumer, we’ve been covering the supply problem ad nauseam in hopes of setting buyers off on the right heading when upgrading and sourcing tough-to-get consumables. But after covering the show and dealing with supply issues of my own, I’ve come to the realization that the problem, […]
When my wife and I bought our first plane, a beautiful polished V-tail Bonanza, we thought it would be the only plane we’d ever own. That was 20 years ago, and as our family grew, the demands on the plane began to outstrip its capabilities. The obvious step-up to something bigger was the A36 Bonanza—the […]
