Accessories

While stepping up to a glass panel may appear to offer lower maintenance bills and downtime, it’s just as likely that when the all-in cost of ownership is added up—including data revisions—glass could cost more than a well-kept steam gauge panel. Glass ownership is fraught with unexpected costs that many owners seem unprepared for. Routine costs might include optional upgrades, which offer system improvements and additional features. Some of these are free through manufacturer-provided software downloads, but cost several hours of billable shop labor to perform. For aging systems, some repairs could run thousands of dollars, especially if you haven’t purchased an extended warranty. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the maintenance issues you might expect with glass panel ownership.

Protecting your cabin and pricey electronics from damaging ultraviolet rays should be a priority. If your aircraft lives outside, chances are you’ve invested in a cabin cover, but you might not use it for short parking stays on transient ramps. Cabin window sunscreens can be a good alternative. They’ll reduce cabin heat while keeping the sun from frying avionics, cabin accessories and interior components while also deterring theft. We judge sunscreens on three primary traits: Fit, durability and ease of storage. When they fit properly, they keep the sun out and reduce cabin heat. Good durability means they’ll continue to fit properly and stay in one piece after repeated manhandling and sloppy stowage.

Active noise reduction (ANR) headsets are a terrific investment. But not everyone can afford the $400-$1100 to baby the ears of occasional riders. Sennheiser thinks they have a good solution in the passive (non-ANR) version of their S1 Digital headset. We half agree, finding it an exceedingly comfortable headset, but only up to the challenge of cutting the noise in quieter cockpits. The S1 Passive inherited several features from the S1 Digital. The ear pads are thick, with a special “eyeglass zone” of extra pliant foam right where sunglass or eyeglass temples would pass under the earseals. Our experience was good even with thick sunglasses, but there is still some air leakage compared to no glasses at all.

When Dynon surged into the lead for uncertified EFIS systems with the D100, D180 and later the Skyview, we knew it was only a question of time before they stuffed that technology into a portable. So it was no surprise that the D1 Pocket Panel appeared just ahead of AirVenture. If this gadget works as we’ll for others as it did for us, we have little doubt it will become a good choice for owners seeking backups for their creaky vacuum instruments. Dynon has cleverly packaged the D1 so as to be not mistaken for anything even suggesting a permanent mount. That should avoid any eruptions from the odd rogue FSDO inspector.

The GDL 39 is robust in more ways than one. It’s a solid performer, starting up fast and picking up ADS-B ground stations as soon or sooner than any of the systems we’ve tried. As you’d imagine from a Garmin product, the GPS is built in. Reception was flawless on our test trip from Portland, Maine, to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, paired to both a Garmin 796 aera and an iPad. While we didn’t test it, the GDL 39 can pair with two devices via Bluetooth and one via a cable all at once. The aera currently requires the cable, but the 796 has Bluetooth built in and will connect wirelessly in the future. The GDL 39 is also big. The unit is about the size of a sardine can, and the optional battery almost doubles that size. This is noticeably larger than the popular Stratus and could be a shipping box for a pair of Sage-tech or Dual ADS-B receivers.

The GDL 39 is robust in more ways than one. It’s a solid performer, starting up fast and picking up ADS-B ground stations as soon or sooner than any of the systems we’ve tried. As you’d imagine from a Garmin product, the GPS is built in. Reception was flawless on our test trip from Portland, Maine, to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, paired to both a Garmin 796 aera and an iPad. While we didn’t test it, the GDL 39 can pair with two devices via Bluetooth and one via a cable all at once. The aera currently requires the cable, but the 796 has Bluetooth built in and will connect wirelessly in the future. The GDL 39 is also big. The unit is about the size of a sardine can, and the optional battery almost doubles that size. This is noticeably larger than the popular Stratus and could be a shipping box for a pair of Sage-tech or Dual ADS-B receivers.

We don’t envy Italian GPS veteran AvMap in their attempt to compete in today’s world of cockpit iPad and with Garmin’s well-rounded line of portable navigators. Garmin and Apple all but own the aviation GPS and mapping market. Still, we’ve been impressed with nearly every model of AvMap navigator we’ve tested over the years. The company has a knack for offering high-end mapping displays packaged in a case that’s convenient and rugged enough to throw around the most hostile cockpit. And so it goes with the new flagship EKP-V. We were surprised that the latest-generation EKP doesn’t have a touchscreen. But the unit’s utilitarian capability and brilliant screen take the bite out of this shortcoming. Some might even prefer it.

Most communications radios are designed for installation into a traditional radio stack. That’s great for traditional panels, but they can be a non-starter in classic LSA and ultralight craft. The market offers few choices other than Becker Avionics for standalone comm radios that fit in tight spaces. Now UK-based Trig Avionics offers a worthy alternative with the TY-91 and TY-92 transceivers. Trig is best known for their innovative and space-saving transponder solutions, including the recently certified TT22 ADS-B unit. The new TY-91 and TY-92 comm radios are pitched to complement the similarly packaged transponders, adding to the growing Trig product line.

There’s nothing wrong with a paper logbook. It’s simple, cheap and satisfying to use. But digital logbooks automatically back up, total your time for insurance, an 8710 or duty limits, and, if it’s on a mobile device, are always with you. We were shocked how many options there were for logging via an app, either as a standalone solution or paired with desktop versions. Luckily, a few solutions distinguished themselves from the pack. LogTen Pro exists both as an iOS logbook and a desktop program for the Mac. What we found impressive was that the iOS apps are almost as burly as the desktop version—better in some ways. The two obviously can synchronize, but it’s not necessary, especially with the big-screen interface of an iPad.

Garmin’s Pilot MyCast app has been an outlier in the Garmin family. Now it’s been revised and rebranded as simply Garmin Pilot. The changes bring some welcome improvements and make navigation similar to other Garmin products. The core change is in navigation, with a home function that calls up big-button navigation similar to the aera or GTN navigators. Functionally, it’s basically the same as Pilot MyCast, but it’s simplified and, we think, more intuitive. There’s also a dedicated direct-to button, just like other new Garmin navigators. Press and hold on the map view and you will get something Garmin calls the “radial menu.” This is a context-sensitive pop-up offering a ring of three to six large, turbulence-friendly buttons for quick weather, airport or airspace info, flight plan editing or direct-to.

We’re told that somewhere there’s an Israeli air tactics manual that contains the line, “Speed is life.” Good thinking for fighter pilots, but down here in the more mundane world of GA, it’s probably more appropriate to say, “Angle of attack is life.” AoA sensors in GA airplanes are as rare as $4 avgas, so we use airspeed as a proxy to get the right angle for approach and landing. One problem with airspeed is that most of us only know the right airspeed for gross weight at sea level on a standard day. If we’re light, we tend to come in fast and curse the floating landing that ensues. The other end of the problem is getting too slow, or pulling the plane into a high-g-loading stall far above the wings-level stalling speed. The result when at low altitude can be grisly.

Several years ago at Oshkosh, we saw a unit called the Angel that was designed to add Bluetooth connectivity to a headset, complete with a full telephone keypad and music inputs. The product looked promising, but we never got one to test before the company vanished into the great aviation business abyss. The Angel was licensed and improved upon by the well-respected Headsets, Inc., of Amarillo, Texas, (who also acquired and now sells the DRE line of headsets). The reborn device is called the Lynx. It’s available as a $449 device to add Bluetooth and other features to your current headset, or for $599 you can get it mated up to the DRE 6001 ANR headset as a complete unit. Considering the DRE 6001 is normally $476 on its own, that has the makings of a pretty good deal.