Search Results for: insurance

Among the late 1940s fun flyers, the Coupe was both sporty and innovative. These aircraft are now affordable classics.

In this group, the Beechcraft 36-series seems to shine, with an admirably low overall accident rate.

With owners hopping mad over aircraft grounded with bad crankshafts, Lycoming struggles to contain the damage.

No Toyota For Me
I read all of the articles in Aviation Consumer and your sister publications and usually find them interesting. I never (until now) felt it was important to reply to an article.

Im sorry, Paul Bertorelli, but I wont be standing in line to buy one of the Toyota aircraft, even if it is actually produced. don’t know who A. Sandy Munro is and don’t care. If it is fine with him to have another country drop their excess production in the U.S. produced by employees who make next to nothing in their own country, so be it. It isn’t fine with me.

Even if they partially assemble (as with autos) in this country, I wont be there buying one. If insurance costs are…

Cirrus Accidents
I have an aerospace manufacturing background and when I went to the Cirrus factory last spring, I was impressed with the manufacturing discipline and the redundant fail-safe features of the design.

They have done a lot to assure that the systems are easy to learn and very pilot friendly. This will sell a lot of airplanes. The Cirrus is a delight to fly and most everything about it is attractive.

But the fact that you are told not to spin it, and if you do, to use the ballistic chute, is a serious problem, in my opinion. At best, IFR flying for a low-time pilot is a challenge. Recovery from unusual attitudes is part of the IFR agenda.

Also, many pilo…

Its hardly the fastest twin but its reliable, easy to maintain and insure and its one of only three piston twins still in production.

We think AeroLog offers the best value, with Logbook Pro as a close second.

A string of accidents has given Cirrus a poor initial safety record. One insurer is balking and others are watching.

A bigger engine and more speed make the Hawk XP a favorite among ownersbored by the standard 172.

Cellular Comments
We greatly appreciated your excellent article on satellite and cellular communications for pilots in the June issue of Aviation Consumer.

As we prepared for the flight of the New Spirit of St. Louis, we initially planned to use Iridium equipment primarily as a substitute for heavier and less reliable HF communications over the ocean. However, during our domestic test flights and transcontinental flights, we quickly became convinced of the tremendous utility satellite communication offers all pilots.

We were so impressed with the Iridium unit and services that we acquired through Blue Sky Network, of LaJolla, California, ( Read More »

Despite what some manufacturers say, you really need one. A fan is cheap insurance to stave off heat-related failures.

Simple Green?
I recall an article that said Simple Green caused corrosion to aluminum. However, in doing a search, I only find articles recommending the product. Can Simple Green be used to clean an aircraft?

-Kevin D. Padrick
Sunriver, Oregon

Yes says the manufacturer of Simple Green, no say the Air Force and Navy.

Simple Green is a household cleaner thats mildly alkaline. Its manufacturer, Sunshine Makers, Inc., says the aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green…can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times of…Simple Green…with unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow…never f…