Gear

The FAA categorizes skis as plain or combination — plain being straight fixed skis and combination being a ski mounted around a wheel. Combination skis are either retractable or penetration skis. Penetration skis are fixed around the wheel, which sticks out below to allow for landings on pavement. Skis are generally made from composite and metal, […]

Garmin launched its new D2 Air GPS smartwatch for pilots, which includes multiple tools for planning and in-flight use. Serving to connect seamlessly between a pilot’s flying life and ground-based existence, the D2 Air features weather, direct-to navigation, airport info, flight logging, and a pulse oximeter. The watch displays in several time zones (including Zulu […]

One of the major ­advantages of storing your airplane in a common-storage hangar is line-service personnel will usually pull your aircraft in and out in time to your schedule. Common storage often includes a host of additional services for a monthly rental fee, often twice the price of a T hangar. Line-service folks can help […]

Maybe you have a table made from an old piston and sheet of plastic gracing your hangar. Or the classic propeller making for excellent art on the wall of your office. I’ve personally kept the template of an instrument panel hanging up as a reminder of a restoration project’s blood, sweat, and tears. Aircraft parts […]

A few years ago while hosting one of my #Oshbash social media meetup events at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, a couple of guys introduced themselves and gave me a handful of key FOBs that had the name of their aviation weather app on them…NavMonster. As there are seemingly thousands of weather apps out there (and I […]

From the first flight lesson, every pilot needs a flight bag dedicated to carrying the gear necessary to make a safe and successful flight. The choices are wide and the feature sets are varied. When your logbook starts filling up and you need something to bring it all with you in the cockpit, here are […]

Flight jackets, also known as bomber jackets, have been around since the days when pilots had to fight off extreme cold weather flying open-cockpit airplanes. During World War II, traditional bomber jackets kept crews warm flying high in unpressurized cabins. Today, you can get your aviator on from any era you choose, combining form and […]

As glass panels and EFBs become more widely used today, the calculations made by your grandfather on the famed E-6B analog flight computer are now handled with small, handheld electronic flight computers, or even displayed right on your glass panel. Today’s electronic flight computers are loaded with functionality, but there is still a case to […]

From the early days of aviation when Charles Lindbergh first flew across the North Atlantic, pilots have been looking for ways to secure a notepad and some charts somewhere in the cockpit. What evolved was the “kneeboard” and as technology has advanced, so have kneeboard feature sets. Here are some things to consider. Secure Your […]

These books will start you on that journey and give you a grasp of the basics as you prep for that first flight lesson.