Just when we thought the market had enough personal satellite trackers, Garmin tosses the inReach Messenger in the ring. Think simple, small and fairly priced—all good things for those needing another layer of backstop when flying outside of cellular coverage. Like the other inReach models in Garmin’s lineup, the $299 Messenger uses the subscription-based Iridium […]
As the average age of general aviation pilots continues to climb—during a “hard” insurance market—we hear horror stories of pilots being unable to find coverage, having coverage canceled or facing premium price increases they simply cannot afford. As we started our look into the matter, we found consistent evidence that once a pilot hits 70 […]
A deterrent for using supplemental oxygen—especially in tight cabins—is having to deal with the hardware, including the bottle and oxygen lines strung every which way. Aithre, which has been cranking out decent portable solutions, has developed a hard-mounted system called the AVI C. I took a look at the system at AirVenture this past summer where […]
Giving Cirrus and Diamond their due, “crashworthy” doesn’t immediately leap to mind when thinking about little airplanes. The vast majority of the fleet is old school, with little flail space, single diagonal seatbelts and many aircraft with non-energy-absorbing seats. Most of us just grit our teeth and fly on. Improved seatbelts are a plus as […]
In response to the “After the Dust Settles: Protecting Yourself” article (November 2021 Aviation Consumer) on dealing with a post-crash aftermath, including subsequent regulatory realities, we got a letter from (and had a subsequent meeting with) Tom Haueter, who offered a behind-the-scenes look at accident—and in particular, incident—investigations and what it means to general aviation […]
Over the past year or so we’ve been getting plenty of reports from pilots slapped by the sobering reality that the current insurance market has sunset their flying career. The trend is pretty clear: These are pilots north of 70 years old—many flying twins, turbines and even small tailwheel airplanes—who on paper have spotless flying […]
On Dec. 20, 2021, the NTSB issued Aviation Investigative Report AIR-22-01 urging the FAA to require carbon monoxide detectors in piston-engine, enclosed-cockpit aircraft and asking pilot industry groups to encourage their members to install CO detectors with active aural or visual alerting and proactively ensure thorough exhaust inspections. The full text of the AIR may […]
Last December, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) created a stir by publishing a recommendation calling for the FAA to require that all enclosed-cabin piston-engine aircraft be equipped with a low-level carbon monoxide (CO) detector and that aviation alphabet organizations inform their members about the dangers of CO poisoning, encourage them to install CO detectors […]
That’s the least of the chores at hand. A woman who lives in Wethersfield, Connecticut, said she was nearly mowed down by a low-flying airplane when she was walking her dog. It was flying so low, she claimed, the pair had to duck. And so goes one piece of the buffoonery that doesn’t help the […]
Tailwheel airplanes inspire passion at a level probably unmatched in any other segment of the flying community. It’s reflected in the abundance of associated cliches, including “You aren’t a real pilot unless you fly tailwheel.” The airplanes can be incredibly fun and challenging to um, well—land. The dirty secret about tailwheel pilots is that while […]
Here’s an unfortunate scenario. You’re sliding down a visual approach at dusk with the speed nailed, the wind calm and bright LEDs lighting up the pavement. You settle into the flare and hit hard enough to bounce back in the air where the oscillations begin. Despite your thousands of flight hours, your insurer isn’t impressed […]
REDBIRD SIM FIELD REPORT I thought you would like a field report on my recent purchase of a Redbird TD2 flight simulator. I fly a G36 Bonanza with Garmin G1000 NXi integrated avionics. The total cost of the setup delivered to me in Orientat, North Carolina, was $15,635. I bought the expanded screens, table and […]
