Breitling Exospace B55 Connected. A stylish aviator’s smartwatch: Breitling’s new Exospace B55 connected chronograph has the coolest name of any watch we’ve seen lately to go along with a great look and some amazing new features. Unlike other smartwatches, the Exospace line keeps a firm grip on its traditional timepiece roots. The companion smartphone app and Bluetooth connectivity, however, leave no doubt this is a different kind of timepiece. With its rubber strap, the overall look is classy meets sporty. $8,900 MSRP; Buy It Now
The Wright Brothers Collection. Authentic aviation cool: If you’d like to own some stylish and exceptional high-quality aviation gear, and help preserve a piece of aviation history in the process, check out the collection from the Wright Brothers USA. A large portion of the proceeds from the sale of Wright Brothers products goes directly to the Wright Brothers Family Foundation in Dayton, Ohio, to help preserve Hawthorn Hill, the Wright family home. thewrightbrothersstore.com
Sporty’s Responsible Smart Drones. A different kind of flying: You know Sporty’s Pilot Shop for its line of high-quality pilot supplies, from flight bags and headsets to training videos and apps. But did you know Sporty’s is also your headquarters for drones? You’ll find a full line of quadcopters and accessories at sportys.com. The model we like best is the Yuneec Typhoon Q500 with a 4K HD video camera ($1,299). A great feature is Geo Fence, anti-collision technology that prevents users from flying above 300 feet. Don’t forget to register yours with the FAA.
Bose A20: The Bose A20 active noise reduction headset has been on the market for five years, but what you might have missed are the upgrades and enhancements to the latest version. $1,095 MSRP; Buy It Now
The Redbird Sidekick that goes on sale soon is a technological marvel. Designed primarily for use by flight schools, the notebook-size device can be tossed in the back seat of an airplane to record an incredible amount of data, including engine start and shutdown times, rpm, number of landings, route of flight and more. RFID tags assigned to instructors and students let the Sidekick automatically log who boarded the airplane and for how long. An internal GPS records route of flight data, speed and altitude, and an internal G meter can be programmed to send a text message to the school’s mechanic in the event of a hard landing. The Sidekick can even help flight schools squeeze extra life from their engines by analyzing rpm and deducting time on the ground from overall TBO calculations. But wait, how does a unit that isn’t physically connected to the airplane know when the engine is started and what the rpm settings were used throughout a flight? The Sidekick listens for the telltale electronic pulse signals given off by the spark plugs, does the math automatically, and spits out the numbers. Pretty neat, huh?
