BOSE ON THE NEW A30
Regarding the flight trial report on the new Bose A30 in the June 2023 issue of Aviation Consumer, I think Editor Larry Anglisano hit all the key points, as usual, and he got it all right.
But I would like to make one point of clarification. Our goal with the A30 was to make it useful to a broader range of pilots flying a broader range of aircraft. As Larry noted, we knew some of the features would not have much appeal to a GA pilot, for example, but they would be useful for someone flying an airliner or big corporate jet. Thanks for a great report.
Hratch Astarjian – Bose Corporation
Fair enough. Astarjian is talking about the user-adjustable multiple ANC (Acoustic Noise Canceling) modes, plus the talk-through tap control that makes it easier to listen to voices and sounds outside of the headset. We agree—both features can be useful in quiet turbine cockpits.
MORE ON CERAMIC FINISHES
A buddy and I were discussing ceramic aircraft finishes and we both reread your two reports on them (July 2021 and the long-term follow-up in the November 2022 Aviation Consumer). Both were excellent.
However, while they both talked of UV protection, neither report talked about protection of surfaces for aircraft not stored in hangars. In other words, how will the finish work for aircraft tied down in the elements? I would think more aircraft are kept outdoors than indoors as hangar space is at a premium, even in lesser populated areas, like where I base.
Larry Weitzman – Hurricane, Utah
At the time of our field report, a turboprop we had professionally treated with ceramic coating spent a good percentage of time outside in many areas of the country and the finish held up well. Since then, we’ve gotten other favorable reports from folks storing ceramic-treated finishes outside. We’re still convinced that a properly applied, high-quality ceramic finish is the best way to protect the paint and other surfaces exposed to the elements.
UNLEADED AVGAS MAIL KEEPS COMING
Just wanted to say a big thanks to Rick Durden for his recent commentary (July 2023 Aviation Consumer) and taking a bold stand on the pathetic situation with EAGLE and the continuing campaign for “any solution except GAMI’s.” I hope others in the aviation press will follow Aviation Consumer’s lead and start doing some actual reporting instead of just parroting the EAGLE press releases.
These are the very same players that were obstructing progress over a decade ago when I served on the FAA’s UAT-ARC. They publicly and collectively tried to discredit the STC process back then. Privately, the government affairs representatives from EAA, AOPA and OEMs pulled me aside to “explain” why I needed to get with the program and ignore anyone seeking an STC. They also tried to discredit the actual science involved and that George Braly/GAMI were unqualified amateurs who just did not understand how complicated this was.
It’s interesting that so much has not changed in all these years, except we now actually have an approved drop-in solution—and it’s what the naysayers claimed would never be. Thanks again for your good work. I think you represent the GA owners’ and pilots’ interests well.
Jonathan Sisk – Lexington, Kentucky
DELTAHAWK’S NEW ENGINE
Thank you for the extremely thorough report and your valued input on the DeltaHawk DHK180 engine in the July 2023 Aviation Consumer. I agree with your assessment that the company has a lot of work ahead of it—years, probably—to convince a skeptical market and to wrack up some useful STC approvals for installation. I also agree that the market has never been more ripe for fresh engine tech. I fly my turbocharged single 200-plus hours per year for business and would make the investment if I knew the DHK was a winner. I’ll be watching it from the sidelines, for now.
Doug Velardi – via email
