In a matter of less than three decades composite props have gone from interesting curiosities on homebuilt airplanes to widely accepted original equipment on new production airplanes and almost universally available aftermarket replacements for metal props on legacy birds. While still more expensive than their aluminum counterparts, the advantages of composite propellers in terms of […]
If you put the brakes on a big avionics upgrade because of the eye-watering price and lead time, you likely considered used equipment. In normal times that might not be a bad plan, but the market isn’t exactly what I consider normal. Have prices of pre-owned electronics skyrocketed as they have for aircraft? You bet […]
Engines, exhaust systems, propellers, cabin vents and aging door and window seals are just a handful of sources that can make the typical aircraft cabin a miserable place to spend hours on end. It’s also a path to irreversible hearing damage. How do you know if your cabin is too noisy? Fly in a comparably […]
Paint work is a big investment, with sizeable downtime and disassembly—and plenty of opportunity for buyer’s remorse. Doesn’t it make sense to plan every last detail of the paint scheme before pulling the trigger on the project? Surprisingly it doesn’t always happen that way, and plenty of aircraft owners are left with good paint jobs […]
After a one-year hiatus, the big airplanes and pilots who fly them came to Las Vegas for the 2021 NBAA-BACE gathering. The mood was positive, and not unlike the lower-end piston market, things are hopping in the bizjet and turboprop world. New airplane announcements, new avionics projects and certification, retrofit programs for old jets and […]
Lets be realistic-when it comes to avionics installations there isn’t much that can be done in an hour, except getting the aircraft in the hangar and the toolbox rolled out. But since its introduction a couple of years ago, its been said that the now STC-approved and TSO-certified uAvionix skyBeacon wingtip ADS-B Out/LED lighting device is the one-hour ticket to complying with the 2020 mandate.
Aside from connecting to an iPad running the IFD100 app, which adds a second IFD550 display/control set, the navigator connects to a Bluetooth keypad as another option for data entry. Its standard on every IFD model and adds to the choices of how you interact with the navigator. There’s the native hybrid touch, knobs and keys, plus you can interact with the navigator from the iPad and remote keyboard. It really caters to a wide variety of users
If youre in the market for a used Piper PA-46, the good news is there are plenty of them for the taking, plus the oldest ones can be found for around $200,000. Moreover, a Malibu, Mirage or Matrix can wear a lot of hats. For pilots looking for experience in high-altitude, pressurized flying, a Malibu or Mirage is a logical step up. The unpressurized Matrix, with the same cabin as the rest of the PA-46 line, works as a comfortable people hauler with more simplicity and perhaps lower maintenance costs than its pressurized brethren.
It may have been that moment-after our feet had shot upward from the icy ramp while we were trying to pull the Cheetah out of the hangar and we lay there, watching the nosewheel roll toward our nether regions-that we came to like aircraft tugs. We think that an easily maneuverable tug that quickly hooks onto an airplane and can move it without strain reduces the risk not only of injury to the pilot but hangar rash to the airplane.
The oldest SR22 models date back nearly 18 years, where they sold for just south of $400,000. Today you can buy a cherry, first-gen SR22 for less than half. And while there’s little comparison between a G1 and the current SR22T G6, which flirts with $1 million fully loaded, an old Cirrus with updated avionics and a young engine isn’t a bad way to get around.
You might not realize it, but antennas are actually major systems that consist of multiple components. Aside from the antenna itself, there’s the signal cable, RF connectors on both ends of the cable and in some systems, a coupler or splitter. For this reason, you might get sticker shock when your shop gives you a quote for replacement. Truth is, replacing the antenna might be the easy part of the job, especially if the airframe is opened up for an inspection or for other work.
